How have Participation Outcomes of Autistic Young Adults been Measured? A Scoping Review.

Researchers looked at 113 studies to see how well we measure whether autistic young adults can participate in work, education, and community life. They found that while studies cover many different areas, the tools used to measure participation aren't very good. Many measurement tools don't have strong evidence that they work properly, which makes it harder to understand what really helps autistic young people succeed in adult life.

This scoping review examined how participation outcomes have been measured in autistic young adults across 113 studies. The researchers investigated measurement approaches for participation in workforce, post-secondary education, and community living. Using current participation models, they extracted and analyzed measurement data across diverse life situations. While the review found some breadth in studying participation across various contexts, it revealed significant limitations in measurement depth and quality.

Many measures lacked adequate psychometric support, indicating gaps in how researchers assess meaningful participation outcomes for autistic young adults transitioning to adulthood.

Clinicians should be cautious about participation measures used with autistic young adults, as many lack proper validation. There is a need for better measurement tools that capture meaningful participation across work, education, and community settings to properly assess intervention effectiveness and support transition planning.

As a scoping review, this study describes the current state of measurement approaches rather than evaluating intervention effectiveness. The focus is on measurement methodology rather than participation outcomes themselves, limiting direct clinical guidance.

Autistic young adults experience challenges participating in the workforce, post-secondary schooling, and living in the community. We examined how participation outcomes have been measured in autistic young adults. Articles (n = 113) were identified through database searches and citation tracking. Guided by current models in the literature, data were extracted for each measure of participation.

Results include a description of the studies in the review, the extent to which participation across life situations has been addressed, and a critical analysis of the measures used to describe participation. While there is some breadth in the investigation of participation across diverse life situations, there is limited depth in what the measures capture and many measures used lack psychometric support.