Exploring the Impact of Community Service on Career Exploration, Self-Determination, and Social Skills for Transition-Age Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Inclusion ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaimie Timmons ◽  
Agnieszka Zalewska ◽  
Allison Cohen Hall ◽  
Sheila Fesko
Keyword(s):  
Community Service ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Career Exploration ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Transition Age Youth ◽  
Transition Age ◽  
Transition Strategies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Skill Building

Abstract Bleak transition outcomes for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), coupled with the surge in incidence, has led to the need for focused and innovative transition strategies. While structured community service reveals promise, documentation of how community service experiences contribute to building employment skills for youth with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD), including those with ASD, is underresearched. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of a community service experience on employment skill-building for youth with ASD. Findings from 23 qualitative interviews with a range of stakeholders showed positive perceptions in the areas of career exploration, self-determination, and social skill building. Implications emphasize the likely benefits of structured community service and the potential to maximize the connection to employment, and thus community inclusion, for transition-age youth with ASD.

Self-Determination Among Transition-Age Youth With Autism or Intellectual Disability: Parent Perspectives

2013 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik W. Carter ◽  
Kathleen Lynne Lane ◽  
Molly Cooney ◽  
Katherine Weir ◽  
Colleen K. Moss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Parent Perspectives ◽  
Transition Age Youth ◽  
Transition Age

Exploring the Effect of Disability, Race-Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Status on Scores on the Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report

2018 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karrie A. Shogren ◽  
Leslie A. Shaw ◽  
Sheida K. Raley ◽  
Michael L. Wehmeyer
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Assessment Development ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
The Impact

The Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report (SDI:SR) was developed to address a need in the field for tools to assess self-determination that are aligned with current best practices in assessment development and administration, and emerging research and best practices in promoting self-determination. The present study explored patterns of differences in self-determination scores across students with and without disabilities (i.e., no disability, learning disabilities, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, and other health impairments) of varying racial-ethnic backgrounds (i.e., White, African American or Black, Hispanic or Latino[a], and Other) as well as the impact of receiving free and reduced price lunch (as a proxy for socioeconomic status) on self-determination scores in these groups. Findings suggest an interactive effect of disability, race-ethnicity, and free and reduced price lunch status on self-determination scores. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Parents’ future visions for their autistic transition-age youth: Hopes and expectations

Autism ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1363-1372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Chen ◽  
Ellen S Cohn ◽  
Gael I Orsmond
Keyword(s):  
Independent Living ◽  
Transition Planning ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Transition Age Youth ◽  
Transition Age ◽  
Future Visions

Researchers have documented that young adults with autism spectrum disorder have poor outcomes in employment, post-secondary education, social participation, independent living, and community participation. There is a need to further explore contributing factors to such outcomes to better support successful transitions to adulthood. Parents play a critical role in transition planning, and parental expectations appear to impact young adult outcomes for autistic individuals. The aim of this study was to explore how parents express their future visions (i.e. hopes and expectations) for their autistic transition-age youth. Data were collected through focus groups and individual interviews with 18 parents. Parents’ hopes and expectations focused on eight primary domains. In addition, parents often qualified or tempered their stated hope with expressions of fears, uncertainty, realistic expectations, and the perceived lack of guidance. We discuss our conceptualization of the relations among these themes and implications for service providers and research.

Service Use Among Transition-Age Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen J. Ishler ◽  
David E. Biegel ◽  
Fei Wang ◽  
Tugba Olgac ◽  
Sarah Lytle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Transition Age Youth ◽  
Transition Age
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document