Comparison of Technology-Based Presentation Modalities in Multi-Stimulus Job Task Preference Assessments

In preparation for adult life, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires transition assessment of employment interests and preferences and the development of a postsecondary employment goal for students with disabilities. However, traditional career interest assessments do not account for the needs and characteristics of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). Object-based work task preference assessments have been used for decades and have a large body of research supporting their use with individuals with significant disabilities. Recent studies have demonstrated the utility of electronic means of presenting choices to individuals with ASD, and videos and digital images have been used to determine the preferred jobs of participants with ID or ASD and ID. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of video and electronic pictorial presentation modalities used in multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessments with transition-age youth, ages 17-21, with ASD and ID. To validate results, preference hierarchies were compared between technology-based and object-based assessments, and task engagement was observed during the performance of high and low preference tasks. The electronic picture results matched object results with a moderate to strong correlation for six of eight participants, while the video results corresponded at least moderately to object results for five participants. Furthermore, task engagement data validated electronic pictorial assessment results for four participants, confirmed the high preference task for one, produced inconclusive results for one, and contradicted assessment results for two participants. Video-based assessment results were validated by task engagement for half of the participants. The object modality was accurate for nearly all participants. Results suggest that the electronic pictorial and video MSWO assessment of job task preferences are accurate and effective with some individuals and not as effective as the established object modality for others.