When Systems Don’t Fit: Navigating Lifespan Transitions for People with Profound Autism

• By: Liz Martineau, BCBA, LABA, MBA Nashoba Learning Group
• January 5th, 2026
• adult services, behavior support, communication support, family advocacy, individualized support, profound autism, staff training, transition to adulthood, Winter 2026 Issue
• 743    0

Every year, in every state, hundreds more individuals with Profound Autism age out of educational services and enter the adult services system. This process is described by many as “falling off a cliff.” Families despair of finding services that will allow their adult child to maintain their...

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
• 1386    0

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...