03/24/2023
By Jamie Trottier
The College of Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by David Schena on “Employment Search Skills and Workplace Self-Advocacy Skills of Adolescents and Adults Spectrum Disorders.”
Candidate Name: David Schena
Degree: Ph.D.
Defense Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2023
Time: 10:30 a.m. to noon
Location: Coburn Hall 245
Committee:
- Ashleigh Hillier, Ph.D., (committee chair), Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Alice Frye, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Rocio Rosales, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Abstract:
As autistic individuals grow into adulthood, they are much more likely to experience a need for employment-related skills. As research with the autistic community has historically focused on childhood rather than adulthood, research on these skills is comparatively lacking. This is especially true when it comes to not just teaching and assessing these skills, but examining skillsets which the autism community may deem more important. To help fill this gap, a systematic literature review examined employment-related skill development, followed by consultation with community members surrounding the findings. Instructional methods were then developed to teach some of these skills, including online job search skills and knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Participants in subsequent studies generally found these instructional programs helpful, with results suggesting that participant added to a foundation of existing knowledge through use of these programs.