Master of Arts (Applied Psychology)

This study explored the predictive relationship between autistic working adults’ individual characteristics (i.e., gender, age at the start of employment, highest education level attained, and presence of other mental disorders) and the length of their employment periods, with a particular interest of their employment status at the 12-month time point, otherwise termed ‘employment sustainability’. It also further explored how their pre-employment levels of independence in various soft skills, namely, their work habits, self-management, communication and interaction skills, and independent functioning, may predict employment sustainability. The aim of the study was to determine if there were any identifiable traits or pre-employment skills autistic individuals possess that may indicate longer employment periods, which was positioned in this study as a measure of employment success in autistic adults.

Pre-enrolment assessment data collected by a local vocational agency, using a standardized assessment checklist, otherwise known as the E2C Vocational Assessment Soft Skills Checklist (EVASSC), on a total of 185 (146 male, 39 female; mean age: 25.5 years) job-matched autistic clients was analyzed. Based on the results, this study did not find any significant relationship between autistic employees’ demographic variables and the length of their employment periods. While the overall model for demographic variables as predictors was non-significant, it was found that the presence of other mental disorders significantly predicted clients having difficulty maintaining employment within their first 12 months. Additionally, this study found that autistic clients’ soft skills pre-employment was a significant predictor of employment sustainability. Specifically, the higher level of support autistic clients required pre-employment in the soft skill domain of independent functioning, the longer they remained in their vocational positions.

These results thus have implications on the screening of potential autistic employees, in that their skillsets should take priority over individual characteristics when considering them for hire. The findings also inform a need for mental health services in vocational rehabilitation of autistic employees, as well as more refined processes in promoting career progression in autistic adults with higher levels of independent functioning.

To support an increasing number of students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in mainstream schools, it is important for teachers to differentiate their instruction to meet the varied needs of students. This study examined the current levels of use of differentiated instruction and academic progress monitoring practices among 98 Primary School English Language (EL) teachers in Singapore (81% female, average of 16.1 years in service) to support students with dyslexia in their classroom. It also explores teachers’ existing attitudes towards inclusion, self-efficacy for inclusive practices, and perceptions of student diversity. The study also examined if teachers’ attitudes, self-efficacy, and perceptions of student diversity can predict their use of differentiated instruction and academic progress monitoring practices, and the mediating role of teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices. Results indicated that teachers’ self-efficacy significantly predicted their differentiated instruction and academic progress monitoring practices. Teachers’ perceptions of student diversity significantly predicted their differentiated instruction practices and marginally predicted academic progress monitoring practices. However, teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion did not predict both differentiated instruction and academic progress monitoring practices. Teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices fully mediated the relationship between teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion and their differentiated instruction practices. Findings from this study add to our understanding on the influence of various teacher factors on teachers’ inclusive practices in the classroom and highlights the importance of building teachers’ self-efficacy for inclusive practices. Limitations, possible future research, and implications of the results were discussed.