Several studies have shown that many individuals on the autism spectrum achieve limited independence in adulthood. Data also shows that they are usually unemployed or underemployed after aging out of high school and are less likely to participate in post-secondary education or employment. This disadvantage causes social isolation and the need for ongoing support in daily activities. The range of the autism spectrum varies with those at the higher functioning end, often leading to reasonably independent lives, employment, and/or completing secondary academic programs. Special classes for individuals on the autism spectrum taught within a secondary special education program provide the best opportunity for maximum inclusion in the community as adults. Several qualitative findings have identified interventions that support this idea.

My first-hand experience also supports that notion. I was the owner-operator of an adult day program. We provided pre-vocational training to adults with disabilities. Most of our participants had recently aged out of high school (ages 22+). While participants in our program came from various educational settings, it was evident in those who had prior pre-vocational training. Our program consisted of supported employment, pre-employment curriculum, occupational skills acquisition training, social skills training, independent living skills training, and executive functioning skills training. Implementation varied from role-playing, computer-based programs, one-on-one practice, group activities, community-based instruction, video modeling, and dramatic play. Because many of our participants had just come from a secondary educational setting, our program functioned as an extension that led to gainful employment, skills maintenance and enhancement, and/or productive daily engagement of community inclusion.

Being an adult on the autism spectrum and actively engaged in the community is the goal. Several factors play an essential role in assuring successful inclusion. Fong (2021) identifies the effectiveness of employment-related interventions on the employment outcomes of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He identifies Project SEARCH Plus ASD Supports (PS-ASD) model and Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR-JIT) to improve employment rates for individuals with ASD. The PS‐ASD intervention consists of community‐integrated business settings, classroom instruction at a business, and internship experiences. PS‐ASD is a collaborative model between students with autism, their family members, a local community rehabilitation program, and a vocational rehabilitation agency. It adds additional components to include specific strategies and staff expertise specific to autism based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Virtual Reality Job Interview Training (VR‐JIT) consists of a digital job interview simulation with a human resources representative from a department store accessible through a computer or using wearable virtual reality headsets. Tsiopela (2017) introduces a pre-vocational skills laboratory (PVS-Lab), a web-based learning environment supporting students on the autism spectrum to develop pre-vocational and employment skills. The new research framework aims to improve performance and pre-vocational skills development of students with ASD, emphasizing the interrelation between performance, behavior, and stress-emotional situations.

Knowing that there are proven interventions readily available to improve the outcomes of adults on the autism spectrum, why isn’t the use of those programs mandated? Knüppel (2019) notes that young adults without regular productive and engaging daytime activity had more behavioral difficulties and comorbidities than young adults with daytime activity. There is an imperative need to increase independence in adulthood, employment rates, and participation in post-secondary education for individuals on the autism spectrum. This improvement will decrease social isolation and the need for ongoing support in daily activities.

Citations

Fong, C. J., Taylor, J., Berdyyeva, A., McClelland, A. M., Murphy, K. M., & Westbrook, J. D. (2021). Interventions for improving employment outcomes for persons with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review update. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 17(3)http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1185

Knüppel, A., Gry Kjærsdam Telléus, Jakobsen, H., & Lauritsen, M. B. (2019). Characteristics of Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder Performing Different Daytime Activities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(2), 542-555. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3730-7

NCH Healthcare System. “NCH Welcomes Project Search.” YouTube, NCH Healthcare System, 1 Oct. 2018, https://youtu.be/oH4737RsQy4.

Tsiopela, D., & Jimoyiannis, A. (2017). Pre-vocational skills laboratory: designing interventions to improve employment skills for students with autism spectrum disorders. Universal Access in the Information Society, 16(3), 609-627. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10209-016-0488-6