| Abstract: The incidence of autism has increased considerably. With it, a corresponding development of programs serving individuals with autism has occurred. These programs are essential to meet the needs of the autism community, but attracting, training and retaining a qualified workforce is very difficult. In addition to the competition among programs serving individuals with autism, these agencies also compete with employment opportunities that are less stressful and less demanding than working with individuals with autism. Although empirically-based teaching techniques are used in the field of special education, few providers apply these same principles to address staff behavior change. Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), also referred to as Performance Management (PM), is the application of Applied Behavior Analysis to organizational improvement. The purpose of this panel is to address common challenges within the field of human services, and more specifically, to programs serving individuals with autism. Topics to be addressed include issues of staff retention and turnover, staff development,and quality assurance and improvement. |