Dr. Leasha M Barry

Only 55.1% of young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have held paid employment in the six years following high school graduation (Cameto et al., 2004). The interview process is recognized as a barrier for employment for people with ASD due to social skill deficits (Zaboski & Storch, 2018). Sereno and Hawkins (1967) suggested that people who use high rates of filler words (e.g., so, um, or uh) are considered less competent. Additionally, a lengthy response latency can indicate the respondent's uncertainty in their answer (Barker, 1946). The purpose of this study was to explore these variables during a virtual mock job interview. METHOD Participants were college students diagnosed with ASD between the ages of 18 and 21. Three males and one female volunteered to participate. Participants met virtually via Zoom for mock interviews where they were asked eight of the most common interview questions. These questions included: 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Why are you looking for a new opportunity 3. Why do you want to work here? 4. Describe your current or most recent job 5. Where do you see yourself in five years? 6. What are your strengths? 7. What are your weaknesses? 8. Why should we hire you? During the first mock interview, participants were not provided with any feedback after answering the questions. Participants met with the investigator in-person to complete an online training module, which provided specific coaching for developing answers to the 8 interview questions. Participants then completed a second virtual mock job interview, answering the same 8 questions. The participants were provided with feedback after the second interview. The behaviors selected for analysis in both interviews were frequency of filler words (so, um, or uh) and question response latency. All interviews were recorded for data collection and Inter Observer Agreement. RESULTS This online curriculum intervention did not generate a clear pattern of change across participants. Participant 1 performed well in baseline, using no more than two filler words per question and had a maximum latency of 3.2 seconds, representing minimal change in latency and filler word frequency post-intervention. Participant 2 demonstrated marked improvement in response latency and use of filler words. In the baseline interview, Participant 2's longest response latency was 32.6 seconds. During the post-intervention interview, the longest latency for any question was 5.0 seconds. Additionally, filler words decreased in total by eight from baseline to post-intervention. Participant 3's data reflected increases in filler word usage in post-interview compared to baseline interview. However, the participant's response latency decreased for all but one question post-interview, indicating positive change for this participant. Participant 4's data varied significantly and showed no clear pattern in responding. The data reflect an increase in the frequency of filler words by seven from baseline to post-intervention and a decrease in response latency post-intervention. Figure 3 illustrates the cumulative decrease in response latency for all participants and across all questions with an almost 50% decrease in time.

Guided notes are an instructional strategy used to help students retain facts, concepts, and skills. Evidence for the effectiveness of guided notes with school-aged children diagnosed with high incidence disabilities is well documented, but research with postsecondary participants has had mixed results, and there has been little to no research on the effects of guided notes in online learning environments. The present study sought to examine the effects of guided notes on the retention of facts in high achieving online graduate students. Results indicate statistical significance (p < .01) in performance with a medium effect size,
and students preferred guided notes to assist with note taking during lectures.

This study will contribute to the identification of effective interventions in the area of male adolescent aggressive behavior. Existing research includes both group- and single-case studies implementing treatments that typically include an anger management component and its attendant relaxation and stress-reduction techniques. The design of this study is single-subject with multiple baselines across six subjects on two behavioral measures. The setting will be a residential juvenile justice program for male adolescents, and the treatment will be a relaxation breathing exercise. The results of the study will be expressed as improvement on both behavioral measures in each of the six participants.

Ingvarsson and Hollobaugh (2011) investigated tact- or echoic-to-intraverbal transfer of stimulus control to “wh” questions for three preschool-aged boys with autism. The current study was a systematic replication of this study with an adolescent girl with Down syndrome. A multielement design was used to compare the effectiveness and efficiency of picture or echoic prompts presented on an iPad or in vivo to teach “wh” questions. All prompt conditions were effective. Conclusions and recommendations for practice are presented.

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Among academically talented students, SES and racial group membership predict both college expectations and matriculation, and youth less often attend and complete postsecondary education if their parents did not go to college. For successful adjustment to college, significant adults during high school matter more than they might imagine. Talking to teachers and counselors had strong relationships with social and academic adjustment as well as with positive attitudes for all students. Interestingly, the more participants talked to teachers in high school, the more academically competent they felt in college, and this relationship was especially strong for first-generation students. Such findings suggest that "getting ready" experiences may prepare students to more effectively balance the multiple developmental tasks they face as college students on the threshold of adulthood. This preparation may be especially important for persistence among vulnerable populations, including firstgeneration students, who spend the least time of any group talking to teachers outside class. Students in low-income, urban communities may be in reasonable proximity to a community, vocational, or 4-year college; students in rural schools may more often see relatively few opportunities for higher education. An academically oriented high school peer group also may prepare students to become socially engaged on the college campus. These preliminary findings are a strong argument for policies and practices that bring all new college students together in personalized social interactions as quickly as possible rather than focusing on groups perceived to be "at risk."

Disclosure of stressful life experiences is described here as a potential means of stress reduction and as a potential indicator of available support. This study compared reports of the disclosure of college experiences by college freshmen (N = 1,539). Using a student survey conducted at four universities across the country, disclosure by first-generation student status was compared. The targets of students' disclosure, including family, friends from home, friends at school, and professionals at school also were examined. Differences by first-generation status were found in disclosure and the targets of disclosure. Implications include first-generation college students' need for increased opportunities to disclose stressful college-related experiences to others.