ASD, Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
Autism, ASD, Job reentry, Employment intervention, Virtual reality, VR
Brief summary
The current study will examine the efficacy of a virtual reality (VR) intervention as well as a newly developed Kessler Foundation STRength IDentification and Expression tool (VR-STRIDE) with adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Detailed description
The current study will examine the efficacy of a virtual reality (VR) intervention entitled IMPRoving Expression of Skills and Strengths In Interviewing in a Virtual Environment (IMPRESSIVE) which targets social competency skills needed for successful job interviewing. Specifically, 2 VR tools are utilized in the IMPRESSIVE intervention. The first tool is VR-Job Interview Training, a VR program which offers the opportunity for repeated practice with a virtual human interviewer. Preliminary evidence suggests that the VRprogram is successful in adults with ASD and schizophrenia in improving interview abilities. However, the efficacy of it has not been evaluated in adolescents with ASD. This represents a significant void in our knowledge, as we do not know whether this program is effective for youth. In addition to VR training, a newly developed tool is included in the currently proposed intervention: the Kessler Foundation STRength IDentification and Expression tool (VR-STRIDE). KF-STRIDE is focused on improving the ability to express personal strengths during the job interview, a skill that is not taught with VR training. The proposed IMPRESSIVE intervention, which combines the learning of 2 critical abilities (social skills and strength identification), has never been examined in individuals with ASD. Thus, the current proposal will be the first to examine the efficacy of these 2 combined tools in this at-risk population.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALVR-JIT/KF-STRIDE
Treatment group will receive 12 sessions of job interview training protocol.
Sponsors
Kessler Foundation
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Intervention model description
Virtual Reality Job Interview Training & character strength training (KF-STRIDE)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
15 Years to 24 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Diagnoses of ASD * or am a typically developing adolescent * Able to speak and read English fluently
Exclusion criteria
* History of stroke, traumatic brain injury, or any other neurological injury or disease * History of significant psychiatric illness (bipolar, schizophrenia or psychosis) * Uncontrolled seizures * Any other unstable medical complications
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mock Job Interview Change | 8 weeks | Mock Job Interview skills will be assessed by having blinded raters trained to assess job interviews scoring participants across a number of domains including expressing personal strengths and sounding professional. This rating scheme has been used in previous research (Smith et al., 2014; 2015), |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Self-reported job interview skills | 8 weeks | Questionnaire to assess self-perceived skills |
| self-reported job interview anxiety | 8 weeks | Questionnaire to assess self-perceived anxiety |
| Employment readiness | 8 weeks | Questionnaire to assess self-perceived employment readiness |
| Job Search Behavior | 8 weeks | Questionnaire to assess self-perceived job search behaviors |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed