Module 1 for children

Facilitator introduces children to four primary emotions – happy, sad, worried and angry – and explains that there are different intensities of feelings. Children learn this concept with the help of the Feelings Strength Bar.

• How to use the Feelings Strength Bar to rate intensities of feelings
• How to recognise happy, sad, worried and angry facial features
• How different people can have different feelings in the same situation

Module 1 for parents and teachers

Facilitator works closely with parents and teachers to ensure the best possible outcome for each child. Parents and teachers are introduced to their role as ‘emotion coaches’, and learn about how to support children to talk about their emotions.

• What is the Westmead Feelings Program?
• The emotional and social challenges for children on the autism spectrum
• How children with on the autism spectrum communicate
• How to be an emotion coach
• How to use the Feelings Strength Bar
• How to use visual cueing
• How to use the communications book

Module 2 for children

Children learn about feelings in themselves and in others, to foster a greater understanding of the causes of and influences on people’s emotional experiences and behaviour. They also learn specifically tailored cognitive-behavioural therapy strategies.

• How to solve problems, using structured visual tools
• Reading emotional signs in faces, bodies and voices
• Perspective taking, or how different people can have different feelings in the same situation

Module 2 for parents and teachers

Parents and teachers continue to fine-tune their emotion-coaching skills, and learn about problem solving and perspective taking.

• How to solve problems, using structured visual tools
• Reading emotional signs in faces, bodies and voices
• Perspective taking, or how different people can have different feelings in the same situation
• Putting problem solving and perspective taking together

Module 3 for children

Children learn a range of strategies for dealing with difficult or unpleasant emotions, to feel more in control and accepting of their emotions, enabling them to react more appropriately and in more socially positive ways.

• Management of not-so-good feelings
• How to use the Feelings Control Kit strategies
• Recap of previously learned skills and strategies

Module 3 for parents and teachers

Parents and teachers learn ways by which they can support children's emotion management skills.

• Troubleshooting skills from Modules 1 and 2
• How to use the Feelings Control Kit strategies
• Effective use and promotion of emotion regulation skills

The Boosters comprise one session each for children, teachers and parents approximately six months after completion of Module 3.

• Revision of all Westmead Feelings Program skills
• Troubleshooting and skill refinement based on parent and teacher feedback

Participants will be able to:

• demonstrate the capacity to useWestmead Feelings Program, including all key resources, to teach children with mild ID the skills required for understanding emotions, problem solving, perspective taking and managing emotions
• demonstrate the capacity to use Westmead Feelings Program to teach parents and teachers of children with mild ID how to be ‘emotion coaches’, supporting skill development in understanding emotions, problem solving, perspective taking and managing emotions
• analyse and critically evaluate a range of positive behaviour support strategies to be able to effectively deliver Westmead Feelings Program  to autistic children with mild ID
• apply knowledge to implement differentiated teaching strategies.

The course consists of four units and two learning assurance tasks. It covers proficiency in 22 separate areas of Westmead Feelings Program, through interactive tasks, activities and videos.

Unit 1: introduction and overview
Unit 2: Teaching ‘Westmead Feelings Program Module 2: Understanding emotions’ to children, parents and teachers
Unit 3: Teaching ‘Westmead Feelings Program Module 3: Problem solving and perspective taking’ to children, parents and teachers
Unit 4: Teaching ‘Westmead Feelings Program Module 4: Managing emotions’ to children, parents and teachers.

The learning assurance tasks are a multiple-choice quiz and a 5−20 minute video demonstrating proficiency in one area of the Westmead Feelings Program 2 delivery. On successful completion of the course, participants will receive an accredited certificate, enabling participants to facilitate Westmead Feelings Program 1 at the highest standard with children, parents and teachers in schools, hospitals and other relevant clinical settings, and the opportunity to be listed on ACER’s online certified practitioners’ register.

The Psychology Board of Australia

The course satisfies the guidelines for 20 hours of continuing professional development required for the annual registration of psychologists.

Research 

The Westmead Feelings Program has a strong research basis and has been studied in more than eight research studies evaluating teaching content, teaching materials and outcome measures in a range of settings (including hospital outpatient department and school settings) and by a range of Westmead Feelings Program facilitators (including psychologists, school counsellors and special educators). The Westmead Feelings Program has consistently demonstrated clinically significant treatment benefits, resulting in improved emotional competence, social skills and mental health for children with autism spectrum disorder and their families.

Results of Westmead Feelings Program research have been presented by the authors of the program at national and international conferences and studies of Westmead Feelings Program (formerly known as Emotion-Based Social Skills Training, or EBSST) have been published in peer-reviewed journals.

Conclusions

• The Westmead Feelings Program in schools significantly improves teacher-reported emotional competence in children with autism spectrum disorder and mild intellectual disability, comparing treatment to a control group.
• There are clinically significant improvements in mental health for treatment compared to control groups in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder.
• Completing Westmead Feelings Program results in positive trends for parent-reported emotional competence, parent- and teacher-reported social skills and parent mental health.
• For facilitators who have completed Westmead Feelings Program facilitator training and accreditation, there is a high level of skills and competence acquired relating to Westmead Feelings Program delivery so that no further professional support is required for successful implementation. 

Dr Belinda Ratcliffe, is Lecturer in Clinical Psychology (Child & Adolescent) in the School of Social Sciences and Psychology at the University of Western Sydney. Belinda holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Autism from the Sydney Medical School at the University of Sydney and has an established Clinical Psychology practice, utilising over 17 years of experience in autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability and mental health in children and adolescents.

Since 2007, Belinda has been dedicated to the development, evaluation and dissemination of the Westmead Feelings Program. Belinda is the lead author for the ‘Westmead Feelings Program 1’ and has received multiple awards and prizes in recognition for her work. Belinda is passionate about translational research, teaching and clinical practice, aimed at improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents with a disability.

Dr Michelle Wong founded the Westmead Feelings Program in 2004 and is its clinical research leader. The Westmead Feelings Program was inspired by Dr Wong’s work with children with autism and their families who had graduated from early intervention programs and needed to learn emotion skills as they progressed through school, utilising scientific methods and a theoretical framework. As a Senior Clinical Psychologist at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Dr Wong further developed the Westmead Feelings Program and its research evidence base. Dr Wong continues to work as a clinician with young people with autism and their families, collaborates with organisations in Australia and internationally who support people on the autism spectrum, and has been awarded for her work in child health. Dr Wong is a clinical and research mentor to other professionals and completed her PhD and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Sydney where she is an Honorary Associate.

Dr David Dossetor is Director for Mental Health for the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, Clinical Associate Professor at Sydney Medical School and a child psychiatrist with a special interest in intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. He has been involved in the Emotion-Based Social Skills Training for Autism team and research since its inception in 2004, from which the Westmead Feelings Program has developed. Dr Dossetor established the Developmental Psychiatry Team at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, and developed key partnerships with the Statewide Behaviour Intervention Service of New South Wales Family and Community Services and with the New South Wales Department of Education. Dr Dossetor promotes partnerships and collaborations to support the needs of children and young people with autism and intellectual disability. He established an inter-agency tertiary clinical service and a multidisciplinary training curriculum in mental health and intellectual disability, now published in a textbook (www.ipcommunications.com.au). Dr Dossetor also established the Children’s Hospital at Westmead School-Link Service, promoting the mental health of students with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder in schools. These organisational partnerships have facilitated research and service development in mental health prevention, promotion and intervention. Initiatives include Parent Training Intervention in Special Schools, different adaptations of the Westmead Feelings Program, and a cartoon animation for mental health awareness raising in schools. Dr Dossetor is also a member of the editorial panel for the Journal of Mental Health of Children and Adolescents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (www.schoollink.chw.edu.au), which is a free electronic journal.

Dr Lisa Brice is a clinical psychologist at Asperger Services Australia. She completed her doctorate and masters in psychology at Yeshiva University, New York. She also has a Masters of Social Science Degree from the City University of New York and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Queensland. Lisa has worked in a range of clinical settings such as hospitals, schools, mental health services and specialist early intervention services both in Australia and the United States.

Dr Vicki Grahame is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University in the UK. She is the Clinical Lead for the Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders Service (CNDS), Newcastle, England, which is a specialist tertiary service that provides second opinions about children and young people who may have an Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) and other complex mental health or neurodevelopmental problems. She has expertise in the successful planning and delivery of randomised controlled trials of complex interventions for children with ASD and their families and in adapting interventions to meet the needs of children and young people with ASD and co-morbidities. She has specialist training in Paediatric Neuropsychological Assessments.