Profound and severe autism represents the highest-complexity segment of the autism population — individuals who may have significant intellectual disabilities, limited or absent functional communication, co-occurring medical and psychiatric conditions, and behavioral challenges that have persisted across the lifespan despite extensive intervention. These individuals and their families are underserved by the research literature, which has historically focused on milder presentations, and they are frequently underserved by clinical systems that are designed around moderate autism and are not equipped for the intensity and complexity of profound need.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via RethinkBH
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →Many individuals with autism face significant challenges across their lifespan, including intellectual disabilities, co-occurring medical and psychiatric conditions, and complex communication and behavioral needs. For families, raising a loved one with severe or profound autism requires navigating unique challenges, such as accessing specialized, long-term behavioral interventions, coordinating with an integrated team of professionals, and establishing systems of support to manage crises over the life span. This informative conversation will discuss a parent's perspective, the goals of the Profound Autism Alliance, their upcoming conference, and how behavior analysts can best meet the needs of individuals with severe and profound autism.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
Dr. Bridget Taylor is co-founder and CEO of Alpine Learning Group and is Senior Clinical Advisor for Rethink Behavioral Health. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Psychologist. Dr. Taylor is past president of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and past Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. She currently serves on the board of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (SEAB). Active in the Autism research community, Dr. Taylor has published numerous peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters, on innovative practices to improve the lives of individuals with autism. Her most recent work explores compassionate relationship-building with families in the provision of clinical services to individuals with autism. Dr. Taylor has been recognized by the Association for Applied Behavior Analysis International for her outstanding contributions and received ABAI’s Fellow designation.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
252 research articles with practitioner takeaways
You earn CEUs from a dozen different places. Upload any certificate — from here, your employer, conferences, wherever — and always know exactly where you stand. Learning, Ethics, Supervision, all handled.
No credit card required. Cancel anytime.
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.