Tech-Aided Interventions for Vocational Skills in Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Employment appears to be one of the greatest problems individuals with ASD have to deal with during their transition to adult life. In particular, unemployment or underemployment appears to be common among them, which suggests a gap in employment theory and practice focusing on the needs of this population. Tech-aided interventions appear to be promising since they can provide them opportunities to access competitive employment. The purpose of the current article is to examine the use of technology in interventions for adolescents and young adults with ASD in school, home, and community settings. In particular, it focused on the users of technology, the goals addressed, the type of technology employed, the contexts in which intervention practices were employed, and the outcomes for adolescents and young adults with ASD. In most of the studies, positive results were recorded and the importance of the work-related social skills was underlined. Technology appears to show potential for the enhancement of vocational skills of adolescents and young adults with ASD. Future research should focus on the improvement of work-related social skills and the skills needed for successful job seeking and an interview process. The maintenance and the generalization of the acquired skills should be examined too.