Social Participation and Navigation: Formative Evaluation of a Remote Intervention for Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults.

Researchers asked 15 experts about adapting an online program called SPAN for autistic teenagers and young adults. SPAN was originally created for people with brain injuries and uses technology to help with social participation. The experts gave suggestions about how to change the program to better suit autistic young people. Their feedback will be used to create a new version called SPAN-ASD, which will then be tested with autistic youth.

This formative evaluation study examined stakeholder perspectives on adapting the Social Participation and Navigation (SPAN) intervention for autistic adolescents and young adults. SPAN is an evidence-based, technology-delivered remote intervention originally designed for young people with traumatic brain injuries. Fifteen researchers and clinicians provided feedback through semi-structured interviews regarding potential participants, intervention goals, delivery procedures, and content modifications. Stakeholders identified the promise of remote interventions for increasing motivation and engagement among autistic youth.

Their recommendations informed the development of a new SPAN-ASD website and intervention manual, with planned next steps including usability testing and pilot implementation studies.

Provides foundation for technology-based social participation interventions for autistic youth. The stakeholder-informed adaptation process may serve as a model for modifying existing interventions for autism-specific needs. However, actual effectiveness and feasibility with autistic participants remains to be demonstrated through planned pilot studies.

This is a formative evaluation with stakeholder feedback only - no actual testing with autistic participants yet. Sample size of stakeholders is small (n=15). No outcome data or effectiveness measures reported. Study represents preliminary development phase rather than intervention testing.

Remote interventions can uniquely benefit and significantly increase the motivation/engagement of autistic adolescents and young adults (AYA) in intervention processes. The evidence-based, technology-based Social Participation and Navigation (SPAN), originally a remote intervention for AYA with traumatic brain injuries, shows great promise for autistic AYA. This formative evaluation aimed to inform SPAN adaptations for autistic AYA. Fifteen researcher and clinician stakeholders provided feedback and modification recommendations via a semistructured interview.

Stakeholders described potential participants who might benefit, intervention goals, intervention delivery procedures, and additional program-content and technology suggestions, including original components to preserve or adjust. Findings provided a basis for developing a new SPAN-ASD website and intervention manual. The next steps include assessing website usability and feasibility and a pilot implementation study of SPAN-ASD with autistic AYA.