KF STRIDE to Improve Job Interview Skills

Kessler Foundation

Status

Completed

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Treatments

Behavioral: KF-STRIDE

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT04820647

E-1139-21

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goals of the current study are to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of Kessler Foundation-Strength Identification and Expression (KF-STRIDE) in an 8-week randomized controlled trial comparing the intervention to services as usual (SAU).

Full description

This study will evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of a strength-based intervention (Kessler Foundation Strength Identification and Expression; KF-STRIDE) that can enhance job interview skills and employment. Despite possessing employable talents, the core social deficits of transition age youth with autism spectrum disorder (TAY-ASD) make it difficult for this group to articulate their individual strengths. This inability to identify and express one's strengths to a potential employer can negatively affect interview performance and lead to difficulty with job obtainment. Thus, the current proposal will examine the effectiveness (Aim 1), acceptability, usability, and feasibility (Aim 2) of a novel strength-based intervention, KF-STRIDE, which is designed to enhance the ability of TAY-ASD to identify personal strengths and effectively discuss them. The goals of the current study are to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness and feasibility of KF-STRIDE in an 8-week randomized controlled trial comparing the intervention to services as usual (SAU). The study will be performed at two private therapeutic schools. Compared to a SAU group, we hypothesize that the KF-STRIDE group will: a) improve the ability to identify strengths (Hypothesis 1), b) improve the ability to express strengths (Hypothesis 2), c) improve other job interview skills (Hypothesis 3) and finally c) improve ability to obtain employment 6-months following the intervention (Hypothesis 4). In this way, the current study is in line with the NIMH's experimental therapeutics model, as we will examine whether the intervention improves employment, as well as identify potential mechanistic targets that could affect outcome. In Aim 2, we will also monitor fidelity, acceptability, usability, and feasibility of the strength-based intervention. The long-term goal of the current research is to collect pilot data that will lead to fully-powered effectiveness and implementation evaluations of KF-STRIDE in other community settings.

Enrollment

40 patients

Sex

All

Ages

14 to 26 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Live in the United States of America
Ages of 14-26
Speak English fluently and at a 4th grade reading level

Exclusion criteria

History of stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, or neurological injury or disease in the past (like brain tumor or epilepsy).
History of significant psychiatric illness
Uncontrolled seizures or other unstable medical complications.