Most adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience challenges acquiring competitive employment (Bush & Tassé, 2017; Holwerda et al., 2012). Of those employed, some settle for positions that do not match their skill level, offer fewer hours, or provide lower pay compared to their neurotypical counterparts (Scott et al., 2019). As such, service providers may feel compelled to accept positions for their autistic clients that do not match their employment preferences or aptitudes. Autistic adults employed in positions unmatched to their strengths or interests may demonstrate performance issues that could adversely affect employment outcomes. In the current investigation, the direct vocational assessment procedures developed by LaRue et al. (2020) were adapted to repair existing jobs held by autistic adults. A direct vocational assessment (DVA) was conducted with three severely impacted autistic adults demonstrating performance issues at their community-based jobs to determine the extent to which their existing job matched their preferences. Using a reversal design, results from individual DVAs informed modifications to primary job responsibilities of participants to evaluate the effects on their performance. Results suggested that modifying unmatched job responsibilities to more closely align with participants’ preferences reduced rates of challenging behavior and increased on-task behavior at work.
