Dorothea Lerman is currently a Professor of Behavior Analysis at the University of Houston – Clear Lake, where she chairs the master’s program in behavior analysis and serves as Director of the UHCL Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD). She received her doctoral degree in Psychology from the University of Florida, specializing in behavior analysis. Her areas of expertise include autism, developmental disabilities, early intervention, functional analysis, teacher and parent training, and treatment of severe behavior disorders. She currently oversees several programs at CADD, including a focused intervention program for children with autism, a vocational program for adults with disabilities, a student support program for college students with autism, and a teacher training program for local school districts. Dr. Lerman has published more than 100 research articles and chapters, served as Editor-in-Chief for The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice and has secured more than $2 million in grants and contracts to support her work. She was the recipient of the 2007 Distinguished Contribution to Applied Behavioral Research Award and the 2001 B.F. Skinner Award for New Researchers, awarded by Division 25 of the American Psychological Association. She also was named a Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis-International in 2008. Dr. Lerman is a Licensed Behavior Analyst and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Presentation at the ABA International Conference 2022.
Preparing Individuals with Developmental Disabilities for Employment
This presentation will be held in English.
Abstract:
An increasing number of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities are entering adulthood without adequate preparation for successful transitions to employment. Behavior analysts have much to offer these individuals as they prepare for life after high school. Challenges with job-related social skills, such as asking for help and responding to feedback, are likely barriers to positive employment outcomes. In this workshop, I will (a) provide an overview of social skills critical to success in maintaining employment, (b) describe an assessment methodology for identifying intervention targets, and (c) describe an assessment-driven approach for identifying effective interventions for job-related social skills
Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to
- State important job-related social skills
- Identify gaps in the literature on assessment and interventions for job-related social skills
- Describe a methodology for assessing job-related social skills
- Collect and analyze data on job-related social skills
- Identify evidence-based interventions for job-related social skills
- Describe a hierarchical approach to intervention selection