Meaningful Goals, Meaningful Lives: Improving Adult Outcomes in Autism Spectrum Disorder is the kind of topic that looks straightforward until it collides with the speed, ambiguity, and competing demands of adult services and community participation. In Meaningful Goals, Meaningful Lives: Improving Adult Outcomes in Autism Spectrum Disorder, for this course, the practical stakes show up in skills that remain meaningful when school supports disappear and adult expectations change, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via HAWAI'I ASSOCIATION FOR BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
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Join Free →Given the consistent demonstration of poor adult outcomes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder, it is critical that goals written and interventions prescribed prior to the transition to adulthood are meaningful and highly socially valid. This presentation will provide an overview of ways we, as behavior analysts, can change our behavior if better adult outcomes are to be realized. Implications and recommendations for practice will be discussed including a refocus on what skills to teach and how in order to promote best outcomes across the lifespan and thereby improve the overall quality of life for individuals on the autism spectrum. Additionally, common barriers to targeting meaningful goals encountered by practitioners and how to overcome these barriers will be discussed.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1.5 | General |
Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D., is the Executive Director of the EPIC Programs in Paramus, NJ. Dr. Gerhardt has over 40 years of experience utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis in support of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders in educational, employment, residential, and community-based settings. He has authored or edited several publications, including “Make it Meaningful: Creating Programs that Matter into Adulthood for Learners with Autism Spectrum and Related Disorders“ (Make it Meaningful Press, 2024) with Dr. Shanna Bahry, “Clinician’s Guide to Sexuality and Autism” (Academic Press, 2024) with Drs. Jessica Cauchi, Mary Jane Weiss, and Justin Leaf and “The Handbook of Quality of Life for Individuals with ASD” (Springer, 2022), on which he is a co-editor. He has presented nationally and internationally on these and related topics. Dr. Gerhardt serves as Co-Chairman of the Scientific Council for the Organization for Autism Research and is on numerous professional advisory boards, including the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. He serves as Affiliate Faculty in the Institute for Applied Behavioral Science at Endicott College. Dr. Gerhardt received his doctorate from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey’s Graduate School of Education.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
280 research articles with practitioner takeaways
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.