Facilitating Employment for Youth With Autism

NCT03560453 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: HM15031NIDILRRDRRP13-16
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 162
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This study will test the efficacy of a nationally recognized employment training and placement program (Project SEARCH) when applied to youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders. It is designed to examine a single overall research question: Research Question: To what extent does a collaborative, employer-based employment training and placement program improve the employment outcomes, need for support, social responsiveness, self-determination, and quality of life of young adults with ASD 18-21 served in public special education programs?

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autism; Asperger Syndrome; Pervasive Developmental Disorder; Adolescent Development

Keywords

Autism; ASD; Competitive Integrated Employment; Project SEARCH; Outcomes; Support Intensity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Employment Outcomes Survey from Graduation to 12 months follow-up

  Employment status (Employed Full-Time, Employed Part-Time, Not Employed/Looking for Employment, and Not Employed/Not Looking for Employment) will be measured at the point of graduation and 12 months follow-up. At these data collection points we will also collect information on hourly wage, changes in hourly wage, hours worked per week (or per month if the individual works a variable schedule), and fringe benefits received, including annual or sick leave, medical/dental benefits, retirement benefits, life insurance, and health and wellness. This is a researcher developed survey

  Graduation and 12 month follow-up

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Change in the Support Intensity Scale (SIS; Thompson, et al., 2004) from Graduation to 12 months follow-up

  Baseline, Graduation and 12 month follow-up

• Change in Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition (Constantino & Gruber, 2012) from Graduation to 12 months follow-up

  Baseline, Graduation, and 12 month follow-up

• Change in The ARC's Self-Determination Scale (Wehmeyer, 1996) from from Graduation to 12 months follow-up

  Baseline, Graduation, and 12 month follow-up

• Change in The Short Form 36 Version 2 (SF-36v2, Maurish & Turner-Bowker, 2009) from from Graduation to 12 months follow-up

  Baseline, Graduation, and 12 month follow-up

Study Arms (2)

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Attend assigned high school for 9 months

Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports

EXPERIMENTAL

Attend Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports for 9 months

Behavioral: Project SEARCH Plus ASD Supports

Interventions

Project SEARCH Plus ASD Supports BEHAVIORAL

Project SEARCH is an intensive 9-month job training program where youth with developmental disabilities in their last year of high school are embedded in a large community business such as a hospital, government complex, or banking center (Daston et al., 2012). Students with developmental disabilities who participate in this model rotate through three 10-12 week internships within the business where they log approximately 720 hours of internship time learning marketable skills while receiving supported employment. They also get 180 hours of classroom time at the business for a total of approximately 900 hours embedded in the business setting. In addition to these important training components, Project SEARCH requires collaboration between multiple community partners to support students in attaining employment upon completion of the program. Collaborations include students with developmental disabilities and their family, a LEA, a local CRP, the state VR, and a host business.

Also known as: PS+ASD

Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 22 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Virginia Commonwealth University: lead
• National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research: collaborator

Related Publications (7)

• Wehman P, Schall C, Carr S, Targett P, West M, Cifu G. Transition from school to adulthood for youth with ASD: what we know and what we need to know. J Disabil Policy Stud. 2014;25:30-40. doi:10.1177/1044207313518071.

  BACKGROUND

• Schall C, Wehman P, McDonough JL. Transition from school to work for students with autism spectrum disorders: understanding the process and achieving better outcomes. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2012 Feb;59(1):189-202, xii. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2011.10.009.

  PMID: 22284802 RESULT

• Wehman PH, Schall CM, McDonough J, Kregel J, Brooke V, Molinelli A, Ham W, Graham CW, Erin Riehle J, Collins HT, Thiss W. Competitive employment for youth with autism spectrum disorders: early results from a randomized clinical trial. J Autism Dev Disord. 2014 Mar;44(3):487-500. doi: 10.1007/s10803-013-1892-x.

  PMID: 23893098 RESULT

• Schall CM, Wehman P, Brooke V, Graham C, McDonough J, Brooke A, Ham W, Rounds R, Lau S, Allen J. Employment Interventions for Individuals with ASD: The Relative Efficacy of Supported Employment With or Without Prior Project SEARCH Training. J Autism Dev Disord. 2015 Dec;45(12):3990-4001. doi: 10.1007/s10803-015-2426-5.

  PMID: 25791125 RESULT

• Wehman P, Schall CM, McDonough J, Graham C, Brooke V, Riehle JE, Brooke A, Ham W, Lau S, Allen J, Avellone L. Effects of an employer-based intervention on employment outcomes for youth with significant support needs due to autism. Autism. 2017 Apr;21(3):276-290. doi: 10.1177/1362361316635826. Epub 2016 Jul 9.

  PMID: 27154907 RESULT

• Schall C, Sima AP, Avellone L, Wehman P, McDonough J, Brown A. The Effect of Business Internships Model and Employment on Enhancing the Independence of Young Adults With Significant Impact From Autism. Intellect Dev Disabil. 2020 Aug 1;58(4):301-313. doi: 10.1352/1934-9556-58.4.301.

  PMID: 32750714 DERIVED

• Wehman P, Schall C, McDonough J, Sima A, Brooke A, Ham W, Whittenburg H, Brooke V, Avellone L, Riehle E. Competitive Employment for Transition-Aged Youth with Significant Impact from Autism: A Multi-site Randomized Clinical Trial. J Autism Dev Disord. 2020 Jun;50(6):1882-1897. doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-03940-2.

  PMID: 30825082 DERIVED

Related Links

• This website provides a link to numerous research briefs, webinars, and webcasts developed to describe the project

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autistic Disorder; Asperger Syndrome; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Carol M Schall, PhD

  Virginia Commonwealth University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Non-pharmacologic randomized clinical trial and followed the Non-pharmacological Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials Statement recommendations to conduct the research (CONSORT; Boutron, Altman, Moher, Schulz, \& Ravaud, 2017)

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 6, 2018
• First Posted: June 18, 2018
• Study Start: August 1, 2013
• Primary Completion: March 15, 2018
• Study Completion: March 15, 2018
• Last Updated: May 3, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share