This is Me: Impact of an electronic secondary transition tool on novel adults’ knowledge of students with developmental disabilities’ support strategies and interests

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Critical information for supporting students with developmental disabilities is often lost in the process of transitioning from school to work and other domains of post-school life. OBJECTIVE: This study examines the impact of This is Me (TiME), an electronic secondary transition tool, on novel adults’ abilities to learn about students’ supports/interests. TiME stories are customized tools, created in collaboration with students using their personal iDevices, that allow students to teach new adults in their lives about themselves by sharing picture and video clip examples of support strategies necessary for communication, executive function, and other vital information. METHODS: Participants were transition-aged students with communication disorders and developmental disabilities (e.g., autism and/or intellectual disabilities) each paired with a novel adult. We used a randomized control design to compare novel adults’ knowledge of students before and after viewing students’ TiME stories. RESULTS: Following sharing of students’ TiME stories, new adults were able to describe significantly more about students’ strategies and other personal information than following unaided conversations. CONCLUSION: TiME stories offer a promising tool for supporting transition-aged students to teach new employers, employment service providers, and other adult service staff about their strengths and needs at work and in other post-school contexts.