The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience challenges in social interaction and communication, which may translate into extremely poor long-term outcomes. Specifically, a significant proportion of adults with ASD have difficulty establishing and maintaining social relationships, have no close friends, are unemployed, are unlikely to live independently and may develop a range of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety (Bauminger, Shulman, & Agam, 2003; Howlin, Goode, Hutton, & Rutter, 2004; Newman et al., 2009; Orsmond, Krauss, & Seltzer, 2004). Many individuals with ASD require support across the lifespan, yet the majority of research has focused on early intervention and supports for younger children in home and school settings. Supporting adults with ASD to engage in competitive employment, live independently and develop meaningful relationships is uniquely challenging. Best practices for supporting the needs of adults with ASD must be identified to ensure that community inclusion can be achieved for all individuals.

This presentation will describe the findings of a review of the research on community inclusion of adults with autism. The goal of the review was to identify the current evidence-based or best practices for supporting adults with ASD in the areas of employment, independent living and social inclusion, and to make recommendations for service providers and for future research. Studies were located through a search of electronic databases (PsycInfo and ERIC) through October 2009. Intervention research targeting outcomes in the areas of employment, independent living and social inclusion of adults with ASD was included. Two steps were taken to analyze the extent to which each area has been addressed through research. First, studies were categorized into the three areas (i.e., employment, independent living and social inclusion). Next, studies were classified as descriptive or experimental/quasi-experimental. Descriptive studies included model program descriptions, predictors of successful outcomes and reports of expert opinion. Experimental/ quasi-experimental studies included both group and single-subject research designs.

The presentation will describe intervention studies in each category. Specific interventions or model programs that have been researched will be discussed to determine what can be considered best practice for supporting community inclusion of adults with ASD. The findings of this review demonstrate how little is known about best practices for supporting adults with ASD. Very few interventions or model programs for these individuals have been researched, which is concerning given the rising prevalence of ASD. This presentation will identify what remains to be learned regarding supporting adults with ASD in community settings and encourage researchers to begin to address these issues. Implications of the study for community service providers of adults with ASD will also be described.