Using Preference Assessments to Identify Preferred Job Tasks for Adolescents with Autism

Matching job tasks to the individual’s preferences improves job performance. Preference assessments, including paired stimulus (PS) and multiple-stimulus-without-replacement (MSWO) procedures, can be used to identify preferred vocational tasks for individuals with disabilities. However, there are few direct comparisons of the efficacy and efficiency of these two assessments for identifying preferred job tasks. We completed the PS and MSWO assessments for three participants who had limited vocal skills and analyzed correspondence between the assessment outcomes. We then assessed the validity of each assessment by evaluating engagement in the tasks identified as high- and low-preferred. Lastly, we asked teachers to watch videos of students engaged in high- and low-preferred tasks and rate student engagement, student happiness, and whether they would recommend the task. For all participants, both preference assessments identified the same high-preferred job task, but different low-preferred tasks. All participants remained engaged when completing the high-preferred task, but two participants were less engaged with the low-preferred tasks identified by the PS than the low-preferred task identified by the MSWO. All teachers suggested that they would recommend the task that was identified as high-preferred.