Pilot study of the professional inclusion in ordinary environment for people with autism spectrum disorders

Objective. - Study concerned of job types of tasks analysis performed in firm by six adults with autism and in autonomy's degree with which they were these ones, while they were accompanied during all their professional activities by expert in autism coaches in the context of an Intervention-Development-Home-School-Firm-Supervision Program (IDHSFS). The objective is to research types of tasks in which adults were more or less autonomous in order to identify these ones needing specific interventions and guidance actions. Method. - Six adult participants and their coaches were observed by three psychologists on work places and during a type-day working. Each work task and the different coach actions were identified and analyzed. A rating scale permits on the one hand to code these tasks in three types: daily activities, preparation of products activities, and categorization activities and on the other hand to assess autonomy degrees determined by either absent, occasional or systematic coach interventions. Result. - In the daily tasks which were usual and repetitive, adults with autism were more autonomous than in other tasks, such as preparation of products and categorization in which there were more unknown and unpredictable actions and which implied some necessary verbal and non-verbal helps and interventions. Conclusion. - This study shows evidence that professional inclusion of adults with autism and mental retardation in an ordinary environment is possible when expert coaching may be essentially centered on work non-repetitive activities while daily functional usual and repetitive activities were performed by these adults in an autonomous way. (C) 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All right reserved.