Adaptation of an Anxiety Prevention Program for Young People with Autism in School Settings When Faced With Career Choices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.82396/cjcd.v25i1.3280Keywords:
career choice, anxiety about career choices, anxiety, Group career counseling, school environment, autismAbstract
Anxiety about career choices affects many young people, including those with autism. These young people have specific guidance needs that are not always taken into account in individual or group interventions. In response to requests from schools, the HORS-PISTE Orientation program research team looked into the adjustments needed to meet the needs of this population. This article aims to highlight the adaptations that need to be made to the main elements of the program, based on the experience of an initial implementation with this population. The program was implemented in two settings, with four groups totaling 24 participants in grades 10 and 11. Data were collected through audio recordings of the meetings and individual interviews with the facilitators and participants. The data were then subjected to thematic analysis. The results highlight the contextual and content elements that work well, but also those that would benefit from adaptation. The discussion offers recommendations for adapting group counseling programs to an autistic population, including the involvement of teachers in facilitation, the formation of relatively homogeneous groups, and the facilitation of activities that are as concrete as possible.
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