Abstract
Behavior analytic research and clinical practice related to supporting autistic adults is lacking when compared to younger autistics/individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Due to this lack of research, the future of applied behavior analytic research with autistic adolescents and adults will be crucial in order to assess interventions and techniques that lead to the improvement in quality of life for autistic individuals. In this chapter, future research recommendations are outlined including assessing long-term outcomes for those who have received early intensive behavioral intervention, analyzing behavior analytic interventions with autistic adult participants, and evaluating interventions that target meaningful and functional skills.
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Notes
- 1.
As Leaf et al. (2018) noted, “Even with the tremendous success of ABA-based interventions for individuals diagnosed with ASD, it is important to frequently assess the acceptability of our interventions. Those within the field should take every accusation that ABA-based interventions could be potentially traumatic for the individuals receiving those interventions seriously” (p. 127).
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Leaf, J.B., Cihon, J.H., Ferguson, J.L., Gerhardt, P.F. (2022). Recommendations for Behavioral Research in Supporting Adults Diagnosed with ASD. In: Leaf, J.B., Cihon, J.H., Ferguson, J.L., Gerhardt, P.F. (eds) Handbook of Quality of Life for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98507-3_26
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