Supported employment improves cognitive performance in adults with autism | Knowledge Translation for Employment Research Center

Authors:	Garc√≠a-Villamisar, D., Ross, D., & Wehman, P.
Year Published	2007
Publication	Journal of Intellectual Disability Research
Volume	51
Number	2
Pages	142-150
Publisher	Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Background	Over the years there has been an increased interest in the vocational rehabilitation of adults with autism. Traditionally, individuals with severe or profound autism attend prevocational centers, sheltered workshops, or day activity enters. Supported employment provides an alternative. In this approach individuals with the most severe disabilities are assisted with gaining and maintaining employment in their communities. Characteristics of supported employment are: paid employment, integrated work setting, and ongoing supports. Services are provided by a job coach and are highly individualized and adaptable to the needs of the person with the disability needs and the employer who hires him.
Purpose	The purpose of the study was to determine if supported employment could improve the cognitive performance of individuals with autism. More specific, the researchers wanted to know what types of employment might have such benefits? Does supported employment also improve non-vocational outcomes?
Setting	Participants in the supported employment group worked in a variety of community workplaces. This included food services, retail, cattle raising, gardening, industrial laundry and more.
Sample	The sample included 44 adults with autism who were in an employment program in Spain. The mean educational attainment for the group was 5 years. The following selection criteria was used: participated in sheltered workshop, no prior supported work services, participation, no severe behavioural problems, acceptable professional and vocational abilities.
Data Collection	Participants memory and executive functions were evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the programme, using a series of neuropsychological tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Tests: Automated Battery (CANTAB). These tests were presented on a high-resolution touch-screen monitor under computer control. The battery included two control tasks: Big Circle/Little Circle (BLC), which assesses psychomotor speed, and Spatial Recognition Memory (SRM) and Span Tasks (SST). In addition, executive tasks were measured using: Intradimensional/Extradimensional (ID/ED) attentional set-shifting task; Spatial Working Memory Task; and Tower of London Planning Task. Other tests included the Trail Making Test, Matching Familiar Figures Test and the Word Fluency Test. Statistical analyses consisted of a t- test and a series of univariate analyses, comparing supported employment and non-supported employment groups on all demographic, clinical and neuropsychological measures. Between-group and intra-group differences on neuropsychological variables were examined with repeated measures analysis of variance. All analyses were conducted using the SPSS statistical package 12.0.
Control	The control group was individuals involved in employment or vocational activities in non-working settings.
Findings	The study found that adults with autism who work in competitive employment for an extended period of time show a greater rate of improvement in several cognitive variables. It also provided preliminary support for the view that competitive employment causes positive cognitive changes outside the work domain.
Conclusions	Supported employment(competitive work in the community)seems to have a positive impact on the cognitive performance of individuals with autism.
URL	http://sid.usal.es/idocs/f8/art9945/supported_employment_autism.pdf
Disabilities	Autism Spectrum Disorder
Populations	Male & Female
Outcomes	Employment acquisition \| Return to work
NIDILRR Funded	No
Research Design	Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
Peer Reviewed	Yes

Year Published

2007

Publication

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research

Volume

51

Number

2

Pages

142-150

Publisher

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Background

Over the years there has been an increased interest in the vocational rehabilitation of adults with autism. Traditionally, individuals with severe or profound autism attend prevocational centers, sheltered workshops, or day activity enters. Supported employment provides an alternative. In this approach individuals with the most severe disabilities are assisted with gaining and maintaining employment in their communities. Characteristics of supported employment are: paid employment, integrated work setting, and ongoing supports. Services are provided by a job coach and are highly individualized and adaptable to the needs of the person with the disability needs and the employer who hires him.

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to determine if supported employment could improve the cognitive performance of individuals with autism.
More specific, the researchers wanted to know what types of employment might have such benefits? Does supported employment also improve non-vocational outcomes?

Setting

Participants in the supported employment group worked in a variety of community workplaces. This included food services, retail, cattle raising, gardening, industrial laundry and more.

Sample

The sample included 44 adults with autism who were in an employment program in Spain. The mean educational attainment for the group was 5 years. The following selection criteria was used: participated in sheltered workshop, no prior supported work services, participation, no severe behavioural problems, acceptable professional and vocational abilities.

Data Collection

Participants memory and executive functions were evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the programme, using a series of neuropsychological tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Tests: Automated Battery (CANTAB). These tests were presented on a high-resolution touch-screen monitor under computer control. The battery included two control tasks: Big Circle/Little Circle (BLC), which assesses psychomotor speed, and Spatial Recognition Memory (SRM) and Span Tasks (SST). In addition, executive tasks were measured using: Intradimensional/Extradimensional (ID/ED) attentional set-shifting task; Spatial Working Memory Task; and Tower of
London Planning Task. Other tests included the Trail Making Test, Matching Familiar Figures Test and the Word Fluency Test.
Statistical analyses consisted of a t- test and a series of univariate analyses, comparing supported employment and non-supported employment groups on all demographic, clinical and neuropsychological measures. Between-group and intra-group differences on
neuropsychological variables were examined with repeated measures analysis of variance. All analyses were conducted using the SPSS statistical package 12.0.

Control

The control group was individuals involved in employment or vocational activities in non-working settings.

Findings

The study found that adults with autism who work in competitive employment for an extended period of time show a greater rate of improvement in several cognitive variables. It also provided preliminary support for the view that competitive employment causes positive cognitive changes outside the work domain.

Conclusions

Supported employment(competitive work in the community)seems to have a positive impact on the cognitive performance of individuals with autism.

URL

http://sid.usal.es/idocs/f8/art9945/supported_employment_autism.pdf

Disabilities

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Populations

Male & Female

Outcomes

Employment acquisition | Return to work

NIDILRR Funded

No

Research Design

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)

Peer Reviewed

Yes