Dr. Matthew Smith presented this poster at the 2024 International Society for Autism Research (INSAR).

Introduction:

• During dissemination of study results evaluating virtual interview training for transition-age youth, autistic transition-age youth, their teachers, providers, and parents requested that the research team build a simulated role-play focused on soft skills in a professional setting for autistic youth and young adults engaged in services.
• Thus, our team partnered with 18 autistic youth and adults, 10 vocational counselors, and community, diversity, and scientific advisory boards to develop WorkChat: A Virtual Workday through an iterative feedback loop.
• WorkChat is a safe virtual space where trainees practice talking with virtual customers, coworkers, and supervisors (depicted by actors) with varying personalities and needs. WorkChat provides four levels of automated feedback to help enhance workplace conversations.

Primary Aim:

• To demonstrate WorkChat and share the initial implementation process outcomes.

Methods:

• We surveyed and interviewed Pre-ETS staff at 3 sites.
• 15 of 18 WorkChat participants completed acceptability and usability surveys with 8 of 15 providing answers to open-ended questions asking about their WorkChat experience.
• Quotes from the qualitative are shared to contextualize the high levels of participants acceptability and usability.

Results:

• Quantitatively, WorkChat trainees reported the tool was acceptable and usable.
• Qualitatively, WorkChat trainees noted they appreciated learning tangible skills while talking with customers, coworkers, and supervisors during the virtual work day.
• Quantitatively, staff were appreciative of how they were oriented to deliver WorkChat and perceived it as appropriate and feasible to deliver.
• Qualitatively, staff identified some key barriers to overcome to improve the feasibility of delivery.
• Staff appreciated that students could work independently with WorkChat and its flexible delivery.

Limitations:

• These are preliminary results and must be interpreted within the context of its limitations.
• Implementation processes were limited to pre-implementation as staff were unavailable to support delivery as designed.
• The use of select quotes doesn’t represent the results of thematic analyses which are ongoing.
• Only 8 of 18 WorkChat trainees shared qualitative data.

Implications:

• Autistic youth and young adults engaged in Pre-ETS reported that WorkChat was acceptable and usable, while noting multiple barriers to delivery that need to be addressed prior to implementation.
• Evaluation of the determinants of implementation that occurred during delivery is still ongoing.

Download the poster here: INSAR 2024 Poster WorkChat Demonstration