Virtual interview training for autistic transition age youth: A randomized controlled feasibility and effectiveness...

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Educational Technology
• Vocational Rehabilitation

Background:

• Autistic transition-aged youth face significant employment barriers, particularly in job interviews.
• Virtual reality (VR) offers a promising avenue for tailored interventions.
• Existing VR job interview interventions require adaptation for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth (VITTAY) program.
• To assess VITTAY's impact on job interview skills, self-efficacy, anxiety, and employment access.
• To determine VITTAY's acceptability and implementability in high school special education.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design comparing VITTAY with services as usual (SAU) versus SAU alone.
• Forty-eight autistic youth received VITTAY integrated with SAU; 23 received SAU only.
• Teachers delivered and supervised VITTAY within school-based pre-employment transition services.

Main Results:

• Participants found VITTAY highly acceptable.
• Youth in the VITTAY group demonstrated improved job interview skills and reduced interview anxiety compared to the control group.
• The VITTAY group showed greater access to competitive employment opportunities.

Conclusions:

• VITTAY is a feasible and effective intervention for enhancing job interview skills in autistic transition-aged youth.
• The program successfully bridges the gap between training and competitive employment.
• Further research should explore VITTAY's efficacy across diverse cultural and clinical backgrounds.