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Balancing Health and Safety Issues with Individual Rights in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities
The history of treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities is fraught with violations of personal liberties. In a seminal article, Bannerman, Sherman, and Sheldon outlined the need to respect individual rights in the context of effective treatment (1988). Since that time, service...
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Special Challenges and Creative Solutions When Providing Services to Females with Autism
The majority of individuals with autism are male, and females with autism are often overlooked in discussions of needs and program planning. Special challenges exist in serving individuals with autism who are female. In addition, females may be vulnerable in ways that are often not acknowledged or...
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Some Key Issues in Reducing Caregiver Stress: Future Planning for the Family Member
Over the last several years, a lot of focus and attention has been given to the very important topics of transition planning and services into adulthood for those with autism and intellectual disabilities. Supporting families, caregivers and the adolescent/adult child in connecting with adult...
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Building Employability Skills in Persons with ASD through Volunteerism
Much attention is paid to the educational needs of children with autism. Most of the media exposure on autism emphasizes the power of early intervention and the need for specialized instruction at school. While the media, parents and autism organizations have increased awareness, it remains...
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Applied Behavior Analysis as an Intervention for Individuals with Autism: Reflections on 35 years of Evolution
It is difficult to find the words that best describe the evolution of autism treatment over the past 35 years. The science of applied behavior analysis (ABA) has changed substantially over the last 35 years. In 1980, autism was considered to be a low incidence disorder that was not as well...
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Helping First Responders to Understand and Assist Individuals with Autism in Emergency Situations
Children and adults with autism engage in many challenging behaviors, many of which pose safety concerns. These concerns can increase the likelihood they will interface with police officers and other first responders. In fact, individuals with autism are seven times more likely to encounter the...
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Supervision Training: Ensuring Quality at Every Level of an Organization
Interventions for learners with autism have become increasingly nuanced and complex over time. It is not easy for organizations and professionals to stay abreast of the changes in instructional technology. The identification of best practice techniques is a moving target; research continually...
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Rumination: Past, Present, and Future
Rumination is characterized by regurgitation of previously ingested food into the mouth, and re-chewing, re-swallowing or expelling that food (Chial, Camilleri, Williams, Litzinger, and Perrault, 2003). Although rumination is typically observed in infants and individuals with developmental...
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Evaluating the Ability of Learners with Autism to Work in Small Groups
Learners with autism do well with one on one instruction, and this is widely known. However, the provision of one-to-one instruction on a long-term basis is not efficient or realistic. Funding streams, particularly in adulthood, do not support this level of staffing. Furthermore, the ability to...
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Designing Databases That Drive Continuous Improvement for Clients and Organizations
Today’s classrooms are often filled with technology, some not even imagined just a decade ago. Tablet computers loaded with educational or communication software, PC stations, iPods, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, and Wi-Fi internet service are...
