Sunday, May 5, 2024
5/5/2024
Individuals on the autism spectrum have significantly high rates of unemployment. Job interview skills have been identified as a critical area for vocational training by the autism and research community. Historically, treatment for individuals on the autism spectrum have been deficit-based (to fix what is deficient), while the autism community has advocated for tools which focus on one’s strengths. The goal of the current study is to develop and evaluate a strength-based job interview program: Kessler Foundation Strength Identification and Expression (KF-STRIDE). KF-STRIDE was designed to help individuals on the spectrum identify their personal strengths and improve their ability to express these strengths to others. KF-STRIDE was originally developed for adolescents on the spectrum; thus in the current study our objectives are: 1) To adapt KF-STRIDE for adults. This adaptation will focus on modifying the content and design of an existing prototype, KF-STRIDE, which was developed for youth. 2) To evaluate the acceptability, usability, feasibility, and initial effectiveness of the adapted KF-STRIDE in adults. Anticipated outcomes are: In Stage 1, key stakeholders will provide feedback on the original KF-STRIDE prototype. In Stage 2, we will develop an adapted KF-STRIDE using the feedback collected in Stage 1. In Stage 3, refinements will be made to the adapted KF-STRIDE based on stakeholder testing. In Stage 4, we hypothesize that individuals who receive KF-STRIDE will show improvements in their job interview skills compared to a control group. The final product will be an adapted KF-STRIDE which best suits the needs of adults on the spectrum. The current study will focus on one of NIDILRR’s major outcome domains, employment.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
