Promoting Social Interaction Skills to Influence the Transition to Employment for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect one in 68 children in the United States and are characterized by deficits in social interaction. Decreased social interaction skills limit youth with ASDs’ ability to obtain and maintain a job. Acquisition of needed social interaction skills must occur during high school years as part of youths’ transition program. The Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to consider ways to facilitate social interaction to influence the transition to employment. The specific aims of the study were to explore strategies currently used to facilitate social skills, identify social skills currently targeted, and identify other supports needed to enhance youths’ social interaction skills. This study contributes data from the perspective s of parents, special education teachers, teachers, vocational transition counselors, and paraprofessionals. Through a phenomenological approach and data analysis, my data yielded four main themes. Adult supports have a common vision for the youth with ASDs’ transition, and use attempted strategies of cueing, matching the person and the context, and reflecting. However, there are definitely still deficits of social interaction that affect employment. Therefore, additional needed interventions of increasing supports and training and providing natural contexts for the youth were suggested. Interestingly, specific social interaction skills targeted could not be identified by the adult supports. This research provides the information needed for occupational therapists to create a more effective transition plan, so that youth with ASD can have meaning and success as they move into adulthood and seek employment. Subject Categories Mental and Social Health | Occupational Therapy This senior honors thesis is available at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository: https://scholars.unh. edu/honors/228 Running head: PROMOTING SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS 1 Promoting Social Interaction Skills to Influence the Transition to Employment For Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders Jennifer Lange University of New Hampshire PROMOTING SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS 2 Abstract Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect one in 68 children in the United States and are characterized by deficits in social interaction. Decreased social interaction skills limit youth with ASDs’ ability to obtain and maintain a job. Acquisition of needed social interaction skills must occur during high school years as part of youths’ transition program. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to consider ways to facilitate social interaction to influence the transition to employment. The specific aims of the study wereAutism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect one in 68 children in the United States and are characterized by deficits in social interaction. Decreased social interaction skills limit youth with ASDs’ ability to obtain and maintain a job. Acquisition of needed social interaction skills must occur during high school years as part of youths’ transition program. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to consider ways to facilitate social interaction to influence the transition to employment. The specific aims of the study were to explore strategies currently used to facilitate social skills, identify social skills currently targeted, and identify other supports needed to enhance youths’ social interaction skills. This study contributes data from the perspectives of parents, special education teachers, teachers, vocational transition counselors, and paraprofessionals. Through a phenomenological approach and data analysis, my data yielded four main themes. Adult supports have a common vision for the youth with ASDs’ transition, and use attempted strategies of cueing, matching the person and the context, and reflecting. However, there are definitely still deficits of social interaction that affect employment. Therefore, additional needed interventions of increasing supports and training and providing natural contexts for the youth were suggested. Interestingly, specific social interaction skills targeted could not be identified by the adult supports. This research provides the information needed for occupational therapists to create a more effective transition plan, so that youth with ASD can have meaning and success as they move into adulthood and seek employment. PROMOTING SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS 3 Background Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect one in 68 children in the United States and are the fastest growing developmental disability (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). ASD is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication, social interaction, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities. These symptoms limit and impair everyday function (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Difficulty in social interaction characterized by ASD consists of deficits in socialemotional reciprocity, including atypical social approach, failure of normal back and forth conversation, reduced sharing of interests and emotions, and poor social imitation (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals with ASD also may have deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction such as impairment in social use of eye contact, body language, facial expressions, and gestures (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). These deficits also lead to difficulties in developing and maintaining relationships in all contexts due to an inability to take another person’s perspective and understand their emotions, difficulties adjusting behavior to social contexts, and an absence of interest in others (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Social interaction is a crucial part of life and supports participation in education, play/leisure activities, employment, and living with others. The lack of social interaction skills can have negative affects on relationships and overall quality of life. Early intervention and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), in a school setting, include many strategies and supports for youth with ASD. However, as youth prepare for transition out of school and enter into multiple contexts of community living and employment, intervention strategies PROMOTING SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS 4 are needed that allow for opportunity to promote practice in these diverse contexts (Duncan & Klinger, 2010). An important role for all youth as they enter adulthood is that of employee. Due to the deficits in social interaction skills, youth with ASD have a harder time getting and maintaining employment. According to a study by Lee and Carter (2012), eight years after graduating only 63.2 percent of people with ASD had worked at any point. Additionally, 37.2 percent were currently unemployed at the time of the survey (Lee & Carter, 2012). Workers with ASD who are employed are given fewer hours and decreased pay and benefits. On average adults with ASD who do have jobs only work for 24.1 hours a week, and they only make nine dollars and twenty cents an hour (Lee & Carter, 2012). Furthermore, only 52.8 percent of these people were given any type of benefits (Lee & Carter, 2012). Eaves and Ho (2008) reported that many jobs of youth with ASD include delivering papers, providing Meals on Wheels, or sorting recycling with another person. In their study, only two people worked independently, and only one earned enough to support himself. Browning, Osborne, & Reed (2009) argued that unfair employment practices and decreased opportunities lead to mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, and lower quality of life. Once a person with ASD obtains a job they are challenged to keep that job. Chadsey and Beyer (2001) claimed that issues in social interaction abilities are an important factor leading to job loss for people with disabilities. Lack of cooperation, social awareness, and poor inter-personal skills are main factors in job loss (Chadsey & Beyer, 2001). Some specific social challenges include getting along with people at work by not following directions, not getting upset, not taking turns, and not having a sense of PROMOTING SOCIAL INTERACTION SKILLS 5 humor (Sperry & Mesibov, 2005). The lack of social interaction skills makes working with others challenging, resulting in difficulty keeping a job. According to Chadsey and Beyer (2001), there are two types of social interactions in work settings: work-related and non-work related. Work-related interactions are important for getting job tasks accomplished, such as problem solving and collaborating around a task. Non-work related interactions are important for establishing relationships, often discovering common interests, and sharing personal information (Chadsey & Beyer, 2001). Furthermore, interactions among co-workers lead to three types of relationships: work acquaintances, work friends, and social friends. Individuals with ASD tend to have more work acquaintances, engaging in task-oriented relationships at the workplace, and work friends, working closely with coworkers and sharing some personal information while at work. However, they do not have social friends, resulting in getting together with coworkers outside of work (Chadsey & Beyer, 2001). Chadsey and Beyer further found that co-workers of persons with disabilities also classify their co-workers with disabilities as work acquaintances or work friends but not social friends. The limited social relationships among workers can create a problem as it has been shown that when friends support employees they have greater work productivity and outcomes (Chadsey & Beyer, 2001). While social interaction skills are challenging for individuals with ASD, they definitely have strengths to support their employability. Many individuals with ASD have high abilities in math and computer skills, and have memory skills that are beneficial. Also honesty, reliability, and persistence are desirable f