STEPS: Stepped Transition in Education Program for Students with ASD

描述（由申请人提供）：患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的年轻人在从中学过渡出来时，没有共同发生的智力障碍，面临着一系列相当独特的挑战。这些学生往往很有能力在高等教育中取得成功，其中许多人有兴趣攻读高级学位，但他们的残疾和相关缺陷的性质（例如，时间管理不善和自我调节不良）可能会阻碍成功。个性化的，适当的时间，和发展敏感的过渡和支持服务，可以促进实现这些年轻人的最佳结果。该项目的目标是制定一个全面的计划，以促进ASD学生从高中到中学后教育的成功过渡。我们建议完善并评估一种针对ASD青少年和年轻人的新型过渡支持和干预计划：STEPS [ASD学生教育计划的阶梯式过渡]。通过针对ASD年轻人的自我调节（SR）和自我决定（SD）的改善，我们断言，该计划可能会对大学适应和功能行为产生积极的结果。虽然该计划将在拟议项目的第一阶段完成，但STEPS由两个层次（或步骤）组成，符合学生在过渡规划方面的特殊需求。在第一步中，面临过渡的学生（即，已经确定了他们将参加的学院[两年制或四年制机构]，但仍然在高中 这些儿童（在学校就读的儿童）及其照顾者将获得信息，以协助过渡规划，进行准备情况自我评估，以确定进入中学后学校的准备程度，并在线和亲自参加互动会议，以促进自我认识和决心。在第二步，患有ASD的大学生将获得相当密集的支持和干预，包括个人咨询，结构化的支持服务，社会融合活动和辅导，以促进学术和社会成功。如果使用“自下而上”的添加剂方法开发，并考虑到学生自我确定的需求，那么ASD学生的成功过渡编程将是最有效的。因此，我们提出了一个两阶段的项目，首先使用参与式过程的方法来开发完整的程序（第一阶段），然后在一个小RCT（第二阶段）实施该计划。在第一阶段，我们将根据与专家小组的协商（通过每两周一次的电话会议和现场访问）以及ASD学生及其家人的反馈，反复完善治疗。RCT的目的是确定实施的可行性、最终用户的可接受性，并完善方法（例如，招募，保留），以准备充分的功效试验。拟议的研究及其产品（培训材料，课程;以及可行性和初步疗效的证据）将有助于推进当前的研究和临床/教育实践。这项初步研究代表了第一步，必要的一步，以证据为基础，用户友好，并希望非常有效的过渡计划与ASD的学生。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Young adults who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) without co-occurring intellectual impairment face a fairly unique set of challenges as they transition out of secondary school. These students are often quite capable of succeeding in higher education and many of them have interest in pursuing advanced degrees, but the nature of their disability and associated deficits (e.g., poor time management and poor self-regulation) may impede success. Individualized, appropriately timed, and developmentally sensitive transition and support services may promote realization of optimal outcomes for these young people. The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive program to promote successful transition of students with ASD from high school to post-secondary education. We propose to refine and then evaluate a novel transition support and intervention program for adolescents and young adults with ASD: STEPS [Stepped Transition in Education Program for Students with ASD]. By targeting improved self-regulation (SR) and self-determination (SD) in young people with ASD, we assert that this program may have positive outcomes with respective to college adjustment and functional behavior. Although the program will be finalized during the first phase of the proposed project, STEPS is comprised of two levels (or steps), which match the student's particular needs in relation to transition planning. In Step 1, students facing transition (i.e., hve identified the college they will attend [either 2-year or 4-year institution] but are still in high school) and their caregivers will receive information to assist in transition planning, undergo readiness self-assessments to identify degree of preparedness for post-secondary school, and participate in interactive sessions online and in person to promote self-knowledge and determination. In Step 2, college students with ASD will receive fairly intensive supports and interventions, including individual counseling, structured support services, social integration activities, and coaching to promote academic and social success. Successful transition programming for students with ASD will be most effective if developed using a 'bottom up' additive approach, with the students' self-identified needs in mind. We therefore propose a two-phase project, first using a participatory process approach to develop the full program (Phase I) and then implementing the program in a small RCT (Phase II). During Phase I, we will iteratively refine the treatment based on consultation with the expert panel (via bi-weekly conference calls and site visits), and feedback from students with ASD and their families. The purpose of the RCT is to establish feasibility of implementation, acceptability to the end-users, and refine methodology (e.g., recruitment, retention) in preparation for a fully powered efficacy trial. The proposed research and its products (training materials, curriculum; also evidence of feasibility and preliminary efficacy) will help to advance current research and clinical/educational practice. This preliminary study represents the first, necessary step toward an evidence-based, user-friendly, and hopefully highly effective transition program for students with ASD.