Transition Services for Youth With Autism: A Systematic Review

Purpose As the number of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) rises, attention is increasingly focused on employment outcomes for individuals with ASD who are exiting public school settings. This review aimed to identify what works in transition programs to help students with ASD obtain competitive employment after graduation. Method Authors combed through the literature to find all research that could definitively identify interventions that predictably led to employment for transitioning youth. Results: While no definitive conclusions can be drawn based upon the current review, the authors identified qualitative research that addressed elements of potential successful employment placements for individuals with ASD. Discussion Future research efforts are needed to develop studies that utilize rigorous experimental designs to determine the relative effectiveness of the various interventions being utilized in transition programming for students with ASD. This review is published in its entirety in the Campbell Collaboration Library of Systematic Reviews.