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“The chapters cover a continuum of topics, beginning with the overarching introductory chapters, then progressing across developmental periods ranging from secondary education to late adulthood. Each chapter is well annotated with extensive references. Key points in each chapter are highlighted with well-constructed tables and charts that help reinforce important points….Clinical vignettes are included that enhance the text and illustrate the individual interventions described by the authors….The coordination among the various chapter authors is evident….The book is well organized, flows cohesively, and is well referenced.”

—Journal of Psychiatric Practice


“The authors, renowned researchers and clinicians, present what can easily be called a pioneering book that casts light on issues involved in the transition from adolescence to young adulthood for people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)....With a half million autistic children expected to enter young adulthood in the next 10 years, this timely volume leads the way in preparing clinical practitioners and family members with evidence-based and promising interventions to support young adults with ASD through that transition. I highly recommend this book as the must-have reference for anyone in the mental health professions, graduate students in psychology and social science disciplines, as well as family members of loved ones with ASD. Highly acclaimed, this book has quickly become the premier reference for understanding the needs of young adults with ASD, and the evidence-based and promising interventions that address those needs such that the transition into adulthood is successful. *****!”

—Doody's Review Service


“Each chapter gives an excellent overview of the theories and interventions currently in use, the evidence to support their use, and potential areas for future research and improvement. Frequent case examples detail these approaches in practice. This is a valuable resource for students contemplating working with people with ASD, practicing professionals, and family and friends of people with ASD. Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.”

—Choice Reviews


“Tincani and Bondy—who collectively have some 60 years of experience in the field of autism—bring together in one place the wisdom of experts from a broad range of disciplines that touch the lives of adults with ASD. The book meets its goal of providing clarity about ways to build skills for employment, independent living, and other areas that help one live a happy life. The case studies are a rich source of practical information that will be of great utility to readers. Anyone who works with adolescents and adults on the autism spectrum will find this book invaluable.”

—V. Mark Durand, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of South Florida St. Petersburg


“At last! A one-stop shop for those interested in the issues affecting adolescents and adults with ASD. As someone who has worked with this population for over 45 years, I know how truly important these issues are to individuals and families. This volume provides state-of-the-art knowledge from many of the field's leading researchers and practitioners. Coverage includes life transitions, community involvement, services, education, social relationships, recreation, aging, and more. I am impressed by the accessibility of the volume; the chapters are well organized and clearly written. This book is a 'must have' for clinicians, educators, and students entering the field.”

—Laura Schreibman, PhD, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Research Professor, Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego


“Adults and adolescents with ASD have received far less attention than children, making this book especially needed and valuable. That the book accentuates evidence-based treatments and interventions makes it all the more useful. Instructors looking for a practitioner-friendly text for ASD adult-focused classes (e.g., transition planning for adults) will find excellent content here. Practitioners interested in up-to-date information and strategies for guiding postschool and adult planning will also be pleased with this resource.”

—Richard L. Simpson, EdD, Department of Special Education, University of Kansas

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Table of Contents

I. Introduction

1. Characteristics of Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders, Brenda Smith Myles, Amy Bixler Coffin, Donna J. Owens, & Courtney Yantes

2. Autism Spectrum Disorders and the Family, Lauren Pepa & Sandra L. Harris

II. Transitioning from Adolescence to Adulthood

3. Effective Secondary Education and Transition for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Michael L. Wehmeyer & Dianne Zager

4. Postsecondary Education for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jane Thierfeld Brown, Lorraine E. Wolf, & Christine Wenzel

III. Instructional and Behavioral Interventions to Promote Quality of Life

5. Behavioral Interventions for Complex Communication and Social Skills in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Angelica Aguirre, John O’Neill, Ruth Anne Rehfeldt, & Valerie Boyer

6. Teaching Functional Communication to Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Russell Lang, Jeff Sigafoos, Larah van der Meer, Amarie Carnett, Vanessa A. Green, Giulio E. Lancioni, & Mark F. O’Reilly

7. Positive Behavior Support for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Matt Tincani & Shannon Crozier

8. Skill-Building Interventions for Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Peter F. Gerhardt, Maria Fernanda Garcia, & Anthony Foglia

9. Sexuality and Relationships for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Jason C. Travers & Peggy Schaeffer Whitby

10. Toward a Balanced Leisure Lifestyle for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Phyllis Coyne & Ann Fullerton

IV. Employment, Independence, Aging, and Policy

11. Meaningful Employment for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Paul Wehman, Pamela Sherron Targett, Carol Schall, & Staci Carr

12. Facilitating Successful Independent Living Skills for Adults with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders, Brenda Smith Myles, Daniel Steere, Cathy Pratt, Ruth Aspy, Barry G. Grossman, & Shawn A. Henry

13. Aging, Estate Planning, and Funding Services for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Carol Markowitz

14. Legal Issues and Autism Spectrum Disorders, Beverly L. Frantz & David W. Zellis

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About the Editors

Matt Tincani, PhD, BCBA-D, is Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Temple University. His primary focus is the application of behavioral principles to improve language, academic, social, and play skills of learners with autism spectrum disorder and other disabilities, with particular interest in Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior. Other research interests include positive behavior support in school and community settings, scaling-up of behavioral interventions, quality of life of people with disabilities, and single-case designs. Dr. Tincani has served on the editorial boards of several prominent journals in the special education field and is an associate editor of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2000, Dr. Tincani was previously coordinator of Temple's graduate Applied Behavior Analysis program, in addition to his longstanding affiliation with the Special Education program.

Andy Bondy, PhD, has over 40 years of experience working with children and adults with ASD and related developmental disabilities. For more than a dozen years he served as the director of a statewide public school program for students with autism. He and his wife, Lori Frost, pioneered the development of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Dr. Bondy designed the Pyramid Approach to Education as a comprehensive combination of broad-spectrum behavior analysis and functional communication strategies. He is a cofounder of Pyramid Educational Consultants, in Newark, Delaware, and serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.

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Contributors

Angelica Aguirre, MA, BCBA, Rehabilitation Institute, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois

Ruth Aspy, PhD, The Ziggurat Group, Plano, Texas

Andy Bondy, PhD, Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc., Newark, Delaware

Valerie Boyer, PhD, CCC-SLP, Rehabilitation Institute, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois

Amarie Carnett, MEd, BCBA, Department of Educational Psychology and Pedagogy, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Staci Carr, EdM, MS, VCU Autism Center for Excellence, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia

Amy Bixler Coffin, MS, Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, Westerville, Ohio

Phyllis Coyne, MS, private practice, Portland, Oregon

Shannon Crozier, PhD, Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders and Department of Educational and Clinical Studies, College of Education, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada

Anthony Foglia, MA, The McCarton School, New York, New York

Beverly L. Frantz, PhD, Institute on Disabilities, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ann Fullerton, PhD, Department of Special Education, Graduate School of Education, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon

Maria Fernanda Garcia, BA, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York

Peter F. Gerhardt, EdD, JPG Consultation Group, Montclair, New Jersey

Vanessa A. Green, PhD, School of Educational Psychology and Pedagogy, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Barry G. Grossman, PhD, The Ziggurat Group, Plano, Texas

Sandra L. Harris, PhD, Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey

Shawn A. Henry, MS, Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, Columbus, Ohio

Giulio E. Lancioni, PhD, Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy

Russell Lang, PhD, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas

Carol Markowitz, MA, MEd, Eden Autism Services, Princeton, New Jersey

Brenda Smith Myles, PhD, Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, Westerville, Ohio; The Ziggurat Group, Plano, Texas

John O’Neill, MA, BCBA, Rehabilitation Institute, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois

Mark F. O’Reilly, PhD, Department of Special Education, College of Education, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas

Donna J. Owens, MA, Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, Westerville, Ohio

Lauren Pepa, MS, Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center and Department of Clinical Psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey

Cathy Pratt, PhD, BCBA-D, Indiana Resource Center on Autism, University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana

Ruth Anne Rehfeldt, PhD, BCBA-D, Rehabilitation Institute, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois

Carol Schall, PhD, VCU Autism Center for Excellence, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia

Jeff Sigafoos, PhD, School of Educational Psychology and Pedagogy, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Daniel Steere, PhD, Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation, East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Pamela Sherron Targett, MEd, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia

Jane Thierfeld Brown, EdD, University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford, Connecticut

Matt Tincani, PhD, BCBA-D, Department of Psychological, Organizational, and Leadership Studies, College of Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jason C. Travers, PhD, BCBA-D, Department of Special Education, College of Education, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Larah van der Meer, PhD, School of Educational Psychology and Pedagogy, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

Paul Wehman, PhD, VCU Autism Center for Excellence and Division of Research, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia

Michael L. Wehmeyer, PhD, Bureau of Child Research and Department of Special Education, School of Education, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Christine Wenzel, MA, Center for Students with Disabilities, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut

Peggy Schaefer Whitby, PhD, BCBA-D, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education and Health Professions, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Lorraine E. Wolf, PhD, Office of Disability Services, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Courtney Yantes, MBA, Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, Columbus, Ohio

Dianne Zager, PhD, Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Pace University, New York, New York

David W. Zellis, JD, Zellis Law, LLC, Langhorne, Pennsylvania

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Audience

Clinical psychologists, counselors, social workers, and psychiatrists working with adolescents and adults; school psychologists; also of interest to secondary and postsecondary educators and parent advocates.

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Course Use

May serve as a supplemental text in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses.