Development of a College Transition and Support Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Susan W White, Rebecca Elias, Nicole N Capriola-Hall and 6 others
PMID 28685409WHAT IT FOUND
Students with autism and their parents rated the STEPS college transition program helpful and likely to recommend it.
These are early satisfaction reports, not evidence that the program improves college enrollment, graduation, or daily living.
Key findings
01STEPS is a two-step college transition program for students with ASD, targeting self-determination and self-regulation.
02Preliminary satisfaction ratings from 26 students (Step 1, n=12; Step 2, n=14) and their parents were reported on a 5-point scale.
03The paper reports no completed randomized trial results; STEPS was still being evaluated.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This is a program development paper, not a completed trial of effectiveness. The satisfaction data are small and descriptive, with 26 students and their parents, no control group, and no reported follow-up beyond completion. The program has many components, including counseling, outings, online content, and stakeholder involvement, so the paper cannot show which part produced any effect. The paper does not report outcomes such as college enrollment, graduation, academic performance, employment, or independent living. The randomized trial was still enrolling, so the article does not report its results.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the satisfaction ratings as proof that STEPS improves college enrollment, graduation, or daily living. The effectiveness trial was still enrolling, and the paper reports no controlled outcomes.