University of Michigan, USA.
Northwestern University, USA.
Autism. 2021 Aug;25(6):1536-1552. doi: 10.1177/1362361321989928. Epub 2021 Feb 10.
Autistic transition age youth struggle with obtaining employment, and interviewing is a critical barrier to getting a job. We adapted an efficacious virtual reality job interview intervention to meet the needs of autistic transition age youth, called the Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth. This study evaluated whether Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth can be feasibly delivered in high school special education settings and whether Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth improves job interview skills, job interview self-efficacy, job interview anxiety, and access to employment. Forty-eight autistic transition age youth received school-based pre-employment services as usual with Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth, while 23 autistic transition age youth received services as usual only. Local teachers trained and supervised autistic transition age youth using Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth. Participants reported Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth was highly acceptable. Participants receiving services as usual and Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth, compared to participants receiving services as usual only, had better job interview skills and lower job interview anxiety as well as greater access to jobs. Overall, Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth appears to be effective at teaching job interview skills that are associated with accessing competitive jobs. Moreover, youth enjoyed Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth and teachers feasibly implemented the tool within special education pre-employment transition services. Future research needs to better understand how autistic transition age youth from culturally diverse backgrounds and different social, behavioral, or mental health challenges may respond to Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth.
自闭症青少年在就业方面面临困难，而面试是他们获得工作的一个关键障碍。我们改编了一种有效的虚拟现实面试干预措施，以满足自闭症青少年过渡时期的需求，称之为“过渡时期青年虚拟面试培训”。本研究评估了“过渡时期青年虚拟面试培训”是否可以在高中特殊教育环境中切实实施，以及它是否可以提高面试技能、面试自我效能感、面试焦虑和就业机会。48 名自闭症青少年接受了以学校为基础的常规职业前服务，同时接受了“过渡时期青年虚拟面试培训”，而 23 名自闭症青少年仅接受了常规服务。当地教师使用“过渡时期青年虚拟面试培训”对自闭症青少年进行培训和监督。参与者报告说，“过渡时期青年虚拟面试培训”非常受欢迎。与仅接受常规服务的参与者相比，接受常规服务和“过渡时期青年虚拟面试培训”的参与者的面试技能更好，面试焦虑程度更低，获得工作的机会也更多。总的来说，“过渡时期青年虚拟面试培训”似乎在教授与获得竞争性工作相关的面试技能方面是有效的。此外，青少年喜欢“过渡时期青年虚拟面试培训”，教师也可以在特殊教育职业前过渡服务中切实实施该工具。未来的研究需要更好地了解来自不同文化背景、具有不同社会、行为或心理健康挑战的自闭症青少年对“过渡时期青年虚拟面试培训”的反应。
