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J Autism Dev Disord (2014) 44:24502463 DOI 10.1007/s10803-014-2113-y
ORIGINAL PAPER
Virtual Reality Job Interview Training in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Matthew J. Smith Emily J. Ginger Katherine Wright Michael A. Wright
Julie Lounds Taylor Laura Boteler Humm Dale E. Olsen Morris D. Bell
Michael F. Fleming
Published online: 7 May 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014
Abstract The feasibility and efcacy of virtual reality job interview training (VR-JIT) was assessed in a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. Adults with autism spectrum disorder were randomized to VR-JIT (n = 16) or treatment-as-usual (TAU) (n = 10) groups. VR-JIT consisted of simulated job interviews with a virtual character and didactic training. Participants attended 90 % of laboratory-based training sessions, found VR-JIT easy to use and enjoyable, and they felt prepared for future interviews. VR-JIT participants had greater improvement during live standardized job interview role-play performances than TAU participants
(p = 0.046). A similar pattern was observed for self-reported self-condence at a trend level (p = 0.060). VR-JIT simulation performance scores increased over time (R2 = 0.83). Results indicate preliminary support for the feasibility and efcacy of VR-JIT, which can be administered using computer software or via the internet.
Keywords Autism spectrum disorder Internet-based
intervention Job interview skills Vocational training
Introduction
The 1990s witnessed a rapid increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (Gurney et al. 2003), with approximately 50,000 individuals with ASD turning 18 years old each year and transitioning into adult-based services (Shattuck et al. 2012). Historically, the community-based employment rate for these individuals ranges from 25 to 50 % (Hendricks 2010; Shattuck et al. 2012; Taylor and Seltzer 2011), suggesting a need for programs and services to assist with their transition to employment (Shattuck et al. 2012). For example, Project SEARCH recently demonstrated efcacy at helping youth with ASD transition from high school to nding employment (Wehman et al. 2013). However, research developing adult-based services to help individuals obtain competitive employment appears to be much more limited. A common gateway to obtaining competitive employment is the job interview, but this experience may be a signicant barrier for individuals with ASD (Higgins et al. 2008; Strickland et al. 2013). Thus, improving job interview performance is a critical target for employment services and is...