Behavior Analytic Approaches to Enhancing Employment Outcomes for Neurodivergent Job Seekers
Description
An oft-cited barrier to realizing higher quality of life outcomes for neurodivergent adults is the ability to procure and maintain meaningful and gainful employment opportunities. As neurodivergent individuals transition to adult services, their access to resources, supports, and funding are significantly reduced. This transition often results in poorer outcomes for acquiring and maintaining gainful employment. Studies indicate the highest rates of unemployment and underemployment are among autistic adults. This is more than any other population of job seekers (Baldwin et al., 2014; Hedley et al., 2018; Howlin et al., 2004; Roux et al., 2013; Shattuck et al., 2012; Taylor et al., 2015). It is critical for adult service providers to implement empirically validated procedures to improve employment outcomes for neurodivergent adults. However, published behavior analytic research addressing this problem is sparse. The purpose of this presentation is to present findings from recent and ongoing research informing approaches for supporting neurodivergent adults on their employment journeys as well as offer recommendations with specific focus on:
- Employing vocational assessments to better match individuals to employment opportunities
- Skill acquisition and behavior modification strategies in community-based settings
- Provision of competency-based staff training approaches
- Approaches to collaborating with employers in committing to a neurodiverse workforce
Learning Objectives
- Participants will be able to describe barriers experienced by neurodivergent job seekers in acquiring and maintaining gainful employment.
- Participants will be able to incorporate behavior analytic vocational assessment approaches into their practice related enhancing employment outcomes for neurodivergent job seekers and/or neurodivergent individuals currently employed.
- Participants will be able to develop their approaches to seeking, acquiring, and maintaining employment partnerships for the neurodivergent job seekers they represent through use of evidence-based teaching and staff training approaches and community outreach.
Instructor Bio
James Maraventano, Ed.D., BCBA-D, is the Director of Community Based Programming at the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) at Rutgers University. Dr. Maraventano earned his B.A., Ed.M., and Ed.D. degrees from Rutgers University, and has over 18 years of experience working with children and adults with autism and intellectual disabilities. Dr. Maraventano completed his experience requirements at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers University. His current responsibilities include the oversight and implementation of all clinical and administrative activities at the RCAAS' community-based employment supports (SCALE) and Employment Network programs. Dr. Maraventano leads numerous community-based advocacy projects at the RCAAS related to acquiring appropriate budgets and meaningful, integrated employment/volunteer opportunities for the clients he serves. Dr. Maraventano's experiences include a wide variety of clinical activities including challenging behavior interventions, skill acquisition programming, vocational assessments, staff and parent training, school- and home-based consultation, and program evaluation. Dr. Maraventano is a frequent presenter at regional and national conferences focusing on autism spectrum disorders, assessment and treatment of challenging behavior, and parent/professional training. He has authored numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, written several book chapters, and presented at national and international conferences.
Dr. Maraventano has no conflicts of interest for this webinar.
Contact Us
For questions, please contact: ce@gsapp.rutgers.edu
Continuing Education Policy:
Rutgers University- New Brunswick, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology is an approved provider of BCBA continuing education credits. “The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (“BACB”) does not sponsor, approve or endorse Rutgers University- New Brunswick, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, the materials, information or sessions identified herein.”
Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0123.
Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Rutgers Graduate School of Applied & Professional Psychology maintains responsibility for this program and its content.