Year	2018
Project Title	The Transition from School to Employment for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Participator	Jasin Wong
Job Title	Principal Investigator
Period	2018.06 ~ 2019.09
Unit	Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Abstract	Employment is an important occupation for young adults, including those with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Secure employment is associated with positive self-esteem and high quality of life. However, people with ASD have generally poor employment outcomes. The proposed research is focused on (1) understanding how to provide optimal support to high school students with ASD to promote successful employment outcomes, and (2) exploring what factors school personnel consider when identifying appropriate work opportunities for students with ASD. With funding from the Society for the Study of Occupation (SSO), I have been conducting qualitative interviews with school personnel about their experiences helping youth with ASD on employment preparation. I plan to conduct content analysis of the qualitative interviews guided by the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model (Law et al., 1996). Understanding how person factors (the individual with ASD), the environment (vocational supports at school), and the occupation (employment experiences) interact to result in optimal occupational performance will expand our understanding of how to best prepare youth with ASD to gain and maintain employment. Funds from the DASRF will facilitate completion of the study.
Language	English