18th December 2008

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Bridget Wood


The first students to complete the Masters degree in Applied Behaviour Analysis graduated this week at the University of Ulster’s winter graduation ceremonies in the Millennium Forum.  

When the two year programme was launched by the University of Ulster at its Coleraine campus in 2006, it was the first of its kind to be offered anywhere in Ireland. Nineteen students completed the course, nine of them with Distinction.  

Professor Julian Leslie and Dr Claire McDowell directed the course, with the support of a strong team of behaviour analysts in the School of Psychology. Congratulating the Class of 2008 on achieving their Masters degree, Professor Leslie said he was absolutely delighted with the success of the first group of students to enrol on the programme.  

He added that the School of Psychology hoped to build on this initial success, pointing out that there are now more than 40 students enrolled on the current MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis at Coleraine which is an indication of the course’s growing popularity. 

“All the students deserve great credit for their commitment and hard work. As part of their course, they had to complete extensive supervised work experience and four of them spent a year at the world-renowned New England Centre for Children, Massachusetts, USA. Having successfully completed their MSc, they are all now eligible to proceed towards becoming Board Certified Behaviour Analysts, the only internationally recognised qualification in this field.”  

As well attracting applicants from all over Northern Ireland, students on the course included five from the Republic of Ireland and one from the USA. Many of them are currently involved in services for children with autism while others are in different areas of education.  

Bridget Wood from Bangor and Martina Wells from Warrenpoint both enrolled on the course primarily because they each have a child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. They say that although the course was hard work, it was certainly worth the effort as it gave them a much better understanding of how to cope with challenging behaviour and to help all their children achieve their full potential.  

Bridget has three children whose ages range from 11 to 17 years. She says her heightened awareness of ABA has certainly helped both her and her young child Judy who is autistic.  

Martina, who has two boys and two girls aged from 10 to 16 years, is a qualified teacher, having graduated with a BEd from Ulster. She says that while her interest in ABA was initially as a result of one of her own children being autistic, ABA has many applications and can be used to help children of different ages and abilities.    

For further information, please contact:

Trina Porter
Telephone: 028 71675511
Email: Trina Porter