Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Autistic Young Adults Participating in Employment Readiness Skills Training.

This study aimed to examine the experiences and perceptions of participants engaged in an employment readiness program, Employment Preparation And Skills Support (EPASS), which is a manualized group-based training program designed to improve employment readiness among autistic young adults. A qualitative descriptive design was utilized to generate thick descriptions through semi-structured interviews with 22 transition-age autistic individuals (Mage = 20; 6 females; 16 males). Thematic analysis was employed to understand the experiences and career outcomes of transition-age autistic individuals pre- and post-participation in the EPASS program.

Rapid transition from in-person to videoconferencing psychotherapy in a counselor training clinic: A safety and feasibility study during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many counselor training clinics rapidly transitioned in-person (IP) services to videoconferencing psychotherapy (VCP). Because VCP is a relatively new technology, more research is needed to establish whether this delivery format is a safe and acceptable substitute for IP services in counselor training clinics. The purpose of this study is to explore questions related to how clients perceive VCP versus IP in terms of credibility and expectancy.

Near-Peer Facilitation of a Soft Skills Program for Young Adults With Autism.

Importance: Young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience poor employment outcomes. Teaching soft skills and using peer-based interventions improve outcomes for people with ASD.

Objective: To evaluate the preliminary efficacy of a soft skills intervention and the feasibility of delivery to a group of young adults with ASD by near-peer occupational therapy master's-level students.

Building Skills, Confidence, and Wellness: Psychosocial Effects of Soft Skills Training for Young Adults with Autism.

Recognizing that social functioning and mental health are linked to social participation and employment outcomes, this pilot study examined the preliminary outcomes of an eight-session, work-related social skills training program designed for young adults with high-functioning autism (HFASD). Results indicate statistically significant improvements in social cognition, social function, and social confidence. Furthermore, participants (n = 26) reported statistically significant reductions in anxiety, and a trend toward lessening depressive symptoms.

Development, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of an employment-related social skills intervention for young adults with high-functioning autism.

This article details the iterative development, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy of an 8-week work-related social skills intervention, Assistive Soft Skills and Employment Training, for young adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. In this mixed-methods study, pre- and post-intervention surveys, interviews, and functional measures were used to gather information on the program's feasibility, user acceptability, practicality, and preliminary efficacy. Results indicate that Assistive Soft Skills and Employment Training graduates showed significant improvements in work-related social skills knowledge, social functioning, and social/empathy self-efficacy.

Social-cognitive predictors of vocational outcomes in transition youth with epilepsy: Application of social cognitive career theory.

Objective: This study examined the utility of social-cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) as a framework to investigate career self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goals, and contextual supports and barriers as predictors of choice actions among transition-age individuals with epilepsy. Moreover, these SCCT constructs are offered as an operational definition of work participation in this population.

Method: Using a quantitative descriptive research design and hierarchical regression analysis (HRA), 90 transition-age individuals with epilepsy, age 18-25, were recruited from affiliates of the Epilepsy Foundation and invited to complete an online survey comprised of a series of self-report social-cognitive measures.

Disclose or not? Effect of impression management tactics on hireability of persons with epilepsy.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of assertive impression management (IM) tactics, such as personal storytelling and self-promotion, on job interview outcomes of people with epilepsy. Specifically, the effect of IM on interviewers' subjective impressions and evaluation of hireability of job candidates with epilepsy were examined.

Methods: Ninety-nine master's level graduate students majoring in business or human resources were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions to view one of three 15-min video clips of a job applicant interviewing for a technical computer sales position.