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| Designing an Adult Program to Provide a Meaningful Adulthood for Individuals More Impaired by Autism |
| Saturday, May 24, 2014 |
| 8:00 AM–11:00 AM |
| W181b (McCormick Place Convention Center) |
| Area: AUT; Domain: Service Delivery |
| CE Instructor: Elizabeth Martineau, Ed. S. |
| ELIZABETH MARTINEAU (Nashoba Learning Group), HEATHER M. BAIROS (Nashoba Learning Group), STEPHANIE DANIELS (Nashoba Learning Group), TOM PETRINI (Nashoba Learning Group), JESSICA TILLEY (Nashoba Learning Group) |
| Description: As the incidence of autism has increased over the last decades, high quality ABA programs have grown to meet the needs of a sizable segment of the school-aged population impaired by autism. However, the legal imperative to educate all individuals, and the funding available to do so, ceases when individuals turn 21 or 22 (depending on the state). As the young adults with moderate to severe autism who have received quality ABA school programming begin to turn 22 in increasing numbers, solutions need to be developed to allow these individuals to realize their potential and use the skills they have gained to participate in meaningful work, community engagement, continued life skills development, and recreation and leisure activities. For the majority of these individuals continuation of skilled and comprehensive behavior support is required to allow meaningful participation in activities. Nashoba Learning Group (NLG) developed and launched Adult Day and Work Programs in March of 2013 in Massachusetts to efficiently and effectively provide the support these individuals need for a successful adulthood. Our program is growing rapidly and is serving our graduates as well as graduates of other local ABA school programs. This workshop will review the design of NLG's adult program, including curriculum and activities, staffing, behavior plan development, and sample annual goals and objectives. We will review our operating expenses and how we have worked with public and private sources to fund our program. Activities required to develop and start up a program will be outlined as well as challenges that we have faced. The workshop is designed for individuals interested in creating adult programs and in providing services to adults as well as for individuals serving those of transition age who wish to optimize instruction to provide the best preparation for adulthood. |
| Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this workshop, the participant will be able to (1) describe the steps required to create an adult program, (2) discuss key success factors, (3) identify the funding needed to start and maintain a quality program, (4) describe how to reconcile the costs of providing a quality program with available resources, (5) identify a workable design for program activities, and (6) identify behavior management plan priorities. |
| Activities: Participants will engage in a variety of activities throughout the workshop. We will begin with an overview of NLG's adult program and activities provided to adults. We will review the workplan needed to achieve program launch and the ongoing activities required for program success. The need for fundraising and strong cost negotiation with funding agencies will be reviewed. Critical success factors for the program will be identified. Participants will see video of participants engaged in activities and review and receive copies of template documents, such as behavior management plans and annual goals and objectives. |
| Audience: This workshop is designed for BCBA-level clinical directors, as well as program administrators and licensed psychologists. Presenters will assume that participants are familiar with a variety of ABA techniques and with individualized curriculum design and behavior plan development. Participants should have a strong interest in developing adult programs that provide participants with meaningful work, community, and life skills development activities. |
| Content Area: Practice |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): Adult programs, Adults, life skills, work supp0rt |