Evaluating an Employment-Related Social Skills Training Program for Transition-Age Youth with Autism (the ASSET Program): a Randomized Controlled Trial Study
Abstract
Study Objective and Rationale: Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk for unemployment and underemployment following their transition from high school to adulthood. Often, they experience challenges related to the social skills necessary for securing and maintaining employment. Although there is a significant need to address this issue, available interventions based on rigorous research designs are virtually absent from the existing literature. To address this need, the purpose of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of a work-related social skills training intervention for transition-age youth with ASD (ages 14-22) that is designed to improve social skills, social self-efficacy, adaptive functioning, anxiety, and work readiness. The Assistive Social Skills & Employment Training (ASSET) program is a weekly after-school program that runs for 10 weeks that has been evaluated with promising positive results in Michigan. In the first part of the study, youth with ASD, caregivers, special education teachers, and employment specialists are invited to review and provide recommendations to improve the manual that has been developed for the ASSET program. The second part of the study is to evaluate the impact of the ASSET program on helping students with ASD improve their social skills, social self-efficacy, adaptive functioning, anxiety, and work readiness using a randomized control trial. Improvements in these domains will be assessed immediately following the 10-week program and 3 months later. For this study, 96 students with ASD will be randomly assigned to either participate immediately in the intervention or serve as a wait-list control group. The intervention will occur at multiple sites in Michigan and Illinois, with approximately six students per group. Students in the wait-list control group will receive the treatment 10 weeks after the intervention group. Area of Interest: This study addresses the Fiscal Year 2016 Autism Research Program Clinical Trial Award Area of Interest in behavioral, cognitive, and other non-pharmacological therapies. Applicability and Impact: ASSET is designed to address federal mandates to improve transition outcomes for youth with disabilities and bypass traditional barriers through an innovative service delivery model that utilizes a group counseling format in a community setting. The ASSET program addresses the employment disparities faced by young adults with ASD by specifically targeting work-related social skills through the development of social skills and self-efficacy to foster successful school-to-work transition outcomes. The manualized ASSET program curriculum will eventually be made public and available for schools and service providers to use. Beneficial Impact on the Target Population: The target population of the proposed project is transition-age students (14-22 years old) with ASD, without co-occurring intellectual disability. Individuals who participate in this study are expected to show gains in a number of areas, including social skills, social self-efficacy, adaptive functioning, anxiety, and work readiness. Because this study will use a waitlist control design, all participants will have access to the benefits of the intervention, while still adhering to a carefully controlled research design. Clinical Applications, Benefits and Risks: The ASSET program is designed to enhance the linkage between the education and employment needs of youth with ASD. This project will fill an important gap for schools, transition providers, families and students, by testing an intervention designed to specifically improve skills needed to foster post-school employment success. ASSET can help vocational rehabilitation service providers as well as educators meet mandates for increased pre-employment transition services for youth with disabilities, including ASD. Anticipated risks associated with participating in this study are minimal, bu
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 07, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1710282
Entities
People
- Ka Lai Gloria Lee
Organizations
- Michigan State University
- United States Army