CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOR EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS/VOL. 30/NO. 1/2007/PP. 35–47 35 Two-Year Evaluation of a Vocational Support Program for Adults on the Autism Spectrum

utism spectrum disorders (ASD) are character-ized by impaired social interaction, a restricted repertoire of activities and interests, and im-paired communication (except for relatively normal language use by individuals with Asperger syndrome; American Psychiatric Association, 1995). Several stud-ies have demonstrated progression of skills among chil-dren with autism following early intervention, including language gains, improved social interaction, and signif-icant IQ gains (Rogers, 1996). Whereas early interven-tion therapy results in a significant improvement in the functioning of individuals with ASD, relatively few in-terventions and research programs have focused on adolescents and adults. Few established therapeutic in-terventions exist for young adults on the autism spec-trum, and there is a significant lack of service provision and multidisciplinary support (Moxon & Gates, 2001). This paucity of vocational services is likely to become an increasing problem as more individuals benefit from early intervention therapy and are mainstreamed into inclusive environments. The incidence of ASD is rising, with one recent study showing a 373 % increase in th