Peter Gerhard

Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D., is the Executive Director of the EPIC Programs in Paramus, NJ.  Dr. Gerhardt has over 40 years of experience utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis in support of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders in educational, employment, residential, and community-based settings. He has authored or edited a number of publications, including “The Handbook of Quality of Life for Individuals with ASD” (Springer, 2022), which he co-edited, and “Clinician’s Guide to Sexuality and Autism” (Academic Press, 2024). He has presented nationally and internationally on these and related topics.  Dr. Gerhardt serves as Co-Chairman of the Scientific Council for the Organization for Autism Research and is on numerous professional advisory boards including the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.  He currently serves as Affiliate Faculty in the Institute for Applied Behavioral Science at Endicott College.  Dr. Gerhardt received his doctorate from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey’s Graduate School of Education.

Presentation at the ABA International Conference 2024

Developing More Dignified Adult Lives Focusing on Socially Significant Outcomes

Abstract:

Historically, the focus of most behavior analytic research (and practice) has been on the quality of the intervention rather than on the quality of the intervention’s outcome.  While this has allowed for a greater understanding of the technical process of effective intervention, it has not offered much in terms of achieving socially significant, or meaningful, outcomes.   Socially significant behavior change however, is central to the science, and to the promise of quality behavior analytic instruction or intervention (e.g., Baer, Wolf & Risley, 1968; Wolf, 1978). A This unfortunately will require some changes to our own behavioral repertoires and behavior change is rarely easy or simple.  We can start with the requirement that instruction and intervention are moved outside the controlled classroom or clinic environment into the less controlled community.  There is then the requirement that those of us in the field become more skillful at applying our intervention science in group settings (e.g., 3:1 or 4:1) without sacrificing skill acquisition or socially significant outcomes.  Practioners will also need re-emphasize the importance of the generalization maintenance of acquired skills if socially significant outcomes are to be obtained.  This workshop will discuss these requirements and others, from a practical, hands on, behavior analytic, perspective.  Recommendations for future research and practice will be offered.

Objectives:

After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the characteristics of instructional goals that are meaningful and, therefore, socially significant.
2. State the difference between applied skills and functional skills and which are more likely to be retained after instruction is finished.
3. Discuss at least three strategies associated with more effect group instruction in ASD.

References

Baer, D. M., Wolf, M. M., & Risley, T. R. (1968). Some current dimensions of applied behavior analysis. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1(1), 91.

Wolf, M. M. (1978). Social validity: the case for subjective measurement or how applied behavior analysis is finding its heart 1. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 11(2), 203-214.