Aug 12 -- The Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy (OEDP) is soliciting comments regarding this information collection for the Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum [REYAAS] Project. Comments pertaining to this information collection are due on or before October 11, 2024.
Recent estimates suggest that there are more than one million young adults (ages 16 through 28) on the autism spectrum in the U.S. who offer myriad strengths to potential employers yet face unique challenges in attaining and maintaining employment. The mix of challenges facing young adults on the autism spectrum during the transition to adulthood and employment vary. About 1 in 3 also have an intellectual disability (Maenner et al. 2020; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) 2017), and prevalence estimates of minimally and nonverbal status across studies converge at around 30 percent (Tager-Flusberg and Kasari 2013). People on the spectrum also have high rates of co-occurring medical and mental health conditions, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depression (Kerns et al. 2020). An additional challenge for young adults on the spectrum is that many will need various kinds of support from multiple providers and across different systems of care, and they can face increasing difficulty meeting their complex service needs as they transition to adult service systems (Foster and Gifford 2005; Shattuck et al. 2011). These factors can combine to make it challenging for youth on the autism spectrum to attain and maintain employment.
Public policy increasingly acknowledges the importance of addressing the employment-related challenges facing young adults on the autism spectrum. The most recent federal Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support (CARES) Act of 2019 emphasized that funding should increase for research on factors associated with better young adult outcomes. In 2021, Congress requested that research be conducted on improving employment outcomes for this population.
To better understand the employment experiences and outcomes of young adults on the autism spectrum, this study will conduct two data collection activities. First, the study team will conduct a large-scale survey of autistic young adults ages 16 to 28, which will be one of the first large-scale data collections of employment outcomes for this population (Musse et al., 2022). Second, the study team will conduct follow-up qualitative telephone or web interviews with a subset of survey respondents. This study will provide insightful data on the employment experiences of young adults on the autism spectrum, which policymakers and the autism community can use to inform program and policy changes that support the well-being of autistic people.
Mathematic REYAAS Project:
https://www.mathematica.org/projects/research-support-services-for-employment-of-young-adults-on-the-autism-spectrum
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-17852
