A Strength-Based Intervention to Improve Job Interview Skills in Neurodiverse Young Adults

Overview

the investigators are looking to evaluate the effectiveness of a strength-based program in improving job interview skills in neurodiverse young adults. This program is designed to help participants understand and speak to others about their personal qualities and abilities. The investigators are examining the effects of this program in young adults who may have difficulty with job interviews, and who may want to improve these skills. Some of these young adults have received special education services in the past for learning differences, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or dyslexia.

Practicing job interview skills has been identified as an important target for job employment services in N-TAY. However, the majority of studies using interventions in neurodiverse individuals have taken a deficit-based approach (i.e. to fix what is deficient in a person). This approach has triggered increasing criticism and dissatisfaction from the disability community. Further, focusing on deficits will not result in identification, awareness, or expression of strengths, important skills needed for self-advocacy and transition to adulthood. KF-STRIDE takes a strength-based approach, using principles of positive psychology to help N-TAY identify and express their unique character strengths to future employers. Over the course of a recently funded pilot study, the team has evaluated the efficacy of KF-STRIDE in those on the autism spectrum. The investigators have found that individuals on the spectrum who train with KF-STRIDE show improved job interview skills, and preliminary data indicates that they also have improved chances of obtaining employment in the community. However, KF-STRIDE has never been evaluated in youth other than those on the spectrum, including those with ADHD, dyslexia or other learning differences which may benefit from the training. The investigators aim to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of KF-STRIDE in a randomized controlled trial comparing KF-STRIDE to services as usual (SAU) to improve employment, as well as identify mechanistic targets which may lead to improved employment, and to evaluate the fidelity, acceptability, usability, and feasibility of the proposed intervention, KF-STRIDE, via initial process evaluation.