Applied Social Cognitive Skills in the Workplace for Transition-Aged Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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ABSTRACT SIMmersion LLC, Drs. M. Smith (U. of Michigan), Eack (U. of Pittsburgh), Connie Sung (Michigan State U.), J.D. Smith (Northwestern U.), and Kara Hume (U. of North Carolina), proposes to develop and test the efficacy of Social Cognitive and Affective Learning at Work (SOCIAL-Work), a computer-based program to fill a critical gap in transition services supporting the sustainability of employment for transition-age youth with autism spectrum disorders (TAY-ASD). A major barrier TAY-ASD have in sustaining employment is difficulties effectively communicating with customers, coworkers, and supervisors46 due to social cognitive deficits7-9, 51-54. Building on research that suggests computerized trainings/interventions may enhance social skills72,73 and social cognitive task performance21,22,74, the research team will leverage community stakeholders (e.g., researchers; educators; service providers; families; and individuals with ASD) to guide the development. SOCIAL-Work will allow TAY-ASD to build the knowledge and skills required for effective workplace interactions. TAY-ASD will navigate through a fictional 3-D workplace with a peer-coach. Tier 1 of instruction, Understanding People in the Workplace, will include nine modules focused on foundational social cognitive strategies. Tier 2, Workplace Conversations, will include three PeopleSim practice conversations (i.e., responding to customer needs, building rapport with a coworker, and debriefing with a supervisor). Tier three, Virtual Workday, will integrate knowledge and practice with interconnected workplace activities were the actions made early in the day influence conversations later in the day (e.g., a poor customer interaction may result in constructive feedback from a supervisor). Consistent with a scaffold model of learning94,95, SOCIAL-Work will automatically progress TAY-ASD through the tiers as they successfully achieve learning goals. During Phase I, the research team will prototype SOCIAL-Work and recruit TAY-ASD (n=30) and teachers (n=10) to provide feedback on its acceptability, usability, and feasibility of integration. During Phase II, the team will complete development and conduct a randomized controlled effectiveness-implementation trial in which TAY- ASD enrolled in school based transition services (n=338) will be randomly assigned to the attention control or intervention groups. We hypothesize that TAY-ASD who receive training with SOCIAL-Work, will show greater (compared to their active control peers) gains in (H1) social cognition and (H2) work-based social functioning, (H3) reduction in anxiety about work-based social encounters, (H4) sustained employment by 9-month follow-up. This proposal has garnered commercial support from education systems, community service providers, families, and TAY-ASD. If successful, this research could lead to the development of a novel and scalable intervention, and SOCIAL-Work will have with sufficient scope and rigor to help fill a critical gap in employment services by preparing transition-age youth with ASD to become more socially competent at work.