Workshop: Conducting Ecologically Valid Research with Adults with Autism and Intellectual Disabilities: Promoting Functional and Socially Valid Outcomes in Adult Treatment Settings

This training will detail the necessity of using ecologically valid research methods when conducting research with adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) (Fahmie et al., 2023). It is necessary to implement this research in the environments in which they occur for functional treatment results to be obtained. It is also crucial to the ongoing maintenance and generalization of the interventions that are implemented. This talk will give some practical examples of how such research can be conducted as well as examples of functional scientific endeavors and the necessary treatment contexts that should be present. The information will enable practitioners that work with adults to better evaluate research that is conducted with this population. The talk will cover both staff training research as well as functional applied research with problem behavior in adults with ASD and IDD.

Objectives of the Workshop:

Participants will identify key components of ecological validity as they apply to research with adults with ASD and IDD.

Participants will identify the design of research studies with adults with ASD and IDD to determine the degree of ecological validity that is present.

Participants will select the most suitable contexts in which to conduct and evaluate ecologically valid research with adults and how they are related to socially valid functional outcomes.

CEUs Available