Supported Employment for Autism

Overseen By Jo A. Yon Hernandez, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, Davis

Disqualifiers: Not interested in employment

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 12 months

60 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial focuses on improving job opportunities for young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. It tests an employment support model called Individual Placement and Support for Autism (IPS-AUT) to determine its effectiveness in helping participants find and maintain jobs in regular work environments. Some agencies in the study will receive special training to implement this model, while others will continue their usual services and provide basic job support. Individuals diagnosed with autism, possessing at least a fourth-grade reading level, and actively seeking employment may be suitable candidates for this trial. The ultimate goal is to develop a reliable support system for individuals with autism seeking employment. As an unphased trial, this study offers participants the chance to contribute to pioneering research that could significantly enhance employment support for individuals with autism.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

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

What prior data suggests that the Individual Placement and Support for Autism (IPS-AUT) model is safe for young adults with autism and IDD?

Research shows that the Individual Placement and Support for Autism (IPS-AUT) program helps young adults with autism and other developmental disabilities find jobs and gain independence. Early studies on IPS-AUT have shown positive results, including better job placement and improved social skills. Importantly, the research on IPS-AUT has reported no safety issues. This indicates that the program is safe, and participants have benefited without any problems. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Individual Placement and Support for Autism (IPS-AUT) approach because it offers a tailored method to help individuals with autism find and maintain employment. Unlike traditional supportive employment programs, which may focus more on skill-building in a classroom setting, IPS-AUT integrates employment support directly into the community, providing real-world job placement and ongoing support. This hands-on approach is designed to enhance the employment success of individuals with autism by directly addressing their unique needs in the workplace.

What evidence suggests that Individual Placement and Support for Autism (IPS-AUT) is effective for improving employment outcomes in young adults with autism?

Research has shown that the Individual Placement and Support for Autism (IPS-AUT) model helps people with autism secure employment. In this trial, some agencies will implement IPS-AUT. Studies indicate that individuals receiving IPS services are 2.4 times more likely to obtain a job than those who do not. Early results demonstrated that participants in IPS not only found competitive jobs but also gained more independence and improved social skills. Overall, IPS consistently results in higher job placement rates compared to other job support programs. This suggests that IPS-AUT can significantly enhance job opportunities for young adults with autism and related disabilities. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Marjorie Solomon, PhD, MBA

Principal Investigator

University of California, Davis

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for young adults aged 21-40 in California with autism or intellectual and developmental disabilities who are not currently employed but seeking work. They must have a community diagnosis of autism, be able to read at a minimum 4th-grade level, and be clients of supported employment agencies.

Inclusion Criteria

I am between 21 and 40 years old.

California supported employment agency clients meeting the following criteria:

Minimum 4th-grade reading level (approximately mild ID)

Exclusion Criteria

Not interested in employment

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Agencies deliver IPS services to participants for a duration of 12 months

12 months

Monthly reports and meetings

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for employment outcomes and satisfaction after the treatment phase

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Individual Placement and Support for Autism (IPS-AUT)

Trial Overview The study tests the Individual Placement and Support Model (IPS-AUT) aimed at improving job outcomes for autistic individuals. It involves training providers in IPS-AUT, partnering with employment agencies, and measuring how well it helps participants get competitive jobs.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Treatment Group - Agencies Receiving IPS Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participating agencies will be randomized, with 2/3 of agencies receiving IPS first. The estimated total number of agencies = 6 (each referring 10 consumers), meaning that 4 agencies (40 clients) would be assigned to receive IPS training first. These agencies will be expected to deliver IPS services for a duration of 12 months.

Group II: Control Group - Agencies Receiving Supportive Employment Intervention Active Control 1 Intervention

One third of the agencies (approximately 2 agencies and 20 consumers) will be assigned to the wait-list control group will continue to provide their usual services during the first 12 months. In addition, clients of these agencies will be offered a Supportive Employment Intervention, which includes weekly sessions offering support with some help on employment-related skills such as resume building, job interviewing, and workplace communication strategies.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, Davis

Lead Sponsor

Trials

958

Recruited

4,816,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A retrospective review of 64 individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) showed that 98.4% successfully secured competitive integrated employment (CIE) through customized employment strategies, despite many having little to no prior work experience.

The employment support provided was effective, as the intensity of assistance decreased over time while individuals maintained their jobs, highlighting the potential of customized employment for helping young adults with ASD transition into the workforce.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Employment for adults with autism spectrum disorders: A retrospective review of a customized employment approach. Wehman, P., Brooke, V., Brooke, AM., et al.[2017]

In a multisite randomized clinical trial, 73.4% of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who participated in the Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports (PS+ASD) program gained competitive integrated employment (CIE) within one year of graduation, compared to only 17% in the control group.

Participants in the PS+ASD program showed improvements across all measured domains, while the control group only improved in one domain, highlighting the broader therapeutic benefits of employment for individuals with ASD.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Effect of Business Internships Model and Employment on Enhancing the Independence of Young Adults With Significant Impact From Autism. Schall, C., Sima, AP., Avellone, L., et al.[2021]

The Integrated Employment Success Tool (IESTTM) was developed to enhance employers' skills in hiring and supporting employees on the autism spectrum, and its effectiveness was validated through a randomized controlled trial involving 29 employers.

Employers found the IESTTM useful for increasing their knowledge about autism and implementing workplace strategies, but over 60% expressed a need for an online version to improve usability, highlighting a barrier to its broader application.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Process evaluation of an autism-specific workplace tool for employers. Scott, M., Falkmer, M., Kuzminski, R., et al.[2022]

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12397851/

A randomized controlled trial protocol for evaluating the ... Thus, our team has been investigating the Individualized Placement and Support (IPS) model, which has an extensive evidence base for increasing competitive ...

2. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06829264?locStr=California&country=United%20States&state=California&distance=50&cond=autism&aggFilters=ages:adult,status:not%20rec&rank=10

Testing an Evidence-Based Supported Employment Model ... This study aims to enhance employment outcomes for young adults with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through the implementation ...

3. ipsworks.org ipsworks.org/index.php/evidence-for-ips/

Evidence for IPS A meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials found that people receiving IPS services were 2.4 times more likely to be employed than controls.

4. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28176032/

Individual Placement and Support for People with Autism ... The first five IPS participants succeeded in competitive employment, expanded independence, and achieved broad psychosocial gains. IPS could help young adults ...

5. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335524002018

Individual Placement and Support (IPS) beyond severe ... For the primary vocational outcome of job entry all IPS studies showed superior job entry rates compared to control groups with an overall weighted odds ratio ...

6. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-intellectual-disability-3-2025-ac8e0

Supported Employment for Autism · Info for Participants The research on Supported Employment for Autism, including programs like Individual Placement and Support for Autism (IPS-AUT), does not report any safety ...

7. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8354554/

Interventions for improving employment outcomes ... Adding autism spectrum disorder supports, Project SEARCH in Wehman et al.'s study also demonstrated higher employment rates for treatment participants than ...

8. iacc.hhs.gov iacc.hhs.gov/publications/report-to-congress/2022/research.shtml

2022 Report to Congress - Research on Supportive ... Research on Supportive Services that are Beneficial to Improved Outcomes for People with Autism. Mental Health professional comforts a patient during group ...