Teaching workplace communication skills to college students with intellectual disability

BACKGROUND: College students with Intellectual Disability (ID) are afforded many educational opportunities through Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) programs, including employment training. Competitive employment can contribute to a rich independent life, thus more employment training opportunities can be beneficial. Low employment rates for adults with ID have motivated these efforts to develop proper employment training. In the past, on-the-job (OTJ) training with a job coach was one of the only supports for adults with ID in the workplace. Now, there are a variety of evidence-based strategies that can be used in the workplace or in other community settings, such as Covert Audio Coaching (CAC), to teach adults with ID the skills they need to maintain a job. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if CAC would increase on-topic workplace communication skills for college students with ID. METHODS: This study used a multiple probe design to examine the effects of CAC on teaching workplace communication skills to college students with ID in a real-world setting. In this study, students interned in an office setting and spoke to a co-worker at their work setting while the interventionist used a two-way radio system to provide coaching statements to the student during their conversations. RESULTS: All students in this study increased their on-topic communication exchanges and these results demonstrate that CAC is an effective intervention for this population. CONCLUSION: CAC can be used as an employment support for adults with ID, specifically in the community setting. Limitations and implications of this study were further described at the end of the article.