A scoping review of current approaches to strengths-based transition practices for autistic adolescents.
Sophie Rumsa, Bahareh Afsharnejad, Elinda Ai Lim Lee and 3 others
PMID 40559186WHAT IT FOUND
Strengths-based transition programmes for autistic teens generally fall into five types, like peer mentoring and career planning.
A major gap is the lack of standardised tools to measure these strengths, meaning most studies rely on ad-hoc assessments rather than validated scales.
Key findings
01The review identified five main styles of strengths-based interventions: Transition Planning, Employment Preparation and Training, Technology Programmes, Peer Mentoring, and Cognitive Skills Training.
02There is a significant gap in measurement, as no established character strengths measure specific to autistic adolescents was found, and most studies used non-standardised tools.
03Autistic young adults in the reference group raised concerns that social skills training, often included in these programmes, can promote masking and compliance with neurotypical norms rather than genuine strengths-based support.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review is limited by the subjective and evolving definition of 'strengths-based' approaches in the literature. Many studies included participants with broader disabilities, not just autism, which were excluded, potentially missing relevant insights. The search was restricted to English-language publications, leading to an over-representation of US-based research. Most included studies lacked robust psychometric validation for their outcome measures.
Declared interests
One author, Sven Bölte, is on the editorial board for the journal Autism. The work was supported by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the identified interventions are proven to be effective. This is a scoping review mapping the types of programmes available, not a meta-analysis of their efficacy. The lack of standardised measures means that reported outcomes, such as increased self-efficacy, are difficult to compare across studies and may not reflect true clinical improvement.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →