Individuals with autism present with unique challenges that make them at risk for a wide range of safety concerns. They may, for example, wander from caregivers, be unable to seek assistance when lost and may not know how to respond to unwanted advances by strangers in the community. There have been a number of studies documenting a functional analysis of some unsafe behaviors such as elopement. This has led to the development of function-based treatments and strategies that can potentially prevent unsafe behavior.
This presentation will review recent research in the area of safety assessment and interventions and provide proactive, practical strategies and resources, to help ensure the safety of individuals with autism.
Takeaways
- Identify why individuals with autism are at a risk for safety concerns.
- Identify current applied research directives to address safety concerns.
- Identify components of functional analysis of elopement.
- Identify skills to teach to address safety skills of individuals with autism.
There is no cost to attend and this webinar is not eligible for CEUs. The presentation will be posted on our blog within two weeks.
About the Guest Speaker
Dr. Bridget Taylor, PsyD, BCBA-D
Executive Director of Alpine Learning Group/ Senior Clinical Advisor for Rethink
Dr. Bridget A. Taylor is co-founder and CEO of Alpine Learning Group and is Senior Clinical Advisor for Rethink. Dr. Taylor has specialized in the education of children with Autism for over 30 years. She holds a Doctor of Psychology from Rutgers University and received her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Columbia University. She is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and a Licensed Psychologist. She is past president of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and past Associate Editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. She currently serves on several editorial boards and the Autism Advisory Group for the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.
Active in the Autism research community, Dr. Taylor has published numerous peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters, on innovative practices to improve the lives of individuals with autism. Dr. Taylor was recently recognized by the Association for Applied Behavior Analysis International for her outstanding contributions and was given ABAI’s Fellow designation.
