Preparing Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders for Employment

The work experiences and job histories of adults with ASD were examined to determine whether or not they corroborate findings in the literature. Incidences of ASD are on the rise, and children diagnosed with ASD will become adults who will need employment opportunities. Most employers are using a variety of technology tools to increase productivity, communicate, perform record-keeping tasks, save time and money, and conduct business. Individuals with ASD gravitate toward technology, and employment opportunities that capitalize on the use technology may allow them to be productive in the workplace. Semi-structured interviews using open-ended questions reviewed and approved by founders of a technology institute were used to gather employment data from participants. The interviews with adults with ASD were examined to explore work histories and best practices for preparing adults with ASD for jobs designing video games. Findings revealed a focus on individualized instructional delivery with game engines, organizational skill development, rewardstructures, electronic record-keeping for task management and scheduling, and social integration through team building and group problem-solving

An App Recommendation System for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Technology can help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) gain functional and academic skills when the tools used match their specific needs. This paper proposes the development of an app recommendation system for young learners based on their general characteristics and instructional goals. Through a qualitative experiment, we gathered several characteristics of children with ASD as well as their behaviors while using different forms of technology. Through this study, we plan to investigate a systematic method for selecting apps based on the findings.ye

There’s an App for That! Using Technology to Support Executive Functioning & Coping Skills

Presentation discussing some of the challenges college students with autism face, possible academic supports, and how apps can play a role in supporting learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It was presented at the UNT Kristin Farmer Autism Center's 10th annual Adventures in Autism Intervention and Research Conference held on July 28, 2018 in Denton, Texas

The Challenges of Training and Retraining Mature Learners

Article discussing research on the aging process from physical, cognitive, and social and psychological perspectives, accommodations for age related changes, retraining mature learners, adaptations of the classroom environment, training technology issues, and successful corporate retraining programs to better prepare vocational educators for the workforce of the new millennium

Instructional strategies for autistic adults learning video game design

A diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) indicates that an individual has a complex neurological disorder which impairs communication, behavior, and social interaction. ASD persists throughout an individual’s lifetime; many adults with ASD are very knowledgeable and skilled, but they tend to be unemployed and underemployed because of difficulties interacting, communicating, and securing positions for which they are qualified (Chappel & Somers, 2010; Hendricks & Wehman, 2009; Nesbitt, 2000). This poster describes instructional strategies that match the information processing needs of adults with ASD. The poster is based on findings from a qualitative pilot study designed to identify best practices for teaching adults with ASD video game design. Data from semi-structured interviews with adult learners revealed direct, interactive, and experiential learning as instructional preferences along with the elimination of stressors (competition with others, limited time, and test taking).published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe