The Naked Heart France Association will organize its 4th International Forum "Bridging the Gaps: Autism - Transition to Adulthood" on Thursday, October 17th, 2024.
This event will be attended by autistic individuals, their parents and family members, teachers, psychologists, speech therapists, and other professionals working with children and young adults with autistic spectrum disorders.
Date and time: Thursday, October 17th, from 15:30 to 20:30
Place: Auditorium of the LVMH headquarters, located at 22, avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris
Autism is one of the most common developmental disorders, and the need for up-to-date knowledge and assistance programs around the world is enormous. Children with autism are growing up and becoming adults with autism. Adulthood represents a time in one’s life where there are increased levels of independence, choice, and personal control. These are all qualities that can and should be part of any autistic adult’s life.
For many young autistic people and their families, the transition to adulthood could be challenging, marked by significant changes in available services.
We will talk about successful adult outcomes for individuals with ASD, covering personalized outcomes, the importance of independent life skills, critical adaptive behaviors, and the impact of caregiver burden. An overview of relevant research and practical strategies for improving these outcomes will be also presented.
We are inviting for dialogue between autistic individuals, their parents, family members and professionals to talk about the needs of autistic children and their families with an accent of evidence-based practices.
We will invite French and international experts - scientists and practitioners whose research and support programs meet the highest global standards. We will also invite self-advocates to share their stories and experiences of transitioning from childhood and becoming adults.
Program:
15:30 – 16:00 Registration and welcome coffee
16:00 – 19:00 Forum
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Opening speech: Natalia Vodianova, founder of Naked Heart France.
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Speech by Anouk Helft, a specialist in transition at the Interministerial Delegation for the National Strategy on Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders about “The National Strategy for Neurodevelopmental Disorders and the Role of the Transition to Adulthood”.
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Intervention by Ana Bibay, the Executive Director of the MAIA Autism Association and the National Clinical Director of the Association Agir et Vivre l'Autisme about “Concrete Strategies and Experiences for the Professional Inclusion of Adults with Autism”.
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Intervention on “Empowering Futures: Best Practices for Fostering Adaptive Skills in Young Adults with Autism” by our distinguished speaker Dr. Shanna Bahry. Through this presentation, she will define successful adult outcomes for individuals with ASD, covering personalized outcomes, the importance of early independent life skills, critical adaptive behaviors, and the impact of caregiver burden. It aims to provide an overview of relevant research and practical strategies for improving these outcomes.
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Intervention on “Assessment of Adult Core Competencies: Teaching Skills to Facilitate the Successful Transition to Adulthood” by our distinguished speaker Prof John M. Guercio. Through this presentation, he will cover comprehensive assessment protocols as they apply to serving adults and adolescents with autism and other intellectual disabilities (ID). The information will go beyond basic functional assessment tools and methodology to cover environmental assessment measures as well as the ability of the person with ID to fully pursue their values and goals that they have set for themselves.
A fully operationalized set of what we call “measures of well-being” will be reviewed, along with their impact on those that we serve. The ability of these measures of well-being to ameliorate aggressive behavior and promote increased autonomy will also be covered. A complete assessment and intervention tool for working with adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other intellectual disabilities, and severe aggressive behavior will also be covered. The talk will cover the evidence base and peer-reviewed articles that have contributed to the curriculum and how it has been carried out effectively with adults with ASD and ID for over 30 years. References will be made to specific cases and how the curriculum was applied to increase autonomy in each example that is provided.
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Panel discussion moderated by Natalia Vodianova, founder of Naked Heart France.
19:00 – 20:30 Socializing and Cocktail
Our speakers:

Anouk Helft. After obtaining a degree as a Hospital Director from the School of Advanced Studies in Public Health (EHESP), Anouk Helft joined the Interministerial Delegation, where she holds the position of Advisor on issues related to adult care pathways. In the past, her academic work focused on the departure of older adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) to Belgium and the network of associations supporting French citizens in Wallonia.

Ana Bibay is the Executive Director of the MAIA Autism Association and the National Clinical Director of the Association Agir et Vivre l'Autisme. These two associations offer care to over 300 children and adolescents based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Ana Bibay is a graduate of the Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales (ESSEC) and has been a certified behavior analyst (BCBA) for over 12 years. Ana Bibay has made a significant contribution to the transformation of support for people with autism in France. For the last decade, she has participated in organizational and operational programs of support for people with autism: improvement of the whole system for those who depend on it; work on national strategies to improve the performance of the system; strategy and operational transformation of medico-social establishments; improvement of care and quality of services for the people with ASD; creation of study materials/training courses (programs) for sharing experience and professional practices.

Dr. Shanna Bahry is a board-certified, doctoral-level behavior analyst (BCBA-D), certified progressive autism professional (CPBA-AP), and licensed behavior analyst in Massachusetts (LABA) and Rhode Island (LBA). She has been working with individuals with autism spectrum and related disorders for over 15 years, across a wide range of ages, abilities, and severity of challenging behavior, in a variety of settings. Dr. Bahry currently serves as the Executive Director of Meaningful HOPE, an agency committed to helping practitioners and families best support individuals with disabilities in preparing for a meaningful life in adulthood. She is also a professor in the master's and doctoral programs at Endicott College’s Institute for Applied Behavioral Sciences.

Dr. John Guercio Ph.D., BCBA-D, NADD-CC, LBA is a professor at the behavior
analysis department at Washington University and St. Louis University, he also serves
as the Clinical Director of Benchmark Human Services. He develops and delivers
behavioral services for clients with significant aggression and high-risk behavioral
needs, many of whom have been institutionalized for more than 15 years, often under
restraints and heavy medication. Dr. Guercio currently serves on the ABAI Licensing
Committee and is a board member of the Missouri Association for Behavior Analysis.