Background: Autistic transition-age youth are employed at rates far lower than their non-disabled peers as well as youth with other disabilities. Meanwhile, very few studies have evaluated the implementation of job interviewing practices within pre-employment transition services.
Objective: We conducted an initial implementation evaluation as part of a Type I hybrid randomized controlled effectiveness-implementation trial where we trained teachers to deliver Virtual Interview Training for Transition-Age Youth (VIT-TAY) within five pre-employment transition services programs.
Methods: We used mixed methods to evaluate leader (n=5), teacher (n=15) and autistic transition age youth (n=48) perceptions of VIT-TAY. We used descriptive statistics and thematic network analysis to evaluate survey data. Mixed methods integration was then performed to make comparisons between quantitative and qualitative results.
Results: Quantitative survey data revealed that leaders and teachers found VIT-TAY to be highly acceptable and appropriate for pre-employment transition services; findings which were confirmed via thematic network analysis of qualitative interview data. Autistic students reported via quantitative surveys that VIT-TAY was acceptable and usable, which was confirmed via thematic network analysis of open-ended survey data.
Conclusions: This initial implementation evaluation can be used to inform a larger scale implementation evaluation of VIT-TAY in schools.
Keywords: Autism; Implementation; Intervention; Pre-ETS; Transition.