Effectiveness of an Interactive Computer Training Tool to Teach Labor Social Skills to Autistic Adults

Studies of interventions that promote workplace inclusion for autistic people are of particular interest, especially with regard to deficits in social skills. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of an Interactive Computer Training (ICT) tool to teach four adult participants with autism how to ask for help in a simulated work environment. A multiple‐probe experimental design was used. The participants were exposed to an evocative simulated situation, in which their ability to ask for help was evaluated over probe and baseline sessions. They then underwent ICT, and their ability to ask for help was again evaluated. The results indicated that the target skill performance of two of four participants reached 100% accuracy after exposure to ICT. The other two participants reached the same acquisition criterion after a 5‐min feedback session. These findings contribute to the literature on the efficacy of ICT and teaching workplace social skills to autistic adults. The short duration of the training protocol encourages its applicability in natural environments.