Using ABA to Improve the Lives of Adults with Autism in Work, Community, and Residential Settings
Gregory MacDuff, Ph.D., Princeton Child Development Institute
This presentation describes behavioral intervention programs that help adults with autism complete tasks in work, community, and residential settings. The presentation suggests that preparation for adulthood should begin in childhood, asserts that the curriculum should be as comprehensive and evaluation criteria as rigorous in programs for adults as in programs for children, and stresses the value of low client-teacher ratios. Our data suggest a number of skills that are key to adults’ successful transitions from education programs to supported employment and other community settings. These skills include remaining engaged without direct supervision, using delayed reward systems, completing assignments at criterion, following activity schedules, and exhibiting low levels of disruptive behavior. Discussion of keys skills will be supplemented by videotapes.
Gregory S. MacDuff, Ph.D., is the Director of Adult and Community-Living
Programs at the Princeton Child Development Institute and Adjunct Professor
at the University of Kansas and The College of New Jersey. He has authored
articles and book chapters on incidental teaching, photographic activity
schedules, staff training strategies, prompt- and prompt-fading procedures,
behavioral intervention for adults with autism, and intervention models
in residential settings. He has lectured nationally and internationally,
and has provided consultation and training to a variety of public and private
programs.
BACB/APA CE credits offered for this event.