# A Longitudinal Study of Employment and Educational Instability for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

> **NIH NIH R01** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $672,289

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Difficulties in employment and postsecondary education (PSE) among young adults with ASD (YA-ASD) are
nearly universal. In response, interventions have been developed that target obtaining a job or gaining
admittance to a PSE program. However, our preliminary research suggests that maintaining a job or PSE
enrollment is more difficult than obtaining those positions in the first place, and the predictors of keeping a job
(e.g., family climate, community size) are different than those associated with starting a job (e.g., autism
severity, IQ). These studies suggest the need for new interventions focused on maintaining employment or
PSE. Further, vocational instability (e.g., losing a job) is a significant predictor of poor mental health in the
general population, and might be responsible, at least in part, for the very high rates of co-occurring
psychopathology among YA-ASD. The objective of the proposed research is to lay the groundwork for novel
interventions to promote sustained employment/educational participation, by prospectively examining
predictors and potential consequences of postsecondary employment and educational instability (i.e., loss
of/change in employment or educational position that is not reflective of upward mobility) for YA-ASD. To
accomplish this objective, we will collect prospective longitudinal data from 200 YA-ASD and their parents at 7
times over a 3-year period. We will recruit young adults who have exited high school, between the ages of 18
and 26, who have an IQ score of 70 or above. We will use multiple informants (self, parent) and multiple
methods (interviews, questionnaires, permanent products, diagnostic evaluations) to measure individual,
family, and community factors, and employment/educational instability during the transition years. We propose
four Aims: 1) To determine rates of instability in postsecondary employment/education over a 3-year period,
and differentiate instability from upward mobility as experienced by YA-ASD: 2) To examine individual, family,
and community factors that predict postsecondary employment/educational activities at the first wave of data
collection, and instability in these activities over a 3-year period: 3) To examine bidirectional effects of
employment/educational instability and changes in autism severity, mental health, adaptive behavior, and
quality of life for YA-ASD: and 4) Using well-validated measures new to ASD research along with open-ended
questions and permanent products, we will explore specific aspects of work/PSE activities and environment
(job characteristics and experiences, job satisfaction, workplace environment, supports) associated with
stability/instability. This study is responsive to the 2016-17 Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee
Strategic Plan by using a longitudinal prospective design and collecting data with enough specificity to inform
targeted interventions. The project will have high public health impact by providing n...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10817089
- **Project number:** 5R01MH121438-05
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Leann Smith DaWalt
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $672,289
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10817089

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10817089, A Longitudinal Study of Employment and Educational Instability for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (5R01MH121438-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10817089. Licensed CC0.

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