Current and Recently Completed Work

Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS) Project

REYAAS (August 2021 to September 2026) is seeking to identify promising practices and policies to support the employment of young people (ages 16 to 28) on the autism spectrum. Recent estimates suggest that annually about 100,000 children on the autism spectrum turn 18 in the United States. A majority of young adults on the autism spectrum have one or more co-occurring health or mental health conditions, and young adults on the autism spectrum are more likely than young adults without disabilities to be living in households with income below the federal poverty level. Young adults on the autism spectrum can face challenges to entering the labor force, including a sudden reduction of services when exiting high school (the “services cliff”). In addition autistic young adults are less likely to participate in vocational or technical education or have a job after leaving high school, compared with young adults with other disabilities.

Capstone Webinar

On September 16, 2026, Mathematica delivered a capstone webinar to the public, providing an overview of project findings, with remarks from ODEP Assistant Secretary Julie Hocker, Jeff Hemmeter, Scott Robertson, and Tiffany Jameson. The recorded presentation and PowerPoint slides are available.

• Recording of the capstone webinar
• Slides presented during the capstone webinar

Employer Practices Brief

This brief describes principles and practices that employers can apply to improve the hiring and retaining of autistic workers.

• Employer practices brief

LifeMAP Case Study Brief

This brief describes the Life Management Assistance Program (LifeMAP) one-on-one coaching program that helps people on the autism spectrum identify and work toward goals, including attaining and retaining employment.

• LifeMAP case study brief

Evaluation Design Options Report

This report builds on literature reviews and listening sessions conducted in the knowledge development phase of the REYAAS project. It presents evaluation design options for the following interventions, which are designed to improve employment outcomes for autistic young adults: enhancing access to Registered Apprenticeship and related support services; tailoring YouthBuild program to the needs of autistic young adults; enhancing access to supported employment in Vocational Rehabilitation; and incorporating virtual interview training for transition-age youth in Job Corps.

• Evaluation design options report
• Spotlight on evaluation design options report

Data Analysis Report

This report examines the way young adults on the autism spectrum (ages 16 to 28) engage with state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies, the characteristics of those who apply for VR services, the VR services they use, and their employment outcomes. This study examined Rehabilitation Services Administration—Case Service Reports (RSA-911) restricted-use files for program years 2017 to 2020.

• Data analysis report
• Spotlight on data analysis report
• Infographic on data analysis report

Data Inventory Brief

This issue brief presents an inventory of 11 data sets, including administrative and survey data sources, that contain employment-related information about young adults on the autism spectrum. Researchers can use these data sets to shed light on the topic, though the data are limited in their ability to provide a detailed, longitudinal assessment of this population or their employment outcomes.

• Data inventory brief

Listening Sessions Report

This report summarizes the content from a series of listening sessions involving a variety of relevant groups:  young adults on the autism spectrum, advocates and policymakers, direct service providers, educators, employers, and researchers.

• Listening sessions report

Literature Review #1

This report describes the range of programs, models, and strategies that have been implemented to support the transition to competitive integrated employment for young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities including autism.

• Literature review #1

Literature Review #2

This report summarizes the evidence on the effectiveness of the approaches identified in the first literature review; it also assesses whether that evidence is growing, lacking, consistent, or divergent.

• Literature review #2
• Spotlight on literature reviews

Disability Data Series

The Disability Data Series features a collection of papers that employ qualitative and quantitative approaches to explore crucial aspects of disability data. The goal of the series is to inform policy decisions by spotlighting efforts to collect and use disability data and shedding light on key disability employment topics.

• Volume 1: Stakeholder Engagement in Redesigning the Current Population Survey Disability Supplement (April 2024)

Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work Models and Strategies

It remains a key policy goal to help workers stay on the job or return-to-work as soon as possible after experiencing an injury or illness that inhibits their ability to work. Researchers found that large-scale stay-at-work/return-to-work (SAW/RTW) programs may have the most impact on workers who likely to leave the labor force without such assistance. Developing effective SAW/RTW programs requires information about the current policy landscape and evidence about what kinds of SAW/RTW assistance is effective and for whom. The findings from this project (September 2020) also highlight several areas for future research and provide guidance on five strategies to expand evidence on effective SAW/RTW interventions.