The purpose of this study was to test the use of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) in the secondary school setting. There were two main goals: (a) to evaluate secondary education providers' ability to implement PRT with fidelity following a PRT training program; and (b) to evaluate the effects of school-implemented PRT on the social communication skills of adolescents and young adults with ASD, specifically, question-asking behavior. This concurrent multiple baseline design study across dyads investigated the use of PRT in the secondary school setting with adolescents with ASD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe experiences of autistic college students have become an increasing focus of research over the past 10 years. As a part of a larger research project, 40 successful autistic college students were interviewed about their experiences transitioning from high school to college. Participants reported being active participants in selecting colleges, but not receiving robust transition services during high school.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are accessing college in increasing numbers. Within this cohort are students who are twice exceptional-those who are both academically talented and diagnosed with ASD. Little is known about factors and experiences that impact their successful transition to college.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCOVID-19 caused nearly every college and university in the United States to rapidly shift to remote learning during the spring 2020 semester. While this impacted all students to different degrees, students with disabilities (SWD) faced new challenges related to their mental health, the accessibility of their instruction, the receipt of accommodations, and their interactions with faculty and student support personnel. Literature is emerging that describes the experiences of SWD during the spring 2020 semester and the swift change to remote learning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis qualitative comparative case study explored the personal perceptions and institutional factors that facilitated academic success, as well as challenges, in college among a sample of 40 academically talented students with autism spectrum disorder (2e/ASD) who were enrolled in highly competitive colleges and universities in the United States. Findings from the study included that the majority had excellent reading and writing skills, but struggled with mathematics. The personal trait that most enabled them to be successful in college, described by 26 of the 40 students, was a driving passion for learning.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLittle is known about the academic and extra-curricular experiences of academically talented students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study focused on how these capable students with ASD successfully navigated and completed high school, and specifically, the experiences that enabled them to attend competitive colleges. Using comparative case studies and directed content analysis, data were derived from semi-structured interviews with 40 students who had been identified as academically talented with ASD, and were enrolled in, or recently graduated from, highly competitive colleges in the United States.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFive hundred graduates with learning disabilities (LD) from three universities in the United States completed a survey related to their postschool employment outcomes and experiences. The present study presents data related to their decisions regarding LD disclosure in employment settings. Although 73% of the respondents reported that the LD affected their job in some way, only 55% reported self-disclosing, and only 12% reported requesting accommodations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOne hundred thirty-two graduates with learning disabilities (LD) of a large, public, competitive postsecondary institution were surveyed to determine if they had self-disclosed their LD to their current employer and to provide the reasons for choosing to self-disclose or not to self-disclose. Based on a response rate of 67.4% (n = 89), the results indicated that 86.
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