Employment activities and experiences of adults with high functioning autism and Asperger's Disorder

There is limited large-scale empirical research into the working lives of adults who have an autism spectrum disorder with no co-occurring intellectual disability. Drawing on data from a national survey, this report describes the employment activities and experiences of 130 adults with Asperger’s Disorder (AD) and high functioning autism (HFA) in Australia. Outcome measures include current occupation; occupational skill level and alignment with educational attainment; type of job contract; hours of work; support received to find work; support received in the workplace; and positive and negative experiences of employment. The findings confirm and expand upon existing evidence that adults with AD and HFA, despite their capacity and willingness to work, face significant disadvantages in the labour market and a lack of understanding and support in employment settings

Factors influencing the research participation of adults with autism spectrum disorders

The recruitment and retention of adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) into research poses particular difficulties; longitudinal studies face additional challenges. To date, factors influencing the participation of adults for ASD research have been unexamined. This article draws on a study conducted in 2014 to identify factors influencing the participation of adults in longitudinal autism research. Quantitative and qualitative data was obtained from 167 participants across Australia in four categories: adults with either high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome; adults with ASD and an intellectual disability; carers of these adults; and neuro-typical adults. This article includes results for adults with ASD and their carers. Factors influencing participation were found to differ both between and within participant categories. These factors were classified as those arising from a participant’s values, which acted as either a motivator or a deterrent; and those based on convenience, which acted as either an enabler or inhibitor. While helping others was a key motivator for all, participants also sought personal benefits, which differed between categories. Belonging to a research community of like-minded people was also a motivator and enabler. The inconvenience of time and travel required was a key inhibitor; insensitivity to an individual’s needs and preferences for engaging with the world a key deterrent; maximising choice in all aspects of participant involvement a vital enabler; and the use of financial and other extrinsic rewards was found to be problematic

Utilisation of an intervention to support students on the autism spectrum: examining teachers' responses to Finished! the On-task Toolkit

A number of studies have demonstrated visual schedules and work systems to be effective in assisting students on the autism spectrum to stay on-task and work independently in special-education settings. However, evidence of effectiveness does not ensure a timely implementation of interventions in real-world contexts. The translatability of interventions depends to a large extent on their contextual fit and how they are perceived by those that will use them. This mixed methods study examines mainstream teachers’ responses to an information toolkit outlining the use of visual schedules and work systems as inclusive, whole-class practices. While teachers regarded the toolkit positively, their responses also offer insights into potential barriers to implementation

The Anxiety Caused by Secondary Schools for Autistic Adolescents: In Their Own Words

Secondary schools are increasingly becoming inclusive of all students whatever their individual needs, but we question whether teachers understand enough about specific needs in order to effectively support all their students. Research indicates that autistic students often struggle with aspects of school (conformity; social communication; sensory challenges; bullying) but very few studies ask autistic adolescents about their experiences. One of the key elements of the school experience for autistic adolescents is the levels of anxiety experienced by many students on a daily basis. This research set out to explore the extent to which autistic students in secondary schools in the UK were able to recognise and reflect on their own anxiety. The eighteen participants in this co-produced qualitative study took part in semi-structured interviews planned by a team of autistic and non-autistic researchers. The themes that emerged from this study, in terms of triggers for anxiety, included other people’s behaviour, fear of the unknown, and sensory sensitivities. A theoretical view of their difficulties concurs with the concept of intolerance of uncertainty. Our data suggest that autistic students continue to experience high levels of anxiety throughout their secondary education, despite supports put in place by some schools. Strategies are highlighted that could be implemented by all schools to promote truly inclusive settings

Perspectives on regular and support class placement and factors that contribute to success of inclusion for children with ASD

For young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in regular schools, ASD specific service delivery options include regular class placement with itinerant consultative support and support class placement. This study provided an examination of levels of parent, teacher and principal satisfaction with both regular class placement (n = 39) and a satellite support class option (n=35), which provides a more gradual transition into regular class. Given that regular class placement was the ultimate goal for children enrolled in the study, factors that either facilitated or acted as barriers to successful inclusion were examined for those children currently in regular classes. There were relatively high levels of parent, teacher and principal satisfaction with both satellite support class and regular class placement for children with ASD, with higher levels of parental satisfaction with satellite support placement. Across all respondents, the most frequently identified facilitating factors were related to teaching practices and skills. In contrast, barriers identified were generally related to child characteristics. A number of suggestions for future research are offered

Piloting autism intervention research with teachers in mainstream classrooms

Although there is a recognised need for effective practices to support students on the autism spectrum in mainstream schools, there is a research to practice gap in the area of autism and education, whereby evidence-based intervention may take decades to translate into mainstream classroom practice. Thus, current recommendations are that, rather than presenting mainstream school teachers with interventions developed and tested in clinical or special education settings, a participatory research process should be used to facilitate implementation in real-world mainstream classrooms. This article reports on a case study that aimed to refine a structured teaching intervention package for use in mainstream classrooms, while at the same time tailoring research methods for evaluating the package in these settings. The outcomes of the project are presented with respect to (a) the development and refinement of the intervention package in consultation with a mainstream classroom teacher and (b) the lessons learned during the process that other clinical researchers, teachers, and clinicians could apply when implementing educational interventions in mainstream settings

Facilitators and Barriers to Inclusion of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Parent, Teacher, and Principal Perspectives

The inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing, but there have been no longitudinal studies of included students in Australia. Interview data reported in this study concern primary school children with ASD enrolled in mainstream classes in South Australia and New South Wales, Australia. In order to examine perceived facilitators and barriers to inclusion, parents, teachers, and principals were asked to comment on the facilitators and barriers to inclusion relevant to each child. Data are reported about 60 students, comprising a total of 305 parent interviews, 208 teacher interviews, and 227 principal interviews collected at 6-monthly intervals over 3.5 years. The most commonly mentioned facilitator was teacher practices. The most commonly mentioned barrier was intrinsic student factors. Other factors not directly controllable by school staff, such as resource limitations, were also commonly identified by principals and teachers. Parents were more likely to mention school- or teacher-related barriers. Many of the current findings were consistent with previous studies but some differences were noted, including limited reporting of sensory issues and bullying as barriers. There was little change in the pattern of facilitators and barriers identified by respondents over time. A number of implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed

Piloting autism intervention research with teachers in mainstream classrooms

Although there is a recognised need for effective practices to support students on the autism spectrum in mainstream schools, there is a research to practice gap in the area of autism and education, whereby evidence-based intervention may take decades to translate into mainstream classroom practice. Thus, current recommendations are that, rather than presenting mainstream school teachers with interventions developed and tested in clinical or special education settings, a participatory research process should be used to facilitate implementation in real-world mainstream classrooms. This article reports on a case study that aimed to refine a structured teaching intervention package for use in mainstream classrooms, while at the same time tailoring research methods for evaluating the package in these settings. The outcomes of the project are presented with respect to (a) the development and refinement of the intervention package in consultation with a mainstream classroom teacher and (b) the lessons learned during the process that other clinical researchers, teachers, and clinicians could apply when implementing educational interventions in mainstream settings

The Association Between Parent Engagement and Child Outcomes in Social Skills Training Programs: Discovering the Secret Agent Society in Partnership

Previous research in clinical, community, and school settings has demonstrated positive outcomes for the Secret Agent Society (SAS) social skills training program. This is designed to help children on the autism spectrum become more aware of emotions in themselves and others and to ‘problem-solve’ complex social scenarios. Parents play a key role in the implementation of the SAS program, attending information and support sessions with other parents and providing supervision, rewards, and feedback as their children complete weekly ‘home mission’ assignments. Drawing on data from a school-based evaluation of the SAS program, this study examined whether parents’ engagement with these elements of the intervention was linked to the quality of their children’s participation and performance. Sixty-eight 8-14 year olds (mean age 10.7) with a diagnosis of autism participated in the program. The findings indicated that ratings of parental engagement were positively correlated with children’s competence in completing home missions and with the quality of their contribution during group teaching sessions. However, there was a less consistent relationship between parental engagement and measures of children’s social and emotional skill gains over the course of the program

A comparison of two models of support for students with autism spectrum disorder in school and predictors of school success

Background: There is little comparative data on models of support for children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in school. The objectives of this research were (1) to compare the outcomes of two service delivery models (Autism Spectrum Australia satellite support class and Autism SA consultative model) that were designed to facilitate the support of children with ASD in mainstream schools and (2) to examine factors that were associated with successful outcomes.Method: A total of 90 students were followed 6-monthly for up to 7 rounds (3.5 years). Primary outcomes of interest included continuity of placement, school engagement and adjustment, perceived success of placement, and parent/teacher/principal satisfaction with service delivery. Results: Continuity of placement was relatively high in both models. There were no differences in child outcome across the models but the parents in the satellite model rated placement success higher, albeit in the context of high overall ratings in both groups. Parents and principals also rated satisfaction with support higher in the satellite model but transitions from the model into regular classes were low during the period of the study. Teacher rated academic skill predicted child social skills as well as engagement and adjustment, child problem behavior negatively predicted parent and teacher rating of placement success and adaptive behavior predicted teacher and principal rating of placement success. Conclusions: The present study offers insight into possible program and child related predictors of a range of outcome measures. Implications for the respective service delivery models and directions for future research are presented