Poster Session #2: UC Ballroom

Presentation Type

Poster

Faculty Mentor’s Full Name

Jennifer Closson

Faculty Mentor’s Department

Communicative Sciences and Disorders

Abstract / Artist's Statement

Significant research contributions need to be made in the area of adults with autism. There is little available research on intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) over the age of 13. As a consequence, clinicians do not have evidence based treatments to implement with their clients adolescence through adulthood. Vanderbilt University reviewed 4,500 studies on autism interventions published between 1980 and 2011and they found that only 32 of these studies focused on intervention for people aged of 13 to 30 and that “many of the 32 studies were poorly done.” (Diament, Michelle 2012.)

Through qualitative interviews this study explores the experience of one individual with ASD and his mentors in the Mentoring, Organization, and Social Support for Autism Inclusion on Campus (MOSSAIC) program. The MOSSAIC program utilizes a peer mediated intervention and instruction (PMII) model and aims to improve the college experience for individuals with ASD. Within MOSSAIC PMII targets executive functioning skills such as organization and time management while working with peers offers social support, mentoring, and inclusion. Proposed are in-person semi-structured interviews with one mentee with ASD and his previous and current mentors. Both mentors are students of the Communicative Sciences and Disorders department. The mentee interview will focus on the outcomes of the MOSSAIC program participation while mentee interviews will address the educational impacts of participating in such a program. This research should help identify the needs of college/university students with ASD while evaluating the outcomes of PMII for both mentors and mentees.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, peer mediated instruction and intervention, through the life span, transition, undergraduate in speech-language pathology, executive functioning, social skills, self-advocating, academics.

Category

Life Sciences

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Apr 11th, 3:00 PM Apr 11th, 4:00 PM

Peer Mediated Intervention and Instruction: Mutually Beneficial Throughout the Lifespan

Significant research contributions need to be made in the area of adults with autism. There is little available research on intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) over the age of 13. As a consequence, clinicians do not have evidence based treatments to implement with their clients adolescence through adulthood. Vanderbilt University reviewed 4,500 studies on autism interventions published between 1980 and 2011and they found that only 32 of these studies focused on intervention for people aged of 13 to 30 and that “many of the 32 studies were poorly done.” (Diament, Michelle 2012.)

Through qualitative interviews this study explores the experience of one individual with ASD and his mentors in the Mentoring, Organization, and Social Support for Autism Inclusion on Campus (MOSSAIC) program. The MOSSAIC program utilizes a peer mediated intervention and instruction (PMII) model and aims to improve the college experience for individuals with ASD. Within MOSSAIC PMII targets executive functioning skills such as organization and time management while working with peers offers social support, mentoring, and inclusion. Proposed are in-person semi-structured interviews with one mentee with ASD and his previous and current mentors. Both mentors are students of the Communicative Sciences and Disorders department. The mentee interview will focus on the outcomes of the MOSSAIC program participation while mentee interviews will address the educational impacts of participating in such a program. This research should help identify the needs of college/university students with ASD while evaluating the outcomes of PMII for both mentors and mentees.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, peer mediated instruction and intervention, through the life span, transition, undergraduate in speech-language pathology, executive functioning, social skills, self-advocating, academics.