Engagement in Vocational Activities Promotes Behavioral Development for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

This study examined the bidirectional relations over time between behavioral functioning (autism symptoms, maladaptive behaviors, activities of daily living) and vocational/educational activities of adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Participants were 153 adults with ASD (M age = 30.2 years) who were part of a larger longitudinal study. Data were collected at two time points separated by 5.5 years. Cross-lag models were used, which accounted for stability over time while testing both directions of cross-lagged effects. Results suggested that greater vocational independence and engagement was related to subsequent reductions in autism symptoms and maladaptive behaviors, and improvements in activities of daily living. Relations between earlier behavioral variables (symptoms, behaviors, and activities of daily living) and later vocational independence were not statistically significant.

Characterizing Objective Quality of Life and Normative Outcomes in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploratory Latent Class Analysis

“…Past research has established the reliability, validity, specificity, and sensitivity of the ADI-R (Hill et al 2001; Lord et al 1997). We reported in past research (Taylor et al 2014) on the inter-rater reliability of the ADI-R in our larger longitudinal study. Findings indicated that inter-rater reliability between the two interviewers and two supervising doctoral-level clinical psychologists averaged 89%, mean κ = .81.…”

Students with autism spectrum disorder in college: Results from a preliminary mixed methods needs analysis

“…Despite concerted efforts to encourage student participation, the results presented herein for the survey primarily represent the parent and school personnel. Reliance on parent-report data in research with adults with ASD is fairly common (e.g., Smith et al, 2012; Taylor, Smith, & Mailick, 2014); nevertheless, the limited voice of the students with ASD themselves in this study’s results must be emphasized. Students in this study were predominantly enrolled in postsecondary education and, as such, it will be important to determine if these findings apply to students with ASD still facing the transition out of high school.…”

Characterizing the daily life, needs, and priorities of adults with autism spectrum disorder from Interactive Autism Network data

“…What we cannot know from these close-ended surveys is what adults with ASD do with their time if they are not employed and do not have access to services and programming (which are extremely limited for these age groups in most geographic areas). Evidence suggests that underemployment and lack of purposeful engagement of one's time are precursors to physical and mental health problems and behavioral decline over time in ASD, as they are in other populations (see Taylor & Hodapp, 2012; Taylor, Smith, & Mailick 2014). Consistent both with those findings and with previous reports of comorbidity rates in ASD, the vast majority of both subsamples had one or more physical and mental health problem in addition to ASD and took medication for either ASD-related or co-occurring symptoms.…”