Trauma Informed Care Considerations in Profound Autism

People with developmental disability have an elevated risk of adverse experiences across the lifespan. Understanding these risks and teaching skills that promote independence, communication, and self-advocacy may help keep people safer. This session will discuss trauma-informed care principles and skills that may be taught in order to reduce the likelihood of experiencing adverse events and improve the quality of life and safety for those with profound autism. 
Gabi Morgan, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an assistant professor in applied behavior analysis at Bay Path University. She received her doctorate in ABA from Endicott College where her research focused on training teachers to use time-based schedules to prevent escalation of challenging behavior in preschoolers with documented backgrounds of adverse experiences. Over the last 30 years she has sought to expand her knowledge and practice of ABA in her work with children of all ages and skill levels, their families, and in the training of others in ABA. Her research interests include exploring how ABA can help improve outcomes for children whose behavior has been shaped through adverse experiences and training behavior analysts and teachers to employ conceptually systematic and trauma-informed behavior analytic approaches. She is dedicated to the dissemination of ABA and guiding students of behavior analysis toward meaningful careers and a deeper understanding of the science of behavior.