Affiliations:
Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Weili Lu, Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 675 Hoes Lane West – 8th Floor, Research Tower, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA. E-mail: luwe1@shp.rutgers.edu.
Note: [1] Joint first authors.
Abstract: BACKGROUND:People with neurodevelopmental disorders often face significant challenges to finding and keeping employment including engaging in a job interview. Successfully navigating a job interview is a complex and essential stage to finding employment and requires skillful behaviors. OBJECTIVE:The study aimed to determine the feasibility of the Presenting Qualifications intervention for people with neurodevelopmental disorders. METHODS:Direct skills teaching (DST) is a researched method that can be utilized to help people learn a new skill. The current study implemented a multi-session, group based work-related soft skills intervention (“Presenting Qualifications”) for 76 people with various neurodevelopmental disorders via a DST approach. RESULTS:Participants reported increased perceived interview preparedness from pre to post intervention. Participants also reported satisfaction with the intervention. CONCLUSIONS:This suggests soft skills interventions delivered in group settings can be successfully implemented among people with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.
Keywords: Neurodevelopmental disorders, employment, direct skills teaching, interview skills
