Coding Training for Developmental Disabilities

Overseen By Timothy Tansey, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Wisconsin, Madison

Disqualifiers: Caucasian, No developmental disability, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 6

Duration: 2 weeks

150 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to test the TECH-Prep Intervention program, which encourages African American high school students with developmental disabilities to explore technology careers. Developmental disabilities include conditions such as autism, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy. The program focuses on boosting confidence and determination to pursue tech-related education or jobs after high school. African Americans aged 18 to 24 with a developmental disability might be a good fit for this trial. As an unphased trial, this study offers a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative educational strategies that could shape future tech career pathways.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that the TECH-Prep Intervention is safe for African American high school students with developmental disabilities?

Research has shown that technology-based programs like TECH-Prep are generally well-received by students with developmental disabilities. Studies have found no major reports of negative effects when these students participate in online training. The program aims to improve social skills and spark interest in tech careers, which are positive outcomes.

While specific safety data for TECH-Prep isn't detailed, technology programs in schools are usually safe and non-invasive. The program helps African American high school students with developmental disabilities prepare for future careers, creating a supportive and encouraging environment rather than one that poses health risks.

In short, the TECH-Prep program is designed to be safe and beneficial for participating students. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the TECH-Prep intervention because it offers a novel approach for individuals with developmental disabilities by using an online training program specifically designed to enhance social skills and spark interest in coding careers. Unlike traditional therapy or educational programs that may not focus specifically on career skills, this intervention directly connects participants with potential future job opportunities in the tech field. Additionally, the program's online format makes it more accessible to a wider audience, allowing participants to engage from the comfort of their own homes and at their own pace. This innovative method has the potential to empower individuals by providing them both practical skills and increased confidence in social interactions.

What evidence suggests that the TECH-Prep Intervention is effective for increasing technology career interests in African American high school students with developmental disabilities?

Research shows that the TECH-Prep Intervention, which participants in this trial will receive, aims to boost interest and skills in technology careers for students with developmental disabilities. Studies have found that programs like TECH-Prep can enhance job skills and career interest, potentially leading to better outcomes in technology fields after high school. The program emphasizes building self-confidence and setting goals in tech areas, which are crucial for job success. Early results suggest that participants in similar programs often develop useful social skills and become more motivated to pursue tech careers. While specific data on TECH-Prep's effectiveness is still being gathered, it relies on proven methods for preparing young people with disabilities for careers. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Timothy Tansey, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for African American young adults aged 18-24 with developmental disabilities such as Autism, seizure disorders, or Down syndrome. Participants must be able to give informed consent and have an interest in technology careers after high school.

Inclusion Criteria

I understand and can agree to the study's procedures and risks.

Individuals of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds

Diagnosed with a developmental disability

Exclusion Criteria

I am older than 24 years.

Do not have a developmental disability

I am unable to understand and agree to the study's details on my own.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants engage in the TECH-Prep program, which includes coding career overviews, video testimonials, and training materials for workplace social skills development

2 weeks

Online participation

Follow-up

Participants complete surveys to assess changes in career readiness, goal persistence, and outcome expectations

6 weeks

Surveys at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 6 weeks post-intervention

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• TECH-Prep Intervention

Trial Overview The TECH-Prep program aims to boost technology career interests and skills among these individuals. It focuses on increasing self-efficacy, outcome expectancy, goal persistence, and entry into higher education or the workforce.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Online Training Program Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

An online intervention for people with disabilities intended to increase social skills and interest in coding careers.

TECH-Prep Intervention is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as TECH-Prep for:

• Career preparation and technology education for high school students with developmental disabilities

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,249

Recruited

3,255,000+

Virginia Commonwealth University

Collaborator

Trials

732

Recruited

22,900,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A study involving 22 residents with severe and profound mental retardation found that a comprehensive treatment approach, which included staff training and edible reinforcement, was more effective for skill acquisition than a simpler method that only used prompting and modeling.

Daily documentation of teaching did not improve the effectiveness of the treatment, suggesting that the quality of the intervention is more important than the quantity of documentation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A comparison of behavioral techniques to teach functional independent-living skills to individuals with severe and profound mental retardation. Matson, JL., Smalls, Y., Hampff, A., et al.[2017]

A study using a video-prompting procedure via telehealth successfully taught five children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) essential first aid skills for treating insect stings, minor cuts, and burns, showing significant improvements that lasted for at least 4 weeks.

The training not only helped the children perform first aid on themselves but also allowed them to generalize these skills to new situations, indicating the effectiveness of this teaching method.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

An evaluation of video-prompting procedures via telehealth to teach first aid skills to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Sureshkumar, BM., Zonneveld, KLM.[2023]

A systematic review of eight studies found that training in virtual environments can effectively help people with neurodevelopmental disorders transfer vocational skills to real-world settings, addressing barriers to employment.

The review highlights the potential of virtual training as a safe and reliable method for skill development, especially given recent technological advancements that improve accessibility and affordability.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Vocational Training in Virtual Environments for People With Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review. Michalski, SC., Ellison, C., Szpak, A., et al.[2021]

The COMPETE program successfully trained young adults with cognitive impairments in essential job skills, particularly in using technology like computers and fax machines.

Out of 27 participants, 17 were successfully placed in jobs after completing the 3-year training program, demonstrating the program's effectiveness in improving employment outcomes for this group.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

COMPETE: a model for vocational evaluation, training, employment, and community for integration for persons with cognitive impairments. Mann, WC., Svorai, SB.[2019]

The vocational training program 'Careers in Automation for Persons with Severe Physical Disabilities' successfully aimed to help individuals with severe physical impairments secure employment through the use of technology, as demonstrated by the profiles of 24 clients over 4 years.

Case studies highlighted that matching technological accommodations to both employer needs and personal preferences is crucial for job satisfaction and productivity, rather than just focusing on the complexity of the technology used.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Career transitions for persons with severe physical disabilities: integrating technological and psychosocial skills and accommodations. Lash, M., Licenziato, V.[2014]

The study assessed clients with physical disabilities to evaluate their computer skills and found that while programming jobs are not promising, opportunities in terminal operations and microcomputer-related occupations show potential for further exploration.

Based on the findings, a training program tailored for individuals with disabilities was recommended, utilizing the IBM Personal Computer, with sufficient interest to support its establishment for one year.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Computer vocations for severely physically disabled persons: survey results. Stride, BD.[2006]

The Desktop Vocational Assistant Robot (DeVAR) was positively received by users with severe mobility impairments, indicating its potential to enhance independence in work environments, based on an 8-month pilot study with four subjects and staff evaluations.

Participants suggested improvements for the DeVAR system, such as better microphone technology and workspace design, which could enhance its effectiveness as a vocational assistant, leading to plans for a larger multicenter evaluation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Workstation robotics: a pilot study of a Desktop Vocational Assistant Robot. Taylor, B., Cupo, ME., Sheredos, SJ.[2019]

A multicomponent treatment package successfully taught 3 students with moderate mental retardation to safely remove and discard broken materials from various locations, demonstrating the efficacy of the intervention.

No injuries occurred during the training, highlighting the safety of the methods used, although follow-up data showed mixed results in skill retention after 1 week and 1 month.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teaching safety skills to high school students with moderate disabilities. Winterling, V., Gast, DL., Wolery, M., et al.[2021]

The Comprehensive Employment Preparation program aims to equip adolescents with developmental disabilities with essential job and psychosocial skills, promoting their ability to become self-sustaining members of society.

Research highlights the importance of social, problem-solving, and employment-seeking skills in achieving and maintaining employment, indicating that targeted interventions can effectively address individual deficiencies in these areas.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Comprehensive employment preparation for adolescents with developmental disabilities: an empirical paradigm. Wodarski, JS., Wodarski, LA., Kim, TW.[2019]

A detailed task analysis for teaching sewing skills was developed and validated, showing that it effectively helped five moderately retarded adolescents learn to sew hems, buttons, and seams.

The training not only led to rapid acquisition of these skills but also allowed the adolescents to generalize their sewing abilities to untrained tasks, demonstrating the effectiveness of the teaching methods used.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Teaching mending skills to mentally retarded adolescents. Cronin, KA., Cuvo, AJ.[2018]

The study demonstrated that a handheld computer prompting system effectively helped four adolescents with moderate intellectual disabilities learn and generalize vocational skills.

Participants maintained a 100% task performance level for up to 9 weeks, indicating the potential for long-term retention of skills learned with this technology.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Generalized use of a handheld prompting system. Cihak, DF., Kessler, KB., Alberto, PA.[2019]

Citations

1. idd.vcurrtc.org idd.vcurrtc.org/research/rs3.cfm

Research Study 3 The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the scalability of the Technology Early Career Preparation Intervention (TECH-Prep). This intervention was ...

2. idd.vcurrtc.org idd.vcurrtc.org/research/study3.cfm

Research Study #3 We will be developing a manual for the TECH-Prep intervention aiming at improving technology career interest, competence, and post-school technology outcomes of ...

3. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05132491

Study Details | NCT05132491 | Benefits of Coding Training ... The purpose of the present study is to develop and evaluate the Technology Early Career Preparation Intervention (TECH-Prep) program with ...

4. rpse.education.wisc.edu rpse.education.wisc.edu/research/featured-research-projects/

Featured Research Projects The University of Wisconsin-Madison team is focused on the development and evaluation of the Technology Early Career Preparation Intervention (TECH-Prep) ...

5. rcej.scholasticahq.com rcej.scholasticahq.com/article/38785-a-scoping-review-on-internship-programs-and-employment-outcomes-for-youth-and-young-adults-with-intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities

A Scoping Review on Internship Programs and Employment ... A Scoping Review on Internship Programs and Employment Outcomes for Youth and Young Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Lauren Avellone ...

6. digitalcommons.du.edu digitalcommons.du.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2833&context=etd

System Update: Technology Based Intervention for Students ... This paper offers a unique perspective and examination of technologies that school psychologists can utilize with students with IDD to improve a variety of.

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8889048/

Effects of a Systems-Level Intervention to Improve Trainer ... Objectives. Direct support professionals (DSPs) play a critical role in health-related outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities ...

8. afirm.fpg.unc.edu afirm.fpg.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/Technology-Aided-Instruction-Intervention-Brief-Packet-Hedges-AFIRM-Team-Updated-2025.pdf

Technology-Aided Instruction & Intervention Brief Packet Monitoring Progress Checklist: Use this form as a method for collecting and analyzing data to determine if the learner on the spectrum is making progress ...

9. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/230853091_The_Role_of_Technology_in_Preparing_Youth_with_Disabilities_for_Postsecondary_Education_and_Employment

(PDF) The Role of Technology in Preparing Youth with ... This article explores the role technology can play in helping students with disabilities make successful transitions to postsecondary studies, employment, and ...