A Practitioner's Guide by
Peter F. Gerhardt & Shanna Bahry
The Authors
Dr. Peter Gerhardt and Dr. Shanna Bahry are behavior analysts with expertise in working with learners with autism spectrum and related disorders, specifically with preparing for the transition to adulthood. They have been working together for several years, starting first as doctoral advisor and advisee. They share a passion for helping practitioners Make it Meaningful when it comes to instruction that has long- term impact for the learners they serve.​
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Learn more about Drs. Gerhardt and Bahry
Why this book...
Outcomes in adulthood for individuals with autism spectrum and related disorders have remained poor for decades in the areas of independent living, employment, personal relationships, integration into the community, and other measures that greatly contribute to quality of life. This is largely in part to the relatively little education and training provided to practitioners when it comes to what skills to teach and how in order to positively contribute to a meaningful adult life. While many skills-based assessments and curricula exist already, Make it Meaningful is intended to fill the void that exists for information guiding practitioners to create individualized programming to ensure each learner maximizes their instructional time to adequately prepare them for the rest of their lives.
Key Book Features
Overall guidance in choosing what skills to teach and the value of adaptive behavior domains
Evidence-based methods for teaching important community-based and employment skills
Direction on writing goals with long-term considerations as well as specifically individualizing curricular paths
Practical processes to guide the development of goals of both quality and sound structure
A review of how interventions grounded in applied behavior analysis (ABA) should be used to teach meaningful skills, particularly for older learners
Systems to ensure quality and guide leadership of meaningful programs
Specific Elements to Guide Practice Include...
12
Unique tools to guide goal development
8
Templated, customized forms / datasheets
11
Visual job aids to influence performance