Vocational and Personal Independence Training for Adolescents and Adults with ASD

Background: The number of children diagnosed with ASD increased dramatically during the early 1990s due to broader diagnostic criteria and increased public awareness (Gurney et al., 2003). The diagnosis of autism tends to be stable over time and so a large number of adolescents/adults with ASD has finished secondary school and requires supports and services. Research has typically focused on the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of children with ASD, with only a few studies (Billstedt et al., 2007; Eaves & Ho, 2008; Howlin et al., 2004; McGovern & Sigman, 2005; Taylor & Seltzer, 2010) investigating adult outcomes. The studies demonstrate that adults with ASD are often under-employed (Howlin et al., 2004) and display long term impairments in social skills and adaptive functioning (McGovern & Sigman, 2005).

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of services designed to increase vocational and personal independence of adolescents and adults with ASD.

Methods: Sixty-four individuals with ASD participated in personal independence and vocational interventions for 11 weeks.  Though three programs with separate curriculums were offered concurrently, participants were registered in one program only. Each participant was assigned to an intervention based on adaptive information provided by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales II (VABS-II) and an intake meeting.

• CommunityWorks ® (Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, 2008): pairs individuals with ASD and typically developing peers to perform volunteer tasks in community organizations.
• Practical Assessment Exploration System © (PAES©; Swisher, 1987): employs performance-based methods to identify transition planning needs associated with employment and vocational training. It is comprised of five units that can be worked through sequentially to develop skills within an identified skill area.
• Skills for Life (Society for Treatment of Autism, 2010): involves teaching life skills through didactic interactions with a hands-on, experiential component. Three to seven skills are identified by participants and/or parents/caregivers and are targeted for multiple opportunities throughout the 11 week session.

Specific data acquired included: participants’ levels of independence, specific skill/task prompting required, levels of supervision required, duration of tasks.  Methodology was specific to each program. Qualitative data was collected through parent/caregiver and participant surveys.

Results: Preliminary results suggest:

• A high level of parent/caregiver and participant satisfaction with the services provided;
• 71% of participants reported making friends during the program;
• Clinically significant gains in independence for CommunityWorks® participants; statistically significant gains in individual social goals;
• All PAES© participants demonstrated aptitude scores indicative of readiness for supported employment;
• Clinically significant gains in personal independence in targeted life skills;

Conclusions: Specific intervention services for adolescents and adults with ASD appear to be effective in increasing personal and vocational independence.  Identifying the most appropriate program for each individual was essential for participant success. Clinical implications and further studies will be discussed.