Brief Report: The Vocational and Educational Activities of Transition-Aged Autistic Youth With Low IQ.

A recent US study found that many autistic young people with intellectual disability struggle to find work or continue education after school. Only 15% had jobs with support, and 5% were in college or training programs. One-third weren't doing any work or education activities at all. Young people who were active had families with higher incomes and better daily life skills.

This US survey study of 91 caregivers examined vocational and educational activities among transition-aged autistic youth with low IQ. Results showed 35% were not engaged in any vocational or postsecondary education (PSE) activities, while only 15% participated in integrated employment and 5% in PSE programs. Youth engaged in activities had higher family incomes, better daily living skills, and fewer behavioral challenges compared to those not engaged. Despite national efforts to improve opportunities, participation rates in integrated employment and PSE remained low (~20%), indicating persistent barriers for this population.

Results highlight need for targeted transition planning addressing multiple barriers including family resources, daily living skills development, and behavioral support. Practitioners should assess these factors when developing transition plans for autistic youth with intellectual disability.

Single survey study from one country limits generalizability. Caregiver-reported data may introduce bias. Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation between factors and engagement outcomes.

Previous research has shown that autistic transition-aged youth with low IQ experience low rates of integrated employment and postsecondary education (PSE) enrolment. Notably, much of this work was conducted over a decade ago, and the landscape of opportunities has changed since that time. Therefore, the present study described the rate of involvement in vocational and PSE activities among a contemporary sample of autistic youth with low IQ residing in the United States. Online survey responses were collected from 91 caregivers of autistic youth with low IQ residing in the United States.

The survey gathered demographic information and assessed the behavioural functioning of the youth, along with their vocational and educational experiences. Thirty-five per cent of autistic youth with low IQ were not involved in any vocational/PSE activity. Approximately 15% of youth were participating in integrated employment (with or without supports), and 5% were enrolled in a range of degree- and non-degree-seeking PSE programmes. In a follow-up analysis, we found that youth who were engaged in vocational/PSE activities had higher family incomes, higher daily living skills, and lower rates of borderline-to-clinical levels of internalising and externalising behaviours than those who were not engaged in any vocational or PSE activity.

Our findings indicate low participation (~20%) in integrated employment and PSE programmes, despite national efforts to increase these types of activities, and highlight the continued need to remove barriers that prevent engagement in vocational and PSE activities among autistic youth with low IQ.