Examining the Effects of a Job Entry Intervention (IMPRESSIVE)

The current study will examine the efficacy of a virtual reality (VR) intervention as well as a newly developed Kessler Foundation STRength IDentification and Expression tool (VR-STRIDE) with adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder; Autism; ASD
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: VR-JIT/KF-STRIDE

Detailed Description

The current study will examine the efficacy of a virtual reality (VR) intervention entitled "IMPRoving Expression of Skills and Strengths In Interviewing in a Virtual Environment" (IMPRESSIVE) which targets social competency skills needed for successful job interviewing. Specifically, 2 VR tools are utilized in the IMPRESSIVE intervention. The first tool is VR-Job Interview Training, a VR program which offers the opportunity for repeated practice with a virtual human interviewer. Preliminary evidence suggests that the VRprogram is successful in adults with ASD and schizophrenia in improving interview abilities. However, the efficacy of it has not been evaluated in adolescents with ASD. This represents a significant void in our knowledge, as we do not know whether this program is effective for youth. In addition to VR training, a newly developed tool is included in the currently proposed intervention: the Kessler Foundation STRength IDentification and Expression tool (VR-STRIDE). KF-STRIDE is focused on improving the ability to express personal strengths during the job interview, a skill that is not taught with VR training. The proposed IMPRESSIVE intervention, which combines the learning of 2 critical abilities (social skills and strength identification), has never been examined in individuals with ASD. Thus, the current proposal will be the first to examine the efficacy of these 2 combined tools in this at-risk population.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 34
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • New Jersey
    • East Hanover, New Jersey, United States, 07936
      • Kessler Foundation

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 12 years to 14 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnoses of ASD
• or am a typically developing adolescent
• Able to speak and read English fluently

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of stroke, traumatic brain injury, or any other neurological injury or disease
• History of significant psychiatric illness (bipolar, schizophrenia or psychosis)
• Uncontrolled seizures
• Any other unstable medical complications

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Treatment group; Job interview training protocol for 12 sessions	Behavioral: VR-JIT/KF-STRIDE; Treatment group will receive 12 sessions of job interview training protocol.; Other Names: Kessler Foundation STRength IDentification and Expression tool (KF-STRIDE); Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth (VIT-TAY)
No Intervention: Control group; No participation in any intervention protocol

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mock Job Interview Change	Mock Job Interview skills will be assessed by having blinded raters trained to assess job interviews scoring participants across a number of domains including expressing personal strengths and sounding professional. This rating scheme has been used in previous research (Smith et al., 2014; 2015),	8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self-reported job interview skills	Questionnaire to assess self-perceived skills	8 weeks
self-reported job interview anxiety	Questionnaire to assess self-perceived anxiety	8 weeks
Employment readiness	Questionnaire to assess self-perceived employment readiness	8 weeks
Job Search Behavior	Questionnaire to assess self-perceived job search behaviors	8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Kessler Foundation
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Helen Genova, PhD, Kessler Foundation

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 22, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): July 26, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 23, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 23, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): February 25, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 17, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 15, 2024
• Last Verified: January 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: ASD; Autism; Virtual reality; VR; Job reentry; Employment intervention
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive; Autistic Disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: R-1078-19

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No