This sponsored study establishes quantitative data about the training effectiveness of a leadership education program in a southern Indiana community college by comparing the pre-intervention and post-intervention MLQ-5X test scores of 11 students participating in a leadership education program and then comparing the students' performance during…

For many instructional designers (ID), subject matter experts (SMEs) are viewed as a necessary evil. Depending upon their day job, SMEs can be challenging to work with due to their schedules and responsibilities outside the ID's project. They can be unaware of the eLearning process, learning models and theories, and expensive -- a SME can easily…

Purpose: This study explored the acceptability and practicality of implementing a Direct Skills Teaching (DST) approach to increase job interview preparation for individuals who were receiving state vocational rehabilitation (VR) services in four states. Method: Counselors-in-training facilitated a four-session curriculum teaching "Presenting…

Persons with substance use disorders (SUDs) experience high unemployment rates that can increase relapse risk. Research on employment counseling for this population is lacking. This study examined a direct skills teaching (DST) approach to improve job interview preparedness. Graduate internship students at mental health and rehabilitation agency…

Job seekers with autism will likely benefit from explicit instruction in job interviewing skills given their social communication support needs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a video-based intervention (VBI) to increase storytelling ability in responding to Patterned Behavior Description Interview (PBDI) questions in mock…

This dissertation in practice focused on the use of Motivational Interviewing in the school environment between school staff and families. More specifically, this program evaluation sought to see if the use of Motivational Interviewing by school staff could improve parent participation rates in student attendance improvement conferences (SAICs).…

With unemployment rates for adults with autism as high as 85%, it is important for young adults to learn necessary prevocational skills (e.g., interviewing) to help them succeed in their search for employment. There is little research showing that individuals with autism can be taught to respond appropriately during an interview to secure future…

How many people have walked out of an interview wishing they could turn around for a re-do? Mock interviews can provide interns with demonstrations of the types of inquiries that can be expected in a real interview as well as practice in responding to those questions successfully. A simulation that occurs in a high-stakes atmosphere with the…

Adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) are understudied within the literature, especially within the context of employment. Extant data, though limited, suggests competitive integrated employment rates which are significantly lower than nuerotypical individuals. Researchers have suggested that one factor related to these low…

In a previous randomized controlled trial (RCT), "Virtual Interview Training for Transition Age Youth" (VIT-TAY) enhanced employment for autistic youth receiving transition services. For this study, a nonrandomized hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial evaluated whether VIT-TAY maintained its core implementation and effectiveness…

This study's aim was to investigate the effectiveness of video modeling presented with tablet PC on teaching job interview skills to individuals who have developmental disabilities. Participants of the study were two men and a woman whose ages were 21-24 and whose diagnosis was developmental disability. The research was carried out with multiple…

AutismSpeaks.org estimated that a total of 1.1 million teens with autism will enter adulthood in the next decade (Autism Speaks, n.d.). Unfortunately, research shows many of those individuals will have bleak outcomes in life postsecondary (Lake et al., 2014; Posar & Visconti, 2018). This issue will compound without proper resources and…

Literacy and literacy skill development remain critical concerns in the U.S. "Two of every three students in the U.S. do not have the necessary reading proficiencies to successfully complete grade-level work" (Allington, 2011). Camp Read-a-Rama, a summer day camp in South Carolina for 4- to 11-year-olds, creates innovative programming…

Background: This study examined whether Motivational Interviewing (MI) follow-up calls improved the extent to which a specific therapeutic technique (Key Word Sign) presented in training was retained and implemented by staff supporting people with an intellectual disability.Method: Thirty-eight residential support workers who attended Key Word…

This case study outlines an example of cooperative online learning for teaching business communication skills at a Hungarian and a Belgian university. During this eight week long Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange (E+VE) project, students collaborated online in virtual teams on a weekly basis to complete the following main missions: (1) giving constructive…