Up to 70,000 autistic teenagers enter adulthood in the US each year, yet many report feeling unprepared for the leap. The Stepped Transition to Employment and Postsecondary Success (STEPS) programme is a goal-oriented intervention designed to bridge this gap: participants identify real-life aspirations—like arranging a mock job interview or planning a solo bus journey—and practise the skills they need for independent adult life. In a 2025 pilot study, Brewe and White transported STEPS from a university clinic to a community agency. Twelve autistic adolescents and adults completed the intervention, which proved both viable and accepted: fidelity to the manual topped ninety per cent, almost every participant finished the course, and satisfaction ratings sat near the ceiling. Early outcomes were encouraging—about one-third showed reliable gains in transition readiness and over half improved in general self-efficacy—laying the groundwork for a larger effectiveness-implementation trial.
Background
Each year roughly 70 000 autistic teenagers in the United States reach adulthood, yet many feel unprepared for the leap. Services during high school often focus narrowly on academics and rarely address the broader skills needed for work or independent living, leaving autistic young adults to confront a steep “service cliff” once they graduate (Kirby et al., 2020; Laxman et al., 2019). Employment statistics show autistic adults record the lowest employment rates of any disability group and, when hired, work fewer hours for lower wages (Nord et al., 2016; Roux et al., 2015). Quality‑of‑life studies similarly document elevated risks for social isolation and reduced independent‑living success (Biggs & Carter, 2016; Lin & Huang, 2019).
Researchers have identified three modifiable mechanisms that cut across these challenges—self‑knowledge, self‑determination and self‑regulation—and preliminary trials suggest they can be strengthened through manualised interventions (Cai & Richdale, 2016; Baker‑Ericzén et al., 2018). STEPS emerged from this work, drawing on cognitive‑behavioural techniques and stakeholder feedback to create a modular curriculum targeting all three mechanisms (White et al., 2017; 2021). The pilot by Brewe and White marks the first full test of STEPS in a setting entirely independent of the developers.
Up to 70,000 autistic teenagers enter adulthood in the US each year, yet many report feeling unprepared for the leap.
What the pilot trial found
STEPS is a goal‑oriented programme in which participants identify specific aspirations—arranging a mock job interview, planning a solo bus journey, organising a weekly budget—and then practise the necessary skills, review progress and troubleshoot barriers in real time. The core curriculum weaves psycho‑education about autism, self‑advocacy coaching, graded exposure to new environments and structured problem‑solving into a coherent sequence that can be tailored to individual needs.
In the community trial, fidelity checks confirmed that nearly all of these elements were delivered as intended, and participants reported strong working relationships with their facilitator. Engagement was high: almost everyone completed the programme, attended the vast majority of sessions and finished homework on schedule, while satisfaction ratings hovered near the top of the five‑point scale.
Early clinical signals underscored that enthusiasm. Approximately one‑third of participants achieved a statistically reliable improvement in transition readiness, and more than half gained ground in general self‑efficacy, echoing results from earlier university‑based studies. Self‑knowledge and self‑determination trended upward, and changes in self‑regulation were mixed showing most felt more confident managing daily routines. Importantly, no one deteriorated on the primary outcomes, suggesting the programme is safe as well as feasible.
High engagement and favourable early outcomes suggest STEPS can help autistic young adults build the confidence and skills they need for adult life.
Implications for services and research
Participant perspectives played an important role in evaluating the feasibility of STEPS. Young adults and their families provided both quantitative satisfaction ratings and qualitative feedback. On a five-point scale, participants rated the programme highly for overall satisfaction, feeling understood, and comfort with their facilitator. Several noted that setting and practising real-life goals was especially helpful, with one participant sharing: “It was good to focus on things I actually want to do and see the progress week by week.” Another appreciated the supportive, practical approach: “I liked that we worked on skills for everyday life, not just talking about problems.” Participants also offered suggestions for improvement, such as wanting more time on certain skills and greater involvement of caregivers for those who needed extra support. This direct feedback informed ongoing adjustments to the programme and highlights the value of co-producing interventions with autistic young people and their families.
The Authors argue that the strong feasibility signals justify a larger, pragmatic effectiveness–implementation trial that can test STEPS at scale and in more diverse agencies. To maximize impact, they highlight several priorities: First, adapt STEPS for participants with lower intellectual ability. In the pilot, these individuals formed weaker therapeutic alliances; the authors suggest lengthening or adding sessions, involving caregivers more closely and allowing extra time to clarify goals.
Second, boost homework adherence. Because between-session practice predicts outcomes in cognitive-behavioural work, future iterations should explicitly discuss the value of homework, collaborate on achievable tasks and schedule concrete practice times to offset executive-function challenges.
Third, retain a strengths-based tone in the self-knowledge module. Normalising gaps in autonomy and framing them as areas for growth, rather than deficits, may prevent feelings of discouragement as participants compare current abilities with future goals. This recommendation is grounded in participant experience: some young people, especially those with lower autonomy, expressed feelings of discouragement when confronted with the gap between current and future goals. Drawing on this feedback, the authors stress that future versions of STEPS should maintain a strengths-based, supportive tone—normalising growth and celebrating progress—to help all participants remain motivated and engaged
Fourth, fine-tune the delivery context. Agencies need quiet, developmentally appropriate spaces, and programmes should balance young adults’ autonomy with the supportive presence of caregivers or trusted allies when that aids skill generalisation.
Finally, measure functional progress alongside psychometric change. The authors call for future studies to capture “actionable milestones”—such as enrolling in college or mastering daily-living tasks—so that improvements resonate with participants, commissioners and families, not just researchers.
By pursuing these participant- and family-guided recommendations, the next phase of research can determine whether STEPS delivers lasting functional gains and how best to embed the programme in routine community services
Conclusions
Brewe and White’s pilot indicates that STEPS is both feasible and acceptable when delivered by community providers, offering an optimistic blueprint for smoothing autistic youths’ passage into adult roles. The next challenge is to confirm that these early gains translate into lasting functional improvements at scale and to determine the most efficient ways to embed STEPS in everyday services, and to identify how programmes like STEPS can contribute—alongside autistic-led advocacy and systemic change—to more supportive environments for young people entering adulthood.
With the right scaffolding, autistic young people can step confidently into adult life—community programmes like STEPS might help illuminate the route.
NB this blog has been peer-reviewed
Where next?
This conference, brings together four leading experts to explore distinct yet interconnected topics: early detection, co-occurring mental health challenges, participatory approaches, and evidence-based supports for adolescents and young adults. With a focus on practical tools, emerging models, and inclusive innovation, this conference is essential for professionals working to improve outcomes for autistic children, teens, and their families.
A phenomenal line-up includes: Professor Sven Bölte, Professor Geraldine Dawson, Associate Professor Georgia Pavlopoulou, and Professor Susan White.
Use the interactive programme below to gain an overview of the topic, meet the speakers, test your knowledge, and a whole lot more!
References
- Brewe, A. M., & White, S. W. (2025). Pilot trial of a community‑based transition support program for autistic adults. Neurodiversity, 3, 1–14.
Anderson, C., & Butt, C. (2018). Young adults on the autism spectrum: The struggle for appropriate services. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48, 3912–3925. - Baker‑Ericzén, M. J., Brookman‑Frazee, L., & Brodkin, E. S. (2018). Accelerating research on treatment and services for transition‑age youth and adults on the autism spectrum. Autism, 21, 2–5.
- Biggs, E. E., & Carter, E. W. (2016). Quality of life for transition‑age youth with autism or intellectual disability. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46, 190–204.
- Cai, R., & Richdale, A. (2016). Educational experiences and needs of higher‑education students with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 55, 275–289.
- Kirby, A. V., et al. (2020). A systematic review of service experiences across the transition to adulthood for autistic youth. Autism Research, 13, 1308–1325.
- Lin, S., & Huang, H. L. (2019). Independent living abilities among young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49, 4218–4228.
- Nord, D., et al. (2016). Employment disparities for adults with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46, 2990–3000.
- Roux, A. M., et al. (2015). National Autism Indicators Report: Transition into Young Adulthood. Life Course Outcomes Research Programme, A. J. Drexel Autism Institute.
- Taylor, J. L., & Henninger, N. A. (2015). Frequency and predictors of service receipt among autistic adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 3368–3379.
- White, S. W., Smith, I. C., Miyazaki, Y., et al. (2021). Improving transition to adulthood for students with autism: A randomised controlled trial of STEPS. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 50, 187–201.
About the author
Professor Francisco Musich, PhD is a Clinical Psychologist, Professor of Childhood Psychiatric and Neurological Disorder at Universidad Favaloro, Argentina, Head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychology at the Institute for Cognitive Neurology – INECO – Argentina, and Head of the Department of Psychopathology and Differential Diagnosis – ETCI – Argentina.
