Employment Program for Autism
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Overseen byHelen Genova, Ph. D.
Age: < 65
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: Kessler Foundation
Disqualifiers: Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Schizophrenia, others
No Placebo Group
Approved in 1 Jurisdiction
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?The investigators are looking to evaluate how effective a training program that focuses on character strengths may be in improving job maintenance skills in young adults. The investigators are examining the effects of this intervention in young adults who feel they would like to help in improving their satisfaction with work, and in keeping their jobs.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment KF-STRIDE Into Work! for autism?
The KF-STRIDE treatment is based on a positive psychology framework that helps young adults with autism understand and express their strengths, which is important for job interviews. Research shows that focusing on strengths and providing early work experience are key strategies for improving employment outcomes for autistic individuals.
12345Is the Employment Program for Autism safe for participants?
The available research does not provide specific safety data for the Employment Program for Autism or its related interventions. The studies focus on employment outcomes and the effectiveness of the programs rather than safety concerns.
23467How does the KF-STRIDE Into Work! treatment differ from other treatments for autism?
KF-STRIDE Into Work! is unique because it focuses on a strength-based approach to job interview training for young adults with autism, using positive psychology to help them identify and express their character strengths to potential employers, which is different from other treatments that may not emphasize personal strengths in this way.
13489Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder who want to improve their job satisfaction and ability to keep a job. Specific eligibility criteria are not provided, so it's best to contact the study team for details.Inclusion Criteria
I can speak and understand English at a basic level.
I am between 14 and 26 years old.
Lives in the United States of America
Exclusion Criteria
History of significant psychiatric illness (e.g., schizophrenia or psychosis)
I have had a stroke, brain injury, or a neurological condition in the past.
I do not have uncontrolled seizures or other unstable medical issues.
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Treatment
Participants engage in a strength-based employment maintenance program to improve job maintenance skills
6-8 weeks
Weekly sessions
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for effectiveness and satisfaction with the intervention
4 weeks
Participant Groups
The KF-STRIDE® Into Work! program is being tested. It's designed as a training intervention focusing on character strengths to help individuals on the autism spectrum maintain employment.
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Treatment GroupExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
In this arm, participants would participate in in an intervention program that uses character strengths to improve job maintenance skills in young adults.
Group II: Control GroupActive Control1 Intervention
In this arm, participants are services as usual and will participate in their regular activities.
KF-STRIDE® Into Work! is already approved in United States for the following indications:
🇺🇸 Approved in United States as KF-STRIDE Into Work! for:
- Improving job maintenance skills in young adults on the autism spectrum
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Kessler FoundationEast Hanover, NJ
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
Kessler FoundationLead Sponsor
References
Multi-informant International Perspectives on the Facilitators and Barriers to Employment for Autistic Adults. [2021]Employment rates for autistic individuals are poor, even compared to those from other disability groups. Internationally, there remains limited understanding of the factors influencing employment across the stages of preparing for, gaining, and maintaining employment. This is the third in a series of studies conducted as part of an International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) policy brief intended to improve employment outcomes for autistic individuals. A multi-informant international survey with five key stakeholder groups, including autistic individuals, their families, employers, service providers, and researchers, was undertaken in Australia, Sweden, and the United States to understand the facilitators and barriers to employment for autistic adults. A total of 687 individuals participated, including autistic individuals (n = 246), family members (n = 233), employers (n = 35), clinicians/service providers (n = 123), and researchers (n = 50). Perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to employment differed significantly across both key stakeholder groups and countries, however, ensuring a good job match and focusing on strengths were identified by all groups as important for success. Key barriers to employment included stigma, a lack of understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and communication difficulties. Results suggest that a holistic approach to employment for autistic individuals is required, aimed at facilitating communication between key stakeholders, addressing attitudes and understanding of ASD in the workplace, using strength-based approaches and providing early work experience. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1195-1214. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Autistic individuals experience significant difficulty getting and keeping a job. This article presents a survey study involving autistic individuals, their families, employers, service providers and researchers in Australia, Sweden, and the United States to understand their perspectives on the factors that support or act as barriers to employment. While perspectives varied across key stakeholders, strategies such as using a holistic approach, targeting workplace attitudes and understanding, focusing on strengths, and providing early work experience are important for success.
A Meta-Analysis of Video Modeling Interventions to Enhance Job Skills of Autistic Adolescents and Adults. [2023]Autistic transition-aged youth and young adults face many societal barriers to competitive integrated employment (CIE). Existing evidence-based practices (EBPs) for autistic individuals, such as video modeling (VM), may be a viable on-the-job training method to enhance employment experiences and outcomes for this population.
Development and adaptation of a strength-based job interview training tool for transition age youth on the autism spectrum using community engaged methods. [2023]Kessler Foundation Strength Identification and Expression (KF-STRIDE) is a strength-based job interview training tool developed for young adults on the autism spectrum. The intervention is based on a positive psychology framework to increase knowledge of character strengths, and how to relate them to a future employer. The current study sought to evaluate the acceptability, usability and feasibility of KF-STRIDE, as well as to guide adaptations to improve the tool's ability to meet the needs of those on the spectrum.
Employment for adults with autism spectrum disorders: A retrospective review of a customized employment approach. [2017]Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in prevalence of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and those children are now becoming young adults in need of competitive integrated employment (CIE). Customized employment (CE) is one pathway to employment that has been successful for other individuals with developmental disabilities (DD), though research has been very limited on the effectiveness with individuals with ASD. This paper provides a retrospective review of 64 individuals with ASD who came to our program from 2009 to 2014 for supported employment services as referred by the state vocational rehabilitation services agency. Employment specialists engaged in situational assessment, discovery, job development, customized job descriptions, on-site training and support, positive behavioral supports, and job retention techniques. The employment specialists were responsible for tracking their actual time spent working directly with or for the jobseeker with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). All vocational rehabilitation clients with ASD served during this time successfully secured CIE, and maintained their employment with ongoing supports, with intensity of support time decreasing over time. The majority (63/64, 98.4%) of individuals successfully secured CIE through the use of supported employment, in 72 unique employment positions. Of the majority of the individuals who secured employment, 77% (50) individuals indicated that they had never worked before and additional 18% (12) reported having short intermittent histories of employment. Despite this lack of employment experience, in all cases the jobseeker directed the job search and ultimately the job selection.
The Effect of Business Internships Model and Employment on Enhancing the Independence of Young Adults With Significant Impact From Autism. [2021]This article presents findings from a multisite randomized clinical trial measuring the impact of employment on independence in 18 to 22 year old youth with significant impact from autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The treatment condition was Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports (PS+ASD) where 73.4% of participants gained competitive integrated employment (CIE) within 1 year of graduation compared to control participants who acquired CIE at 17%. Within group analysis revealed that PS+ASD participants demonstrated improvement in all domains whereas control group participants demonstrated improvement in one domain only. Between groups analysis indicated that participants in PS+ASD demonstrated nominally better rates of improvement than control group participants at graduation and 1-year follow-up. Results provide evidence that employment provides therapeutic benefits to individuals with ASD.
Competitive Employment for Transition-Aged Youth with Significant Impact from Autism: A Multi-site Randomized Clinical Trial. [2020]This study reports the results of a multi-site, parallel block randomized clinical trial to expand the previous findings regarding the implementation of Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports (PS + ASD) on employment outcomes upon graduation from high school. Participants were 156 individuals with significant impact from ASD between the ages of 18-21. There was a significant difference between treatment and control groups with 73.4% of the treatment group acquiring competitive employment at or above minimum wage by 1-year after graduation compared to 17% of the control group for whom data was provided. At 1-year, employed treatment group participants worked an average of 21.2 h per week (SD = 9) for a mean hourly wage of $9.61 per hour (SD = $1.55).Clinical Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT03560453.
Competitive employment for youth with autism spectrum disorders: early results from a randomized clinical trial. [2021]For most youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), employment upon graduation from high school or college is elusive. Employment rates are reported in many studies to be very low despite many years of intensive special education services. This paper presented the preliminary results of a randomized clinical trial of Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports on the employment outcomes for youth with ASD between the ages of 18-21 years of age. This model provides very promising results in that the employment outcomes for youth in the treatment group were much higher in non-traditional jobs with higher than minimum wage incomes than for youth in the control condition. Specifically, 21 out of 24 (87.5 %) treatment group participants acquired employment while 1 of 16 (6.25 %) of control group participants acquired employment.
[Vocational Training and Job Placement for People with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Business Sector]. [2015]Kaien was founded in 2009 in order to help people with autism spectrum disorders work by leveraging their unique capabilities. Our four offices are all located in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. Our services include job training and placement for adults, career awareness programs for college students, and career experience programs for teens with autism spectrum disorders. Currently, we help over 100 people on a daily basis. We believe that two factors play important roles when we provide job training programs for people. Firstly, they usually find it difficult to identify their occupational "fit" by themselves due to their weakness regarding imagination. It is not a good idea to convince them only through counseling. Rather, when we take their weaknesses into consideration, multiple trial sessions in the work environment are key because even people without imagination can understand their occupational "fit" once they try. The other aspect is to articulate communication as much as possible. In this case, it is also true that words are not enough to help people fully develop the communication skills necessary in an office. Thus, our trainers intervene very frequently in the job programs in order for trainees to get feedback at the right time on the spot. In other words, our five-year experience at Kaien has revealed that our "Here and Now" approach in the quasi-work environment is the most effective way. Most of our trainers do not have medical or social welfare backgrounds. This fact has revealed huge possibilities when it comes to helping people with autism spectrum disorders to get a job. That is, in many cases, autism experts may not be mandatory, and supervisors or colleagues, who work with people with autism every day, can become "job supporters" with a little knowledge and some training. Some estimates indicate that the prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorders is above one in one hundred, and might be as high as five or six percent. This number is daunting because only autism experts with marked experience cannot handle all issues. Therefore, we believe that empowering amateur supporters in the business arena is important, and we are thrilled to think that our findings and programs may be helpful to increase the proficiency of such amateur supporters.
Process evaluation of an autism-specific workplace tool for employers. [2022]Label="BACKGROUND" NlmCategory="UNASSIGNED">Limited studies exist exploring employers' capacity in hiring and supporting employees on the autism spectrum, and even fewer have considered interventions targeting employers' skills and knowledge in enhancing employment opportunities. In response to this need, the Integrated Employment Success Tool (IESTTM) was developed and its effectiveness established in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Furthermore, a process evaluation was conducted to determine the usability and implementation of the IESTTM.