About The Course
This course explores Behaviour Change in Intellectual Disability through a practical, evidence-based framework. Participants will learn effective approaches to the assessment of mental illness in intellectual disability, recognise diagnostic and systemic challenges, and apply multidisciplinary strategies to optimise prescribing, communication, and care. Presented by Associate Professor Rebecca Koncz, a leading Australian expert in intellectual disability mental health, this course equips clinicians to deliver compassionate and clinically sound psychiatric care.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is suitable for:
- Psychiatrists
- General Practitioners (GPs)
- Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (MHNPs)
- Psychologists
- Mental health professionals
- Clinicians working in or expanding into psychiatry and mental health care
Accreditation Information:
- Psychiatry Accreditation: This course is available for self-accreditation with the RANZCP and other relevant psychiatric and mental health organisations.
- GP Accreditation: This course is available for self-accreditation with RACGP for general practitioners.
What You'll Learn
By completing this course, you will be able to:
- Apply structured, evidence-based frameworks to assess behaviour change and mental illness in people with intellectual disability.
- Recognise and address diagnostic overshadowing to ensure accurate identification of psychiatric and medical comorbidities.
- Implement best-practice psychotropic prescribing principles and determine when non-pharmacological interventions should take priority.
- Work effectively within multidisciplinary teams to support communication, decision-making, and person-centred care.
- Advocate for equitable, high-quality mental health care and improved systemic support for individuals with intellectual disability.
Course Programme
4 Units | 15 Modules | 1.5 hours total length
- Historical Context and Evolution
- DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria
- Prevalence and Clinical Spectrum of Intellectual Disability
- Rates of Mental Illness
- Co-occurring Conditions
- Physical and Neurological Comorbidities
- Patterns of Health Service Utilisation
- Defining Behaviors of Concern
- Clinical Assessment Framework
- Diagnostic Overshadowing
- Functional Behavioral Assessment
- Principles of Multidisciplinary Care
- Psychological and Behavioural Interventions
- Principles of Psychotropic Prescribing
- Consent, Restrictive Practices, and Ethical Considerations
Course Description
Assessment and Management of Behaviour Change and Mental Illness in People with Intellectual Disability.
People with intellectual disability experience some of the highest rates of mental illness, yet their mental health needs often go unrecognised and under-treated. Presented by Associate Professor Rebecca Koncz, this on-demand webinar offers an in-depth exploration of Behaviour Change in Intellectual Disability, equipping clinicians with evidence-based frameworks to assess, manage, and advocate for individuals presenting with complex behavioural and psychiatric challenges.
Drawing on her extensive experience in neuropsychiatry, A/Prof Koncz provides practical strategies to improve diagnostic accuracy, enhance multidisciplinary collaboration, and optimise treatment outcomes. Participants will gain clarity on the assessment of mental illness in intellectual disability and strengthen their understanding of ethical and clinical decision-making in this area.
This on-demand course is structured to guide learners from foundational knowledge to advanced management principles.
Unit 1–2: Foundations and Epidemiology
The opening units explore the historical context, diagnostic criteria, and prevalence of intellectual disability, followed by a review of mental illness rates, co-occurring conditions, and systemic barriers to care. Clinicians gain insight into the assessment of mental illness in intellectual disability and recognise the scale of unmet mental health needs.
Unit 3: Clinical Assessment Framework
This unit focuses on defining behaviours of concern, understanding diagnostic overshadowing, and applying structured assessment approaches. A/Prof Koncz outlines the “psychiatric assessment plus” model, encouraging clinicians to consider biological, psychological, and social contributors to behaviour change in intellectual disability.
Unit 4: Psychological, Behavioural, and Ethical Management
The final unit provides an integrated framework for behavioural and pharmacological management. Participants will learn principles of psychotropic prescribing in intellectual disability, including deprescribing, monitoring, and the ethical considerations surrounding restrictive practices and consent. Emphasis is placed on multidisciplinary collaboration and supported decision-making.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Apply structured frameworks for the assessment of behaviour change and mental illness in people with intellectual disability.
- Identify and mitigate diagnostic overshadowing, ensuring accurate recognition of psychiatric and medical comorbidities.
- Integrate evidence-based psychotropic prescribing principles and evaluate when non-pharmacological interventions should be prioritised.
- Collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams to enhance communication, supported decision-making, and person-centred care.
- Advocate for equitable access to mental health assessment, treatment, and systemic support for individuals with intellectual disability.
Enhance your clinical expertise and deliver compassionate, evidence-based care to one of psychiatry’s most vulnerable populations through this focused learning experience on Behaviour Change in Intellectual Disability.
This on-demand course, Assessment and Management of Behaviour Change and Mental Illness in People with Intellectual Disability with A/Prof Rebecca Koncz, is offered in both video and audio formats. Participants receive a completion certificate and 1.5 CPD hours upon completion.
While our Academy members enjoy exclusive access to a range of courses and webinars (including this course) with their annual membership, we’re pleased to offer you the opportunity to purchase it individually!
Please click on the respective links to take advantage of this offer, or scroll down to the pricing section.
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Enhance your clinical expertise through evidence-based approaches to the assessment of mental illness in intellectual disability, integrating behavioural, medical, and psychiatric insights to improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes.
Course Information
- 1.5 hours
- 1.5 CPD
Inclusions
- 1.5 Hours of Video Lecture
- Course Completion Certificate
Material Downloads
- certificate
Instructors
A/Prof Rebecca Koncz Guest Speaker - MBBS(Hons), FRANZCP, PhD
A/Prof Koncz is the Chair of Intellectual Disability Mental Health, within the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health at UNSW Sydney. She is a neuropsychiatrist who is passionate about improving mental health outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rebecca has extensive clinical experience working with people with intellectual disability, their families and advocates, and is a clinical academic with the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District Mental Health Service.
Rebecca conducts high quality, translational research in neuropsychiatric conditions, ageing and dementia, and leads the design and delivery of intellectual disability mental health education content for professionals across the health and disability sectors. Rebecca is committed to partnering with people with lived experience, government, and peak bodies in these sectors, to develop and implement innovative research and capacity building initiatives that can improve the mental health of people with cognitive disabilities.
Dr. Sanil Rege Host - MBBS, MRCPsych, FRANZCP
With extensive teaching experience through psychiatry education initiatives, Sanil is recognised as a motivational training facilitator and educator who promotes insightful collaboration and discussion
As the Academic Lead of Psych Scene and Chief Editor of Psych Scene Hub, he aspires to make a difference in mental health by empowering Healthcare Professionals to advance their skills and career through the provision of specialised education and training
Sanil is also founder of Vita Healthcare, a private clinic in Mount Eliza specialising in adult mental healthcare, with over 20 years of clinical experience and 13 years of private practice experience treating disorders across the spectrum. He currently works in the community, across in-patient, consultation-liaison and addiction psychiatry spaces.
