Recent discourse has identified significant issues surrounding the lack of diversity in autism-related research. However, recent efforts have called for the regular use of diversity advisory boards (DAB) in autism-related research to improve the inclusivity of underrepresented and marginalized groups included in the growing autism scholarship.…

Purpose: Research documents poor outcomes for autistic adults in the domains of employment, independent living, and social relationships. Measurement and sample limitations in prior studies may have amplified past estimates of poor outcomes. The goal of the current study was to improve upon past approaches and to create and describe a measurement…

Poor social skills is a leading factor why individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) lose their jobs. Fortunately, the use of technology has made learning and teaching social skills more seamless and integrated in employment contexts. We conducted a multiple-probe-across-participants single-case experimental design study…

Kindergarten transition programs support successful school transitions for families and may reduce disparities in academic readiness upon school entry. Yet, access and participation in high-quality summer transition programs are lower among children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study examined the impact of a summer kindergarten transition…

College options for students with intellectual disabilities continue to grow. However, there is a gap among students and families about available college opportunities. This study provides evidence of a weeklong summer academy that bridges the gap between high school and college. Results showed the summer academy increased participants' awareness…

The transition from elementary to middle school is associated with increases in anxiety and related impairment, yet few evidence-based interventions exist to support students with impairing anxiety during this transition. This study describes the feasibility of a novel intervention, delivered by school mental health professionals (SMHPs), for…

Despite the importance of student-adult relationship to students' experiences of school belonging, little is known about the activities that create and sustain these relationships. In the present article, we examine the interpersonal and institutional relationship-building activities described by students and adults following a transitional school…

Previous research has shown that conversational language predicts vocational independence and friendship development. This study investigated the efficacy of the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) for School-Based Professionals delivered via Zoom as a pre-employment transition service on the social competence of…

Many students with autism have difficulties engaging with their classroom environments and forming friendships, which are mostly affected by deficits in social, communication, and motor skills. The Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS, 2000) data set was used, focusing on elementary age students with autism, to explore the…

Recent trends suggest that autistic young adults are increasingly accessing postsecondary education than in years past. However, these students often face unique challenges that negatively impact their college experience resulting in high dropout. The Mentoring, Organization and Social Support for Autism Inclusion on Campus (MOSSAIC) Program is a…

College students on the autism spectrum report the following support needs: interpersonal skills and coping with unexpected change. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of an interpersonal skills seminar using elements of the PEERS® curriculum on the acquisition of conversational behaviors by three young adults on the…

During the Coronavirus Pandemic, many have worried about the adverse impact on the social functioning of children with autism spectrum disorder. Telehealth-delivered group social skills programs offer one way to address this concern. This brief report describes modifications made to the telehealth delivery of the Secret Agent Society group social…

This study examines the impact of a comprehensive college transition program, the Thompson Scholars Learning Communities (TSLC), on psychosocial outcomes using an experimental design. We estimate overall and heterogenous effects of program participation on students' sense of belonging to campus, feelings of mattering to campus, sense of academic…

Transition to school may be experienced as a critical event for both children and their families. Within an ecological framework of transition, the scope of the concept of school readiness in recent years has decentered from the child to the environment, including the readiness of (pre)school education to develop core skills in children. This…

Research demonstrates that pupils do not always have the necessary social and emotional intelligence to cope with the transition to secondary school successfully. This paper explores a context-specific intervention designed to enhance key social and emotional skills after a secondary school transition. The intervention was designed with reference…