You’re Hired!: Effects of eCoaching Transition-Age Students With Autism During Job Interview Preparation

Abstract

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are inequitably unemployed due to challenges associated with the social and communication demands of the traditional job interview process. Using a single-case multiple-baseline design replicated across participants, we evaluated the effects of eCoaching with online bug-in-ear (BIE) technology on responses to job interview questions in transition-age students with ASD. Results demonstrated a functional relation between the intervention and target behavior, and the acquired interview skills were maintained up to 6 weeks post-intervention. Social validity findings indicated all participants enjoyed receiving feedback through online BIE while participating in live-streamed mock job interviews and would recommend this intervention to others. This study extends the limited literature on promoting employment opportunities for job-seeking individuals with ASD.