A Collaborative Public/Private Employment Training and Placement Model ASD Transition Age Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (ProjSEARCH1)

February 4, 2015 updated by: Virginia Commonwealth University

A Collaborative Public/Private Employment Training and Placement Model for Transition Age Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The aim of the research project is to conduct evidence-based research on a nationally known vocational rehabilitation (VR) service model (Project Search) for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This information may be useful to high schools and vocational rehabilitation agencies that endeavor to use evidence based practices to serve individuals with ASD.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Autism is recognized to be a "complex disorder" as well as "a spectrum of disorders" that includes Asperger's syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder- not otherwise specified. Diagnostic criteria for autism focus on impairments affecting socialization, verbal and nonverbal communication, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. The number of high school students diagnosed with autism, for example, has been increasing over time with almost 194,000 students ages 6 through 21 nationwide identified as having autism and receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These young people create a significant need for vocational rehabilitation intervention in the decade ahead. Currently many persons with ASD continue to be. Howlin, et al. (2004) described the outcomes for 68 young adults with ASD (mean age 29), and found that a third worked and almost half were unemployed. RSA notes that in 2005 fewer than 2000 individuals with ASD received VR services. In Virginia the figure is only 255 total clients enrolled from between 2000 and 2007.

In this project the investigators will conduct a randomized clinical trial which examines the impact of intensive community-based work experiences on the employment outcomes of youth with ASD. This study will test the efficacy of a nationally recognized model of an employer based employment training and placement program (Project SEARCH) for youth with ASD. Four dependent measures will be investigated: (1) employment status upon completion of the program, at 90 days post completion and 12 months post completion (primary), (2) wage upon completion, at 90 days post completion, and 12 months post completion (secondary), (3) number of hours worked per week (secondary) upon completion, at 90 days post completion and 12 months post completion. Three specific hypotheses are proposed, and (4) intensity of supports needed at work at completion, at 90 days post completion and 12 months post completion.

Hypothesis I: Individuals who participate in an employer based employment training and placement program will demonstrate a higher rate of employment than those in the control condition.

Hypothesis II: Individuals who participate in an employer based employment training and placement program will earn higher wages on average at project completion compared to those in the control condition.

Hypothesis III: Individuals who participate in an employer based employment training and placement program will work more hours per week on average than those in the control condition.

Hypothesis IV: Individuals who participate in an employer based employment training and placement program will require less intensive work support than those in the control condition.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

54

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 21 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Being a student in the local public school where the research was being conducted,
  2. Having an ASD medical diagnosis and/or educational eligibility,
  3. Displaying independent self-care,
  4. Being able to provide consent or assent,
  5. Having funding for supported employment through VR, and
  6. Having continued eligibility for public school educational services in the coming school year.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Life threatening or dangerously severe aggressive or destructive behavior
  2. History of fire setting
  3. History of substance abuse

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: PS-ASD
Treatment Condition, participants assigned to this condition will receive the treatment, one school year (9 months) of Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports
Behavioral: Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports
Project SEARCH program (Rutkowski, Daston, Kuiken, and Riehle, 2006) is a work based learning model for high school transition that was developed at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The model provides complete immersion in the workplace. Students spend their entire school day at the workplace for a full school year. Consistent with principles of work based learning, Project SEARCH facilitates the development of a broad range of high-quality jobs within the employer organization and provides over 700 of supervised work experience. The model also relies on the intensive application of supported employments strategies (task analysis and customization, systematic instruction, ongoing support, etc.) to allow the participation of individuals with extensive support needs.
Other Names:
  • PS-ASD
No Intervention: High School As Usual
Control Condition, Participants assigned to this condition will have no interaction or intervention with the research team with the exception of data collection at the specified time points.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Employment Status across 3 points in time (Employed or not employed)
Time Frame: 9 months, 12 months, 21 months
Are subjects currently employed?
9 months, 12 months, 21 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Hours worked weekly across 3 points in time
Time Frame: 9 months, 12 months, 21 months
How many hours do subjects work weekly
9 months, 12 months, 21 months
Change in Hourly wage earned across 3 points in time
Time Frame: 9 months, 12 months, 21 months
How much money do subjects earn hourly
9 months, 12 months, 21 months
Change in Intensity of work support required across 3 points in time
Time Frame: 9 months, 12 months, 21 months
What type and how much do support do subjects require at work?
9 months, 12 months, 21 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Virginia Commonwealth University

Collaborators

Henrico County Public Schools
Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services
Chesterfield County Public Schools

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

October 1, 2009

Primary Completion (Actual)

September 1, 2013

Study Completion (Actual)

January 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 15, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 4, 2015

First Posted (Estimate)

February 10, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

February 10, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 4, 2015

Last Verified

February 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • NIDDRDRRP09-13

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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