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Promoting Career Design in Youth and Young Adults with ASD: A Feasibility Study

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Abstract

Recent calls by transition researchers in postsecondary transition have advocated for new approaches to transition services focused on career design, which uses career-related experiences based on a person’s interests to develop goal setting and problem-solving abilities. Youth and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who often have limited opportunity for career-related experiences, could benefit from career design intervention. This study examined the feasibility of using the Self-Determined Career Design Model (SDCDM) to enhance transition-related outcomes for twenty-five youth and young adults with ASD. Statistically significant gains were seen in goal attainment and occupational performance. This study provides preliminary evidence that the SDCDM can feasibly enhance outcomes for youth and young adults with ASD.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded through an American Occupational Therapy Foundation Intervention Research Grant (Award Number: AOTFIRG16DEAN)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities, University of Kansas, 1200 Morningside Dr, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA

    Evan E. Dean

  2. San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Mayumi Hagiwara

  3. Department of Special Education, Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Karrie A. Shogren

  4. Department of Special Education, Beach Center on Disability, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Michael L. Wehmeyer

  5. Pediatric Connections, Overland Park, KS, USA

    Jennifer Shrum

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  1. Evan E. Dean
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  2. Mayumi Hagiwara
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  3. Karrie A. Shogren
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  4. Michael L. Wehmeyer
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  5. Jennifer Shrum
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Contributions

Drs. Evan E. Dean, Karrie A. Shogren, and Michael L. Wehmeyer contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Drs. Evan E. Dean and Mayumi Hagiwara and Ms. Jennifer Shrum.. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Drs. Evan E. Dean, Mayumi Hagiwara, and Karrie A. Shogren. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Evan E. Dean.

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Dean, E.E., Hagiwara, M., Shogren, K.A. et al. Promoting Career Design in Youth and Young Adults with ASD: A Feasibility Study. J Autism Dev Disord 52, 2689–2700 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05146-x

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