The Atlass Programme
What is the Atlass Programme?
The Atlass programme delivers teaching skills and practical information to course participants, and is the next step on from our Managing Signs of Distress Course. This programme is based upon a proven, well-established and internationally respected model of positive psychology. Atlass is succeeding today in a wide variety of care environments, and is for practitioners, family members, siblings, teachers, carers and a wide range of support workers.
Coping with stress: Learn how to manage stress, understand the transactional nature of stress, and cope with your own stress whilst supporting others with theirs.
Improve your practitioner skills: Turn theory into practice by using Low Arousal skills to become better at spotting distress and improve your behaviour support skills.
Help children and adults who are distressed: Be able to identify causes of distressed behaviour, and understand the role of the sensory environment in stressful encounters.
Coping with stress
Coping with stress
Learn how to organise and respond to sensory information, and manage stress transactions within relationships and the environment.
Improve your practitioner skills
Improve your practitioner skills
Use Low Arousal to become better at spotting meltdowns and improve your behaviour support skills.
Help to manage the stress and trauma related behaviour of children and adults
Examining the interaction between ourselves and the people we support, identifying areas for change.
Help to manage the stress and trauma related behaviour of children and adults
Make de-escalation a science
Putting stress management at the core of our work
Make de-escalation a science
Course Information
The Atlass programme is an internationally recognised programme which focuses on applying principles of stress management and well-being to supporting people with autism and other additional needs. The Atlass programme has a number of specific aims to assist course participants in understanding the role of stress in the person’s life within the context of cognition, environment and relationships, and how this contributes to what may be viewed as challenging behaviour.
The Atlass programme was developed in response to the growing awareness of the role that stress plays in the onset and maintenance of challenging behaviour or difficult episodes, and the impact it has on people’s lives. By acknowledging developmental difference, the Atlass programme teaches practitioners to examine stress and coping within themselves, the people they support, and their carers. To that end, the Atlass approach teaches participants how to develop and implement Stress Reduction Plans for individuals, taking account of the transaction between the person, their relationships and their environment.
Course Structure
Day 1: Introduction to Atlass
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Who are Studio 3?
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The Atlass programme and approach
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Happiness and well-being
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Positive Psychology
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The PERMA(H) Model in practice
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Flow activities
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Developing meaningful relationships
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The need for empathy and understanding
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Promoting positive cultures
Programme Duration (7 Days total)
Participants attend a three-day induction training course led by Studio 3 facilitators. The three day induction focuses on general understanding of stress and well-being.
This will be followed by two 2-day follow ups. In these sessions, participants will develop their understanding of carer stress and trauma. Additionally, they will begin to demonstrate the application of their skills to specific individuals that they work with. The follow-up days have a strong clinical focus, the purpose of which is to help participants develop personalised stress management plans both for themselves and the people they support.
The final day is assessment by presentation. Candidates will be assigned an appointment to present their assignment. This will take between 50-60 minutes.
Day 3: Human Development and Low Arousal Approaches in Context
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How do people with autism experience the world?
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Making sense of the world - perception and the senses
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What is typical human development?
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What is atypical human development?
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What is developmental delay?
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What is developmental disorder?
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The development of Agency and the Self
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Implications for support and management
Day 2: Stress, Coping and Distress
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What is stress?
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What coping style should we use and in which context?
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A transactional model of stress
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The impact of stress on our physical and psychological arousal
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What do we mean by arousal?
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What moderates and mediates within a stress response?
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Implications for support and management
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The case for trauma-informed Behaviour Support
Assessment
The assessment for the positive psychology, stress and well-being module is an individual in-person presentation.
The assessment of students in-person, either physically or virtually, typically take place at specified times and are therefore time constrained by their nature.
There are several assessment measures for course participants:
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Candidates will have to produce a written stress management plan for an individual
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Candidates will present a brief report about their work (maximum 1 hour)
As a result of completing the course, participants will receive a BCU accredited Level 6 certificate of their training.
During the follow-up days, we take a deeper look at the causative factor of and the impact that carer stress has upon the relationship and our responses to crisis situations. There is also an opportunity to share experiences and reflect on the practical application of the main concepts of the Atlass programme in practice, what participants found useful, as well as any barriers they faced.
Delegates will share their stress management plans and receive feedback from their peers in a relaxed, solution-focused discussion. This also provides an opportunity to receive feedback on presentation assessment ahead of final assessment and subsequent certification.
Follow-Up Sessions
The Atlass programme is accredited by Birmingham City University.
Course Objectives
Course participants are expected to complete the course with an understanding of:
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Cognitive development and inter-subjective experience
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The justification of PERMA(H) as a model of both well-being and good practice, and the impact that this has on staff/carers and the individuals they support
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The importance of listening to the voices of the people they are supporting
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Low Arousal Approaches to crisis management, with a strong emphasis on creating reflective practitioners and a stress-focused approach to support
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Sensory perceptual differences, how we organise sensory information and its role in emotional distress and stress management
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Stress and coping, and the role of environment and relationships within the stress transaction
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The neurophysiology of stress
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The role of threat appraisal mechanisms in developing positive coping strategies
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The critical analysis of the importance of stress reduction assessments in practice and evaluate your own strengths and areas for development as a practitioner.
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Being mindful and encouraging mindfulness within support staff
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Applying positive psychological principles with a focus on building resilience
Academic Research
Positive impact on staff teams in terms of stress management and understanding of behaviour.
Work related stress in professionals who provide health & social care for people who exhibit behaviours that challenge.
Course Delivery
The next Atlass course in 2024 will begin in October. The first three days will be delivered in person at our offices in Alcester Birmingham. The remaining follow-up sessions and the assessment will be carried out online.
Week 1
21st - 23rd October 2024
Location: Alcester
First Follow-Up
18th - 19th November 2024
Location: Online
Second Follow-Up
16th - 17th December 2024
Location: Online
Assessment
20th or 21st January 2025
Location: Online
Cost
£400 (plus VAT) registration fee (non-refundable), and
£1,400 (plus VAT) remaining balance. Balance to be paid by or before Monday of the course commencement.
Total cost: £1,800 plus VAT (non-residential cost)
For more information or to discuss booking this course for you or your organisation, contact us at training@studio3.org or call us on 01225 334 111.