A Longitudinal Study of Employment and Educational Instability for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

项目总结/摘要 患有ASD（YA-ASD）的年轻成年人在就业和中学后教育（PSE）方面的困难是 几乎是普遍的。作为回应，已经制定了干预措施，目标是获得工作或增加收入， 加入PSE计划然而，我们的初步研究表明， 入学比首先获得这些职位更困难， (e.g.,家庭气候，社区规模）与那些与开始工作相关的因素（例如，自闭症 严重性，IQ）。这些研究表明，需要采取新的干预措施，重点是维持就业， PSE。此外，职业不稳定（例如，失业）是心理健康状况不佳的一个重要预测因素， 一般人群，并可能负责，至少部分，为非常高的并发症发生率， 精神病理学的研究这项研究的目的是为新的研究奠定基础。 采取干预措施，通过前瞻性地审查 预测因素和中学后就业和教育不稳定的潜在后果（即，损失 （如就业或教育职位的变动并不反映向上流动）。到 为了实现这一目标，我们将在7岁时收集200名YA-ASD及其父母的前瞻性纵向数据， 在3年的时间里。我们将招募18岁以下的高中毕业生 智商在70分或以上的26人。我们将使用多个线人（自我，父母）和多个 方法（访谈，问卷调查，永久产品，诊断评估），以衡量个人， 家庭和社区因素，以及转型期就业/教育不稳定。我们提出 四个目标：1）确定三年期间中学后就业/教育的不稳定率， 并区分YA-ASD所经历的不稳定性和向上流动性：2）检查个人，家庭， 以及在第一波数据中预测中学后就业/教育活动的社区因素 收集，以及这些活动在3年期间的不稳定性：3）检查 就业/教育不稳定以及自闭症严重程度、心理健康、适应行为和 YA-ASD的生活质量：和4）使用ASD研究中新的经过充分验证的测量方法，沿着开放式 问题和永久产品，我们将探讨工作/PSE活动和环境的具体方面 (job特征和经验，工作满意度，工作场所环境，支持） 稳定性/不稳定性这项研究是响应2016-17跨机构自闭症协调委员会 通过使用纵向前瞻性设计和收集足够具体的数据， 有针对性的干预措施。该项目将通过提供新的知识， 迅速转化为新的干预措施，以支持YA-ASD维持就业/教育职位。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Difficulties in employment and postsecondary education (PSE) among young adults with ASD (YA-ASD) are nearly universal. In response, interventions have been developed that target obtaining a job or gaining admittance to a PSE program. However, our preliminary research suggests that maintaining a job or PSE enrollment is more difficult than obtaining those positions in the first place, and the predictors of keeping a job (e.g., family climate, community size) are different than those associated with starting a job (e.g., autism severity, IQ). These studies suggest the need for new interventions focused on maintaining employment or PSE. Further, vocational instability (e.g., losing a job) is a significant predictor of poor mental health in the general population, and might be responsible, at least in part, for the very high rates of co-occurring psychopathology among YA-ASD. The objective of the proposed research is to lay the groundwork for novel interventions to promote sustained employment/educational participation, by prospectively examining predictors and potential consequences of postsecondary employment and educational instability (i.e., loss of/change in employment or educational position that is not reflective of upward mobility) for YA-ASD. To accomplish this objective, we will collect prospective longitudinal data from 200 YA-ASD and their parents at 7 times over a 3-year period. We will recruit young adults who have exited high school, between the ages of 18 and 26, who have an IQ score of 70 or above. We will use multiple informants (self, parent) and multiple methods (interviews, questionnaires, permanent products, diagnostic evaluations) to measure individual, family, and community factors, and employment/educational instability during the transition years. We propose four Aims: 1) To determine rates of instability in postsecondary employment/education over a 3-year period, and differentiate instability from upward mobility as experienced by YA-ASD: 2) To examine individual, family, and community factors that predict postsecondary employment/educational activities at the first wave of data collection, and instability in these activities over a 3-year period: 3) To examine bidirectional effects of employment/educational instability and changes in autism severity, mental health, adaptive behavior, and quality of life for YA-ASD: and 4) Using well-validated measures new to ASD research along with open-ended questions and permanent products, we will explore specific aspects of work/PSE activities and environment (job characteristics and experiences, job satisfaction, workplace environment, supports) associated with stability/instability. This study is responsive to the 2016-17 Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic Plan by using a longitudinal prospective design and collecting data with enough specificity to inform targeted interventions. The project will have high public health impact by providing new knowledge that can be translated rapidly into novel interventions to support YA-ASD in maintaining employment/educational positions.