Predictors of Employment for Autistic Youth: Initial and Follow-up PROMISE Survey Results

Abstract

Many Autistic people experience difficulties in obtaining and maintaining employment, particularly in the first few years after exiting high school. While researchers have explored predictors of employment for transition-aged youth with disabilities, limited research targets Autistic youth. Implications from prior predictor and transition research have pinpointed the need for future studies to explore predictors for student subgroups and to grasp a better understanding of student cultures through an intersectional lens. Our study examined the role of established transition predictors of employment for the intersectional population of Autistic youth who live in poverty compared to youth with other disabilities. Using New York state PROMISE data in a secondary data analysis (n = 1,894) and a follow-up survey (n = 362), we found many previously identified predictors of employment for youth with disabilities also apply for Autistic youth living in poverty, with strong evidence supporting the associations between multiple career development activities (e.g., paid employment/work experience) and student skills (e.g., youth autonomy/decision-making) with employment.