Staff Profiles

Dr. Helena Lydon

B.A.,H.Dip.,M.A.,PhD

Contact Details

Lecturer Above the Bar
School of Psychology
Arts Millennium Building
National University of Ireland, Galway
T: +353 91 494457
E: helena.lydon@nuigalway.ie

Biography

Helena is a graduate from NUI, Galway having completed a Masters in Applied Behaviour Analysis and a PhD in Applied Behaviour Analysis. She is a certified Behaviour Analyst with the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board®. She has worked for seven years as a Behaviour Therapist and Senior Behaviour Specialist with children and adults in Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services, and with private children’s residential care service providers, throughout Ireland. Her clinical experience is in the treatment of challenging behaviour and individuals presenting with a dual diagnosis across educational, residential and respite settings. Helena is a member of the Forensic and Intellectual Disability and ASD Group which based at NUIG. In 2013, Helena began lecturing on the MSc and structured PhD programmes in Applied Behaviour Analysis which prepares students to become expert practitioners who can work effectively within systems to improve the quality of services in the fields of intellectual and developmental disabilities, education, rehabilitation, and mental health. She is a member of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) and the Division of behaviour analysis (DBA) in Ireland.

Research Interests

Feeding problems
Sleep Problems
Behavioural Interventions for challenging behavoiur and mental health issues
Increasing language in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Teaching play skills to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Research Projects

Project	Start Date	End Date
DDSkills	01-JAN-20	31-DEC-22
SPAUT	01-JAN-20	31-DEC-21
Working Through	01-JAN-19	31-DEC-20
Improving Children's nutritional intake	01-MAR-19	31-MAR-19
New Directions: Evaluation of the first year of implementation in a regional intellectual disability service	01-JAN-18	30-JUN-18
Examination of reading abilities and behavioural issues in pre-school aged children using data from the CDI: Early Years Programme.	01-JAN-18	30-JUN-18
HELENA LYDON GENERAL RESEARCH ACCOUNT	01-OCT-17	30-SEP-27

Peer Reviewed Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2022)	'Improving pain-related communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability' Fitzpatrick, R., McGuire, B.E., Lydon, H. (2022) 'Improving pain-related communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability'. Peadicatirc & Neonatal Pain, [DOI] [Details]
	(2022)	'Targeting the right supports to reduce pediatric procedural pain and distress: Invited Commentary' Fitzpatrick, R., McGuire, B.E., Lydon, H., (2022) 'Targeting the right supports to reduce pediatric procedural pain and distress: Invited Commentary'. Journal Of Pediatric Psychology, [DOI] [Details]
	(2022)	'Assessment of Chewing in Children with Down Syndrome' Ferrari, C., Marinopoulou, E., Lydon, H. (2022) 'Assessment of Chewing in Children with Down Syndrome'. Behavior Modification, [DOI] [Details]
	(2023)	'Barriers and facilitators to practitioners¿ implementation of positive behavior support practice in social care organizations in Ireland' Dunworth, C., Mahon, D., McSharry, J., Holloway, J., & Lydon, H. (2023) 'Barriers and facilitators to practitioners¿ implementation of positive behavior support practice in social care organizations in Ireland'. Journal Of Intellectual Disabilities, [Details]
	(2022)	'The implementation of Precision Teaching for the improvement of academic skills: A systematic review of the literature over thirty years' Tiernan, A. M., McCoy, A., Mendonca, J., Lydon, H., & Diffley, S. (2022) 'The implementation of Precision Teaching for the improvement of academic skills: A systematic review of the literature over thirty years'. Behavioral Interventions, [Details]
	(2021)	'Evaluating Reading Outcomes in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Following Parent Facilitated Headsprout®' Nally, A., Holloway, J., Lydon, H., Healy, O. (2021) 'Evaluating Reading Outcomes in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Following Parent Facilitated Headsprout®'. Behavior Analysis in Practice, [Details]
	(2021)	'Apps to Teach Social Skills to Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of the Embedded Behavior Change Procedures' Hanna, N., Barry, L., Holloway, J., Lydon, H. (2021) 'Apps to Teach Social Skills to Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of the Embedded Behavior Change Procedures'. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, [DOI] [Details]
	(2021)	'A Systematic Review of Training Methods to increase Staff’s Knowledge and Implementation of Positive Behavior Support in Residential and Day Settings for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities' Mahon, D., Walsh, E., Holloway, J., Lydon, H. (2021) 'A Systematic Review of Training Methods to increase Staff’s Knowledge and Implementation of Positive Behavior Support in Residential and Day Settings for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities'. Journal Of Intellectual Disabilities, [DOI] [Details]
	(2020)	'The Edmark (R) Reading Program: A Comparison of Computerized and Table Top Presentation in Reading Outcomes in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder' Nally, A,Holloway, J,Lydon, H,Healy, O (2020) 'The Edmark (R) Reading Program: A Comparison of Computerized and Table Top Presentation in Reading Outcomes in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder'. Journal Of Developmental And Physical Disabilities, [DOI] [Details]
	(2020)	'Implementing Positive Behavior Support Within Preschool Settings: Group Functional Assessment and CW-FIT' Mahon, D,Gunning, C,Holloway, J,Lydon, H (2020) 'Implementing Positive Behavior Support Within Preschool Settings: Group Functional Assessment and CW-FIT'. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, [DOI] [Details]
	(2020)	'Interventions to improve sleep for individuals with Angelman syndrome: A systematic review' Egan, M., Farrell, K., Hoey, E., McGuire, B.E., Lydon, H.K. (2020) 'Interventions to improve sleep for individuals with Angelman syndrome: A systematic review'. Research In Developmental Disabilities, [Details]
	(2019)	'An Evaluation of Assistive Technology in Determining Job-Specific Preference for Adults With Autism and Intellectual Disabilities' Walsh, E,Lydon, H,Holloway, J (2019) 'An Evaluation of Assistive Technology in Determining Job-Specific Preference for Adults With Autism and Intellectual Disabilities'. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 13 :434-444 [DOI] [Details]
	(2019)	'An Exploration of the Performance and Generalization Outcomes of a Social Skills Intervention for Adults with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities' Walsh, E., Holloway, J., & Lydon, H. (2019) 'An Exploration of the Performance and Generalization Outcomes of a Social Skills Intervention for Adults with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities'. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, [Details]
	(2018)	'An analysis of reading abilities in children with autism spectrum disorders' Nally, A,Healy, O,Holloway, J,Lydon, H (2018) 'An analysis of reading abilities in children with autism spectrum disorders'. Research In Autism Spectrum Disorders, 47 :14-25 [DOI] [Details]
	(2018)	'Chronic pain: a source of disability in its own right' McGuire, B.E., Lydon, H. (2018) 'Chronic pain: a source of disability in its own right'. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 60 (4):538-538 [DOI] [Details]
	(2018)	'Increasing appropriate conversation skills using a behavioral skills training package with adults with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder' Ryan, G., Brady, S., Holloway, J., & Lydon, H. (2018) 'Increasing appropriate conversation skills using a behavioral skills training package with adults with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder'. Journal Of Intellectual Disabilities, [DOI] [Details]
	(2018)	'An Evaluation of a Social Skills Intervention for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities preparing for Employment in Ireland: A Pilot Study' Walsh, E,Holloway, J,Lydon, H (2018) 'An Evaluation of a Social Skills Intervention for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities preparing for Employment in Ireland: A Pilot Study'. Journal Of Autism And Developmental Disorders, 48 :1727-1741 [DOI] [Details]
	(2017)	'An evaluation of positive behavioural support for children with challenging behaviour in community settings' Grey, I,Mesbur, M,Lydon, H,Healy, O,Thomas, J (2017) 'An evaluation of positive behavioural support for children with challenging behaviour in community settings'. Journal Of Intellectual Disabilities, 22 :394-411 [DOI] [Details]
	(2017)	'Parental satisfaction with early intensive behavioral intervention' Grey, I,Coughlan, B,Lydon, H,Healy, O,Thomas, J (2017) 'Parental satisfaction with early intensive behavioral intervention'. Journal Of Intellectual Disabilities, 23 :373-384 [DOI] [Details]
	(2017)	'Comparison of behavioral intervention and sensory integration therapy on challenging behavior of children with autism' Lydon, H,Healy, O,Grey, I (2017) 'Comparison of behavioral intervention and sensory integration therapy on challenging behavior of children with autism'. Behavioral Interventions, 32 :297-310 [DOI] [Details]
	(2017)	'Using Novel Variantof Stimulus Fading in the Treatment of Food Refusal and Co-Morbid Challenging Behaviour in a Child with Autism' Grey, I., Lydon, H., Healy, O. Thomas, J. (2017) 'Using Novel Variantof Stimulus Fading in the Treatment of Food Refusal and Co-Morbid Challenging Behaviour in a Child with Autism'. Global Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disaiblities (GJIDD), 1 (5):1-7 [Details]
	(2016)	'Technology-aided interventions for employment skills in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A systematic review' Walsh, E. Holloway, J., McCoy, A., Lydon, H. (2016) 'Technology-aided interventions for employment skills in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A systematic review'. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, [DOI] [Details]
	(2016)	'Positive behaviour support: What model of disability does it represent?' Grey, I,Lydon, H,Healy, O (2016) 'Positive behaviour support: What model of disability does it represent?'. Journal of intellectual & developmental disability, 41 :255-266 [DOI] [Details]
	(2012)	'Sensory integration therapy for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review' Lang, R,O'Reilly, M,Healy, O,Rispoli, M,Lydon, H,Streusand, W,Davis, T,Kang, S,Sigafoos, J,Lancioni, G,Didden, R,Giesbers, S (2012) 'Sensory integration therapy for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review'. Research In Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6 :1004-1018 [DOI] [Details]
	(2011)	'A comparison of Video Modeling and Pivotal Response Training to teach pretend play skills to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder' Lydon, H,Healy, O,Leader, G (2011) 'A comparison of Video Modeling and Pivotal Response Training to teach pretend play skills to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder'. Research In Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5 :872-884 [DOI] [Details]
	(2009)	'The Effects of Intensive Tact Instruction on Three Verbal Operants in Non-Instructional Settings for Two Children with Autism' Lydon, H., Healy, O., Leader, G., & Keohane, D.D. (2009) 'The Effects of Intensive Tact Instruction on Three Verbal Operants in Non-Instructional Settings for Two Children with Autism'. Journal Of Speech And Language Pathology And Applied Behavior Analysis, 3 (2-3):173-184 [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]

Book Chapters

	Year	Publication
	(2022)	'Sensory Interventions' Healy, O., Lydon, H., Dempsey, R., Grealish, L (2022) 'Sensory Interventions' In: Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. New York: Springer. [Details]
	(2020)	'PREP4Work: A social skills intervention to prepare adults with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities to access the workplace' Holloway, J. Lydon, H., Walsh, E. (2020) 'PREP4Work: A social skills intervention to prepare adults with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities to access the workplace' In: Social Skills Across the Lifespan: Theory, Assessment and Intervention. :313-329 London: Elsevier. [Details]

Published Reports

	Year	Publication
	(2018)	New Directions: Evaluation of the first year of implementation in a regional intellectual disability service. Lydon, H., D’Eath, M., Heary, C. (2018). (2018) New Directions: Evaluation of the first year of implementation in a regional intellectual disability service. National Disability Authority, Dublin. [Details]

Other Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2021)	'Towards qualification for health and social care professionals in the field of digital technologies: the European project ¿DDSkills¿' Weiland, M., Klein, B., Riccio, A., Lydon, H., Paschou, F., Panzironi, M., ... & Gunning, C. (2021) 'Towards qualification for health and social care professionals in the field of digital technologies: the European project ¿DDSkills¿' Connected Living: international and interdisciplinary conference, . [Details]

Electronic Article

	Year	Publication
	(2019)	Improving Social Skills for adults with autism and co-occurring intellectual disabilities to promote workplace inclusion. Walsh, E., Holloway, J., & Lydon, H. (2019) Improving Social Skills for adults with autism and co-occurring intellectual disabilities to promote workplace inclusion. Electronic Article [Details]

Reviews

	Year	Publication
	(2012)	Sensory integration therapy for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review. Lang, R;O'Reilly, M;Healy, O;Rispoli, M;Lydon, H;Streusand, W;Davis, T;Kang, S;Sigafoos, J;Lancioni, G;Didden, R;Giesbers, S (2012) Sensory integration therapy for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review. OXFORD: ELSEVIER SCI LTD Reviews [DOI] [Details]
	(2017)	Technology-Aided Interventions for Employment Skills in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Walsh, E;Holloway, J;McCoy, A;Lydon, H (2017) Technology-Aided Interventions for Employment Skills in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. HEIDELBERG: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG Reviews [DOI] [Details]

Professional Associations

	Association	Function	From / To
	Board Analyst Certification Board	BCBA-D	01-FEB-14 /
	Chartered Psychologist	Psychological Society of Ireland	01-DEC-17 /

Committees

	Committee	Function	From / To
	Special Interest Group in Paediatric Psychology	Committee Member	01-SEP-17 /
	Division Of Behaviour Analysis	Committee member	01-MAY-14 /

Current Postgraduate Students (Taught)

Name	Degree	Primary Supervisor
Nicole Hanna	MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis	Y
Chiara Ferrari	MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis	Y
Laura Lavin	MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis	Y
Liam Finnerty	MSc in Applied Behaviour Analysis	Y

Recent Postgraduate Students

	Graduation	Name	Degree	Primary Supervisor
	2019	Edith Walsh	PhD in Psychology (Applied Behaviour Analysis)
	2018	Amanda Nally	PhD in Psychology (Applied Behaviour Analysis)

Modules Taught

Term/Year	Module Title	Module Code
Semester 2	Behaviour Change Procedures	PS 511
Semester 1 and 2	Ethics, Professional Conduct and Clinical Practice 1	PS 6121
Semester 1	Advanced Behaviour Systems	PS6123
Semester 1	Psychological Measurement	PS 420