Process learning: Lessons learned from a social and vocational skills development training project for autistic persons

Employment opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum are scarce. While some companies do hire people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), most struggle to maintain long-term employment. Collaborative job coach training designed by academic scholars and employers would help both parties work toward long-term employment and satisfaction. This study aims to establish a job coaching program created by academic scholars and employers to support individuals on the autism spectrum in meeting employers' needs, helping to understand the effectiveness of the Job Coach program for participants with ASD. Ten children on the ASD spectrum received training in both classroom and real-life settings. Pre- and.post-tests were utilized to evaluate the participants' performance during the training. The ABC model and the quality-of-life framework were employed to assess the program's effectiveness using a mixed-method analysis to identify any significant impact on the participants. ANOVA analysis was then conducted to evaluate how the ABC score significantly affected the participants' quality of life using the pediatric quality of life scale. Results indicated that participants managed real-life training better than classroom training. Participants performed better when their guardians at home thoroughly reviewed the lessons. Additionally, job coach training increased most participants' applied behavior checklist (ABC) scores. Participants also demonstrated significant improvement in behavior and quality of life after the training. The study strongly recommends such job coaching for individuals on the autism spectrum to help them achieve long-term employment, particularly within the national system.