Drexel University, USA.
George Mason University, USA.
Autism. 2024 Dec;28(12):3143-3155. doi: 10.1177/13623613241255774. Epub 2024 Jun 12.
Finding a job can be hard for autistic adults. No studies have been completed that look into whether having difficulties learning and troubles finding a job are related in this population. The current study did so by evaluating the Learning Needs Screening Tool, a measure of learning challenges used in vocational rehabilitation settings, or places meant to help people find work. A total of 401 autistic adults completed this study online. Specifically, the study evaluated (a) the characteristics of the Learning Needs Screening Tool, including the relationships between questions that ask about similar learning challenges, and (b) the ability of the measure to relate to real-world outcomes that are associated with learning difficulties, namely prior special education receipt and difficulties finding a job. Evaluation of the questions asked on the Learning Needs Screening Tool revealed that they were highly related and that learning difficulties fell into different categories. Fifty-six percent of the people in the study showed learning challenges on the measure. People who were identified as having learning difficulties on the Learning Needs Screening Tool had higher rates of receiving special education services in the past and lower rates of current employment. These results suggest that the Learning Needs Screening Tool may help to identify autistic job seekers who have learning difficulties and may have more challenges finding a job.
对于自闭症患者来说，找工作可能很困难。目前还没有研究调查在这一人群中，学习困难和找工作困难是否存在关联。本研究通过评估学习需求筛查工具（一种用于职业康复环境或帮助人们找工作的地方的学习挑战衡量标准）来研究这个问题。共有 401 名自闭症成年人在线完成了这项研究。具体来说，该研究评估了（a）学习需求筛查工具的特征，包括询问类似学习挑战的问题之间的关系，以及（b）该衡量标准与与学习困难相关的现实世界结果（即先前接受特殊教育和找工作困难）相关的能力。对学习需求筛查工具上提出的问题进行评估后发现，这些问题高度相关，且学习困难可分为不同类别。研究中有 56%的人在该衡量标准上表现出学习挑战。在学习需求筛查工具上被确定为有学习困难的人，过去接受特殊教育服务的比例更高，而目前就业的比例更低。这些结果表明，学习需求筛查工具可能有助于识别有学习困难的自闭症求职者，他们可能在找工作方面面临更大的挑战。
