Project Description:
Need. Existing programs for autistic adults have limitations. In particular, autistic adults are minimally represented in program creation, implementation, and evaluation (Monahan et al., 2021). As such, the opinions and lived experiences of these individuals are rarely considered. Furthermore, there is often a mismatch between intervention aims and autistic individuals' priorities (Nicolaidis et al., 2011). Researchers posit that interventions targeting change in social behaviors often teach autistic people how to interact in neurotypical ways (Monahan et al., 2021). Thus, many autistic people report feeling pressured to mask aspects of themselves to navigate social situations, a phenomenon known as camouflaging (Cage & Troxell-Whitman, 2019; Hull et al., 2017). Qualitative data reveal that autistic adults often engage in camouflaging as a result of being "trained to act normal" (Cage & Troxell-Whitman, 2019). Because of this pressure, many autistic adults who report camouflaging also experienced high levels of stress and anxiety (Cage & Troxell-Whitman, 2019; Hull et al., 2017). Programs are needed to build upon the self-reported priorities of autistic people and limit the pressure to camouflage their true selves.
Overall goals and objectives: To address these limitations, this study takes a participatory approach by involving autistic young adults (both as research participants and partners) and their allies to improve support services in meaningful ways. With this project, the researchers seek to explore the benefits of the Toastmasters program, which promoted social communication skills and self-efficacy among other transferrable skills in a "no-pressure, supportive" environment, for autistic young adults (Uttal, 2013). Utilizing an inclusive model to yield important practiced-based findings, the primary goal of this study is to investigate outcomes of participation and feasibility of implementation for the Toastmasters Speechcraft curriculum – a community-based, small-group public speaking program – for autistic young adults.
Unusual features: To give a more powerful voice to key stakeholders, the methods include collaborating with autistic and community partners throughout the two phases of this study. In Phase I, interviews (N=40) were conducted, and field notes were collected to obtain a comprehensive understanding of whether, for whom, and under what circumstances Toastmasters was a meaningful community-based program for autistic participants. In Phase II, based on qualitative findings, the researchers worked with their partners to adapt the program and provide a socially valid curriculum for autistic adults. The adapted curriculum is being piloted with autistic adults (N=24) through a randomized waitlist-controlled trial.
Expected benefits: The researchers anticipate direct benefits to participation, particularly in social communication and self-efficacy (e.g., increased communication skills, leadership skills, self-confidence, and socialization). From this research, a tangible outcome would be a tailored version of the Toastmasters Speechcraft curriculum for dissemination that aligned with values in the autism community. Given the scarcity of intervention supports for autistic young adults, this study ultimately seeks to improve access to a socially valid community-based program.
Keyword(s):
community-based, adulthood, autism, public speaking skills, implementation
