Advancing Community Inclusion for Individuals with ID/DD: History, Challenges, and the Role of Caregivers

• By: Christina DeLapp, MS, BCBA-LABA Melmark
• September 15th, 2025
• Americans with Disabilities Act, caregiver training, challenging behaviors, communication support, community-based living, Fall 2025 Issue, intellectual and developmental disabilities, olmstead decision, public perception and stigma
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Community-based living for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) has improved since the mid-20th century, in the context of a broader civil rights movement. A more discrete focus on the rights of individuals with disabilities arose during the 1960s and 1970s under John...

Supporting Families and Caregivers Through a Highly Skilled Workforce: Training with Compassion to Produce Best Outcomes

• By: Jennifer Ruane, MS, BCBA, LPC, CDE Jennifer Flanders, MEd, BCBA, LABA Jill Harper, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, CDE Melmark
• October 2nd, 2023
• behavior skills training, caregiver training, clinician-caregiver feedback loop, collaborative practices, compassionate care, cultural humility, evidence-based practices, Fall 2023 Issue, integrated treatment plans, interpersonal skills, lifelong learning, performance feedback, social validity, therapeutic relationships, treatment adherence
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Effective ABA services do not occur in isolation. We, as behavior analysts, are part of a larger team including those we serve, stakeholders, and other professionals. In fact, our code of ethics outlines that services provided extend to team members such as caregivers (BACB, 2020). While effective...

Augmentative Communication: Finding the Real Person “Trapped Inside”

• By: Maegan Meneses, MA, CCC-SLP YAI Center for Specialty Therapy
• January 1st, 2014
• AAC, assistive technology, augmentative communication, caregiver training, communication skills, independence, social skills development, speech-language pathology
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Jerry, a young man with autism, approached two women in the waiting area. He pressed a button on his augmentative communication device and said, “Good morning. It’s nice to meet you.” Thanks to a Nova Chat 7 communication device, Jerry, 22 (note: he turns 23 on 1/22/14), has a voice for...