The ‘Work Rehabilitation and Adaptation Profile’ for Adults with Autism, a Validated French-Canadian Observation Grid

Background There is a critical absence of standardized assessment tools necessary for comprehensively evaluating the skills and competencies of adults with autism to establish their employability profile and support them in the development of their socio-professional skills, in pre-employment transitions services (Pre-ETS). Objective To validate the ‘Work Rehabilitation and Adaptation Profile’ for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (WRAP-ASD) by assessing its psychometric properties and confirming its suitability across multiple Pre-ETS. Method A scale development and validation method was applied across day activity center, workshops, work programs and internships (n = 41 trainees with autism, n = 19 vocational rehabilitation professionals). Work functioning was observed with WRAP-ASD for motivation, attendance, peer relationships, communication, cognitive skills, rules/safety, independence, physical demand, tool/machinery handling, productivity/quality. WRAP-ASD is an Excel-based observation grid (≈3-h-over-2-weeks) with 59 items using 4-point scales from 3-almost always to 0-never. Results The WRAP-ASD demonstrated strong construct and convergent validities and high internal consistency. Predictive validity identified key items exclusive for each Pre-ETS. The WRAP-ASD was updated with 49 items, by removing 8 items, merging 4, and revising 4. Conclusion WRAP-ASD is sensitive to the different vocational needs and support requirements for Autism Levels 1–3. This is an added value over the six existing measurement tools.