Exploring the Value of Volunteerism for Autistic Youth

There is a wide range of data that supports the difficulty for autistic youth post completion of high school, these outcomes include lower rate of independent living, lower rates of gainful employment, and less post -secondary education participation (Cobb et. Al, 2013). Given the robustness of the data on decreased experiences and opportunities for autistic youth it is vital that we establish meaningful pathways for autistic youth to create futures of personally valued connection with their world. One way to do this is to design for and create options for purpose-oriented volunteerism for autistics during their youth and transition to independent volunteerism across their movement from childhood to adolescence and adulthood. Presented By: Mark Malady, BCBA, is an autistic behavior analyst who has spent the last 10 years working with learners with various abilities from 2 to 90 years old RECORDED ON APRIL 29, 2025