The most current research indicates that 1 in 59 Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (D/HH) individuals are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Shield & Meier, 2012); however, access to critical treatment, therapies, support, and research is scarce for these individuals and their families/caregivers creating substantial barriers in overall treatment and progress.
Join Stephanie Dille-Huggins, MA, BCBA who has been serving the D/HH + ASD community and their families for the past decade as she guides participants through an introductory course that provides training and insight into understanding the D/HH + ASD diagnosis to provide culturally responsive ABA-based services for this population. Participants will also be provided training on skill sets that must be developed among behavior analysts to ensure that they are practicing in their scope of competency and be provided guidance on considerations for practitioners prior to starting therapy and treatment with D/HH + ASD individuals. Participants will be guided through several case reviews of D/HH + ASD individuals that demonstrated substantial success in receiving ABA-based services rooted in cultural responsiveness before being guided through the importance of professionals developing advocacy skills within their own practice in order to effectively and ethically serve this population and their families.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will develop the ability to identify initial steps in serving the D/HH + ASD community.
- Participants will be able to list and describe at least 3 approaches to implementing culturally responsive treatment in serving the D/HH + ASD community.
- Participants will be able to list and describe at least 3 approaches to professional advocacy that behavior analysts can develop to increase ABA-based service outcomes for D/HH + ASD individuals.
About the Presenter
Stephanie Dille-Huggins
Stephanie Dille-Huggins, a BCBA® and CODA (Child of a Deaf Adult) residing in Indianapolis, Indiana has dedicated her professional career to providing culturally responsive, accessible, and inclusive ABA-based services to Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals living with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Stephanie began as a behavior technician with Cornerstone Autism Center located in Greenwood, Indiana in 2011. She worked diligently during this time to integrate American Sign Language (ASL) to promote accessibility and inclusion for her non-vocal hearing, Deaf, and hard-of-hearing clients. After obtaining her master’s degree from Ball State University in Applied Behavior Analysis and becoming a BCBA in early 2015, Stephanie has pursued the continued integration of access to ASL for Cornerstone staff, as well as guiding treatment for Deaf and hard-of-hearing clients and their families. In her efforts to provide treatment without barriers, Stephanie explored avenues in making the Verbal Behavior and Milestones Assessment and Placement Program® (VB-MAPP®) and the Assessment of Functional Living Skills® (AFLS®) accessible to this population to assist her clients in meeting their therapy goals, which included establishing and developing communication skills and improving their overall quality of life through designing culturally responsive programming. Stephanie is now serving as Director of Clinical Education for Cornerstone and continues to mentor their Deaf and hard-of-hearing program. Stephanie is also the founder of a non-profit organization, Connecting the Spectrum, which is a group of dedicated professionals from the field of ABA and other disciplines that are dedicated to integrating ABA-based services in the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community for individuals and families in need. Stephanie continues to work with school administrators, teachers, behavioral consultants, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, and other BCBAs from across the country to work towards providing access to services without barriers for all individuals living on the spectrum & their families. Stephanie remains passionate about continuing to spread awareness surrounding accessibility for this population as she navigates addressing barriers for her own Deaf and autistic family members. Stephanie is eternally grateful for the support she continues to receive from her loving husband, Al, and son, Avery, as well as her peers and mentors within her professional support system.
