Parent Dyadic Coping and Parent-Child Relationship Quality in Families of Autistic Children.

Transition-age youth (TAY) are maturing from adolescence into early adulthood, taking on increasing responsibilities for securing the work and educational opportunities that will shape their future. TAY with disabilities, however, experience significant disparities in accessing these opportunities, particularly when it comes to competitive employment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that, of the nearly 800,000 TAY in the U.S., only 19% of those with disabilities were employed in 2021, compared to 33% of their same-age peers without disabilities. Similarly, only 39% of the one million 20- to 24-year-olds with disabilities were employed, compared to 66% of their same-age peers without disabilities (; ). To challenge this employment gap, states are federally mandated by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) to fund pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS) for TAY with disabilities. Pre-ETS programs facilitate workplace readiness through various support services, including work-based learning experiences, postsecondary education counseling, job exploration counseling, and self-advocacy training. While these services provide valuable pathways to employment for TAY with disabilities, additional challenges may exist for those with social communication difficulties, such as those associated with social anxiety disorder or autism (). These challenges may present additional barriers to employment success, given the crucial role of social communication in workplace interactions, including conveying progress on work tasks, collaborating with colleagues, and adapting to changing work demands (; Munandar et al., 2020). Recognizing this need, the United States Department of Education emphasizes the development of social competence as a critical intervention target for achieving and maintaining employment (). Verbal and nonverbal social skills are particularly essential during job interviews, where employers assess candidates’ qualifications, professionalism, and suitability for the role. The importance of interview skills is underscored by research indicating that a substantial proportion (40% to 90%) of employed TAY engaged in Pre-ETS completed interviews before obtaining jobs (; ). Although there are two federal repositories of evidence-based practices for Pre-ETS, neither has identified an evidence-based practice that focuses on job interview training (; ). However, existing research suggests that technology, such as video-based interventions, can help youth gain verbal and non-verbal social skills necessary for successful job interviews (). The newest technological tools include an internet-delivered virtual job interview simulation (with an automated feedback system) that is shown to be effective at remediating job interview skills, reducing interview anxiety, and increasing access to competitive employment when delivered within the context of usual Pre-ETS programming (; ). This tool, (), is commercially available () and has been disseminated in 10 states.