Assessing Autonomy Support for Young Adults with High Functioning Autism

Background: The prevalence of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the United States currently stands at 1 in 36 children with a male to female ratio of 3:1 (CDC, 2020). This prevalence rate has significantly impacted the number of adolescents graduating high school yearly—43,000—and the ability for them to secure and maintain employment afterwards (Newman et al., 2009). This study assesses a major component of the Self-Determination Theory –autonomy, and how it can be harnessed to promote employability of young adults with high functioning autism. It seeks to answer the question whether autonomy support leads to job satisfaction.

Methods: The study adopts a single group pre-post-test with follow up design. A mixed methods (explanatory sequential) approach to data collection and analysis is used. The study is currently ongoing with an estimated sample of 35 participants. The first phase of data was collected using the Social Responsiveness Scale -2 (SRS), American Institutes for Research (AIR) Self-Determination Scale, Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) scale, Autism Work Skills Questionnaire (AWSQ), and the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) scale.

Results: A preliminary t-test analysis conducted (n= 20) using pre-post data shows that an increase in autonomy (15.88%) was associated with an increase with job satisfaction (high=3). This results further showed that job satisfaction for individuals with higher functioning autism was linked to autonomy support from stakeholders such as family and employers. The second phase of the study will conduct interviews to assess how autonomy support is viewed, described, and provided by stakeholders such as parents and employers.

Conclusion and Implications: The findings suggest that autonomy support is an important predictor of job satisfaction for individuals with higher functioning autism. Since job satisfaction leads to better performance at the job site and subsequent job security, it is imperative to support the autonomy of this population to promote their employment. Future studies could examine the autonomy support in different cultural contexts to identify nuances in supporting the autonomy individuals with autism from different cultural backgrounds.