Connections: Parent Feedback to Improve Social Skills Training for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a class of developmental disorders characterized by deficits in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped behavior patterns and interests as defined and described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- 5th edition (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). ASD now covers several diagnoses previously described in the DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) under one umbrella term. Pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified, Asperger's syndrome, and autistic disorder are all now combined under this one diagnosis. This paper provides the results of caregiver focus groups and their ideas about social skills deficits and the impact on employment of individuals with ASD.The rate of individuals diagnosed with ASD continues to increase, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC, 2014). In 2000 the prevalence rate was 1 in 150 children. In 2010, the rate was the well-publicized 1 in 68 (CDC, 2014). There are two major waves of individuals with ASD; the first includes young adults (18-20 years of age) and the second, much-larger wave includes elementary and middle school-age children with up to four times as many currently identified in elementary and middle school (Van Wieren, Armstrong, & McMahon, 2012).The total cost (in dollars) of ASD also continues to rise. Autism's costs in the U.S. have reached $137 billion a year, the majority incurred in adulthood (Buescher, Cidav, Knapp, & Mandell, 2014). The estimated lifetime financial dollar amount required to provide care for an individual with ASD is estimated to be in excess of $2.4 million if the individual also has an intellectual disability (ID), and the cost for an individual without a comorbid ID is estimated at $1.4 million (Autism Speaks, 2014a). Many people with ASD want to have friends, a career, and contribute to their community, but social deficits that contribute to poor friendship quality hamper the efforts of individuals with autism to gain friends (Laugeson, Frankel, Gantman, Dillon, & Mogil, 2012). Individuals with ASD experience social anxiety, are bullied, and often feel isolated, leading to reduced quality of life (Muller, Schuler, & Yates, 2008; Howlin, 2000).The bullying experienced in school can stretch into the adult and vocational world. Amy Gravino (2014) explained that life after high school for her brought promise of change, and an end to the teasing and tormenting that she experienced during these years. She found parallels between the workplace office and high school. There are bosses to contend with, rules to learn and follow, and certain social demands that must be met. She cites serious consequences (social and economic) when those rules aren't followed or those demands aren't met.Autism Spectrum Disorder and Employment IssuesA study of postsecondary employment experiences for adults (21-25) with ASD indicated that 53.4% had ever worked for pay outside the home after high school. This is the lowest rate of employment among the disability groups studied (intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, learning disability, and speech/ language impairment). They also earn significantly less per hour ($8.10) compared to other groups (Roux et al., 2013). Social skills deficits often contribute to the poor employment rate of people on the spectrum. Many studies document that the overall employment rate, hours worked per week, and wages earned by individu- als on the Spectrum are the worst of all the disability classes in the vocational rehabilitation (VR) system (Barnhill, 2007; Engstrom, Ekstrom, & Emilsson, 2003; Roux et ah, 2013; Taylor et ah, 2012). For those with ASD (formerly Asperger's), the employment rate ranges from 2% (Engstrom et ah, 2003) to 37.2% (Newman et ah, 2011). The social, behavioral, and communication characteristics (and challenges) of individuals on the spectrum contribute to poor employment outcomes and put them in need of services to ameliorate their impact on employment (Hendricks, 2010). …