Development of the Supported Employment, Comprehensive Cognitive Enhancement, and Social Skills program for adults on the autism spectrum: Results of initial study.
Mary J Baker-Ericzén, Meghan A Fitch, Mikaela Kinnear and 8 others
PMID 29034696WHAT IT FOUND
Eight adults with autism completed a 6-month cognitive and social skills program inside a vocational training setting.
Participants reported improved executive functioning and social skills, and self-reported employment rose from 22% to 56%, though this was a small open trial with no control group.
Key findings
01The program was feasible and acceptable, with high attendance and satisfaction rates.
02Participants reported improved executive functioning on self-report measures, but parents did not.
03The proportion of participants reporting paid part-time work increased from 22% at baseline to 56% post-intervention.
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 study was an open pilot with no control group, so improvements cannot be definitively attributed to the SUCCESS intervention rather than time, maturation, or the concurrent technical skills training. The sample size was very small (n=9 enrolled, n=8 completed), limiting the generalizability of the findings. Multiple statistical comparisons were made without adjustment for Type I error, increasing the risk of false-positive findings. The concurrent technical skills training (software testing) was a major component of the participants' experience, making it impossible to isolate the specific contribution of the SUCCESS curriculum to employment outcomes. Participants were highly selected (high school graduates, no intellectual disability, motivated for tech careers), so results may not apply to adults with autism who have intellectual disabilities or different vocational interests.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the increase in employment rates or self-reported skill improvements as evidence that the SUCCESS program causes these outcomes. This was a small open trial with no control group, and participants also received concurrent technical skills training. The employment change was not statistically significant, and the lack of a comparison group means natural recovery or the effect of any vocational training cannot be ruled out.