Vocational and Personal Independence Training for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Effectiveness of the Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES)

Background: Currently, there are no specific, validated vocational training programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  As children with ASD transition into young adulthood, developmentally appropriate interventions must occur to facilitate increased independent functioning (Seltzer, Shattuck, Abbeduto, & Greenberg, 2004). The Practical Assessment Exploration System (PAES; Swisher, Green, & Tollefson, 1999) is a functional vocational skills training tool that teaches and measures vocational potential in individuals with disabilities.  This research investigated the efficacy of the PAES program in the ASD population, with specific attention paid to vocational and independence training.  

Objectives: Although the development and implementation of targeted vocational programs for individuals with ASD is important, empirical support for such intervention is limited.  The PAES program, with its emphasis on the development of vocational skills and behaviours in individuals with developmental disabilities, can be considered an efficacious intervention program for the ASD population.  This project sought to evaluate the PAES program in the context of adolescents and adults with ASD; provide a comprehensive understanding of improvements in vocational skills, social skills, and employment interests; and indicate suggestions for program improvement for the ASD population.

Methods: The final sample of participants included 12 adolescents or young adults diagnosed with ASD. As there are no standardized assessment tools designed to evaluate improvement in vocational ability, a mixed-methods approach was utilized to gather information on vocational skills, cognitive and adaptive abilities, and social skills in adolescents and young adults with ASD.  Interview data was also gathered on perceptions of program strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for program improvements from program attendees, parents/guardians, and program facilitators. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used to compare attendee performance on quantitative measures before and after intervention. Thematic analysis was used to analyze and report themes found within the qualitative interview data, to facilitate a deeper understanding of participant perspectives.

Results: In general, both the quantitative and qualitative results of this study provide convergent preliminary support for the PAES program in enhancing the vocational and related skills of adolescents and adults with ASD.  Specifically, a statistically significant change in performance was displayed on the TEACCH Transition Assessment Profile (TTAP) vocational skills and vocational behaviour subtests indicating that attendees improved their vocational skill and behaviour after participating in the PAES program. Interviews with parents, facilitators, and attendees highlighted four primary themes: strengths, benefits derived, limitations, and program suggestions. These results, taken together with quantitative improvements in vocational skills and behaviours, suggest that attending PAES is associated with the improvement of vocational skills for adolescents and adults with ASD.

Conclusions: It is the case that vocational research in relation to an ASD population has been quite limited. The present research has underscored the importance of an adolescent and adult emphasis. The preliminary evidence indicates that attendees' performance on the TTAP was improved subsequent to completion of the PAES program, thus providing an indication of the program's efficacy in improving the vocational abilities and behaviours of adolescents and young adults with ASD.