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Area of expertise

Dr Catherine Sholl is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the National and Specialist CAMHS Autism and Intellectual Disabilities Intensive Intervention Team (AID-IIT). The team specialise in offering support to young people with Autism or Learning Disabilities who are at high risk of an inpatient CAMHS admission (or who have already been admitted to a CAMHS inpatient unit). AID-IIT work closely with families and local networks to support young people with complex needs to live within the community. Catherine has a particular interest and expertise in assessment, intervention, consultation and support for children and young people with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism with complex mental health needs including significant challenging behaviour.  More broadly, Catherine has an interest in social inclusion and social justice for those with the most complex needs (particularly children and adolescents), and her job roles, research and publications so far have focussed on this.

 

Biography

Catherine completed an undergraduate degree in psychology at the University of Liverpool and then a doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of East London. Pre and post qualification Catherine has worked with children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders in a variety of settings including care homes, special schools, inpatient settings and community CAMHS. This included being a lead clinician in setting up the Ealing Intensive Therapeutic and Short Breaks Service (ITSBS), aiming to prevent unnecessary residential placements or inpatient admissions for young people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour. This service has been cited as a model of good practice in the Transforming Care Agenda good practice examples, the Lenehan Review into Residential Special Schools, the NHS Ten year plan, and the recent Children's Commissioner for England report 'Far less than they deserve. Children with learning disabilities or autism living in mental health hospitals'.    

Catherine is involved in the development of national policy, guidance and practice in relation to supporting children and young people with Learning Disabilities and Autism. She has been on the committee for the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) London and South East Region CAMHS Learning Disability Special Interest Group (LASER). She is also a Core Member of the Challenging Behaviour Foundation’s National Strategy Group. Catherine sits on the NHS England Clinical Reference Group for children and young people with Autism or Learning Disability. Catherine also previously sat on a special advisory group for the development of joint DoH and DfE guidance on reducing the need for physical interventions for children and young people presenting with challenging behaviour.

 

Education and Training

•    Doctorate in Clinical Psychology – University of East London – 2004-2007
•    BSc Hons in Psychology – University of Liverpool – 1998-2001

Catherine has completed a broad range of post graduate trainings and courses relevant to her clinical work including training in the assessment and diagnosis of Autism (ADOS-2, ADI-R), training in numerous psychological approaches/modalities relevant to working with children and young people with Autism, Learning Disabilities and mental health difficulties, training in different parent programmes and parent support, and management and leadership training.

 

Publications

Sholl, C. (2020). Commentary on “A reflective evaluation of the Bradford positive behaviour support – in reach service”. Tizard Learning Disability Review. Vol 25, No. 4, pp193-196.

Dilks-Hopper, H., Jacobs, C., Sholl, C., Falconer, C., Gore, N. (2019) The Ealing Intensive Therapeutic and Short Breaks Service: An update 5 years on. Tizard Learning Disability Review. Vol 24, No. 2, pp56-63.

Iemmi, V., Knapp, M., Reid, C., Sholl, C. Ferdinand, M., Buescher, A. and Trachtenberg, M. (2016). Positive behaviour support for children and adolescents with learning disabilities and challenging behaviours living in the community: an exploratory economic evaluation. Tizard Learning Disability Review. Vol 21, No. 4, pp169-180.

Sholl, C., Reid, C. and Udwin, U. (2014). Preventing residential care for young people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviours: the development of the Ealing Intensive Therapeutic and Short Breaks Service. ACAMH Occasional Paper 32: Intellectual Disabilities and Challenging Behaviour. pp15-25.

Reid, C., Sholl, C. & Gore, N. (2013).Seeking to prevent residential placements for young people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour: examples and early outcomes from the Ealing ITSBS. Tizard Learning Disability Review. 18(4), pp171-178.

Sholl, C., Korkie, J. & Harper, D. (2010). Challenging teenagers’ ideas about people with mental health problems. The Psychologist: Social Inclusion. 23(1), pp26-27.

Sholl, C., Korkie, J. & Harper, D. (2009). Working with young people to challenge discrimination against mental health service users: A psychosocial approach. Clinical Psychology Forum Special Issue: Faculty for Complex Mental Health and Psychosis. 196, pp45-49.