Outreach Materials

Appendix C

Outreach Materials

Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum

Outreach materials for survey and interview

Initial Invite Email – Survey

Subject: Opportunity to participate in an autism study

Dear [name]:

Are you interested in participating in a national study about autistic young adults’ job experiences? Read more below about our organization’s involvement in this national study and an exciting opportunity for you to participate.

What is the study?

• Our organization is partnering with Mathematica on the Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS) study.

• This study is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and will help them learn about the job experiences of young adults on the autism spectrum. This information can be used to support the well-being of autistic people.

What will I be asked to do?

• If you’re interested in participating in the study, you will be asked to complete a 25-minute survey about your education, work experience, and job-related training or services you’ve received.

• This survey was designed to be completed by autistic young adults. If you need some help, you can ask a parent, friend, teacher, or other adult to help you, but this person must be at least 18 years old. You can also have an adult who knows about your job experiences complete the survey on your behalf, as needed.

How do I access the survey?

• You can access the survey using the link below:

[START SURVEY HERE – survey link]

• There are some initial questions that will determine whether you are eligible to participate.

What do I get for participating?

• You will receive a $40 gift card for completing the survey.

• You can choose from a Visa, Amazon, or Uber gift card.

Do I have to participate?

• Taking part in the study is completely your choice.

• If you decide to take the survey, you can skip any question that you do not want to answer.

What will the study do with my data?

• The study will use your data for research purposes only.

• Study reports will combine all answers and will not identify you personally. None of the reports prepared for this study will include information that identifies you. Participation in the study will not impact your involvement with our organization in any way.

Click the START SURVEY button above if you’d like to participate in the study. For more information about the study or answers to any questions, you can email the Survey Director, Karen CyBulski, at [email protected].

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely, 

[Partner Organization Staff]

Reminder Email – Survey

Subject: Reminder about participation in an autism study

Dear [name]:

Last week, we sent you a note about our organization’s involvement in a national study about autistic young adults’ job experiences. We’re partnering with Mathematica on the Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS) study, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. The study will help them learn about the job experiences of young adults on the autism spectrum and this information can be used to support the well-being of autistic people.

More study details are found below, along with a link to complete the study’s survey.

What will I be asked to do?

• You will be asked to complete a 25-minute survey about your education, work experience, and job-related training or services you’ve received.

• This survey was designed to be completed by autistic young adults. If you need some help, you can ask a parent, friend, teacher, or other adult to help you, but this person must be at least 18 years old. You can also have an adult who knows about your job experiences complete the survey on your behalf, as needed.

How do I access the survey?

• You can access the survey using the link below:

[START SURVEY HERE – survey link]

• There are some initial questions that will determine whether you are eligible to participate.

What do I get for participating?

• You will receive a $40 gift card for completing the survey.

• You can choose from a Visa, Amazon, or Uber gift card.

Do I have to participate?

• Taking part in the study is completely your choice.

• If you decide to take the survey, you can skip any question that you do not want to answer.

What will the study do with my data?

• The study will use your data for research purposes only.

• Study reports will combine all answers and will not identify you personally. None of the reports prepared for this study will include information that identifies you. Participation in the study will not impact your involvement with our organization in any way.

Click the START SURVEY button above if you’d like to participate in the study. For more information about the study or answers to any questions, you can email the Survey Director, Karen CyBulski, at [email protected].

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely, 

[Partner Organization Staff]

Interview Invitation – People with several years of full-time employment experience

Subject: Invitation for virtual interview about job experiences

Dear [name]:

We would like to invite you to schedule a 30-minute virtual interview. During the interview we will talk about your job experiences.

The interview is part of the Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS) project. Thank you for completing the Young Adult Survey and agreeing to being contacted with details about the interview. The U.S. Department of Labor is sponsoring this national study about autistic young adults’ job experiences. [Partner organization] is partnering with Mathematica, who is leading the study. The study will help the Office of Disability Employment Policy learn about the job experiences of young adults on the autism spectrum. This information can be used to support the well-being of autistic people.

We will schedule the interview for about 30 minutes by phone or through an online video-calling platform (which includes a chatroom for text-based responses). Individuals who complete the interview will receive a $40 gift card.

Topics for the interview include:

• What you like or dislike about your job

• Whether you think you will be working at your job in two years

• Whether you think you can advance and grow in your job

• Challenges at work, or challenges finding or staying in your job

• Help or accommodations that can or would make it easier to find or stay in a job

• How you were hired and onboarded

• What kind of services have or would help you attain and retain a job

• Challenges accessing or using job services

You can participate in the interview whether or not you have or have not told potential, current, or past employers that you are on the autism spectrum.

Can you please respond by [date next week] confirming if you are interested in taking part in an interview? If you are interested, we will send you a scheduling poll and more details about how to log in to the virtual meeting.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call Marisa Shenk at 202-838-3639. We look forward to your participation. Thank you for your help!

Sincerely, 

[Mathematica Staff]

Interview Reminder – People with several years of full-time employment experience

Subject: Reminder about participation in virtual interview about job experiences

Dear [name]:

We’re following up on an email we sent last week inviting you to schedule a 30-minute virtual interview about your job experiences.

The interview is part of the Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS) project. We’re inviting you to participate in this interview since you completed the Young Adult Survey in [Date] and agreed to be contacted with details about the interview. The interview will cover a variety of job-related topics, such as what you like or dislike about your job, challenges at work, how you were hired and onboarded, and challenges accessing or using job services.

Can you please respond by [date next week] confirming if you are interested in taking part in an interview? If you are interested, we will send you a scheduling poll and more details about how to log in to the virtual meeting.

As a reminder, the U.S. Department of Labor is sponsoring this national study about autistic young adults’ job experiences. [Partner organization] is partnering with Mathematica, who is leading the study. The study will help us learn about the job experiences of young adults on the autism spectrum. This information can be used to support the well-being of autistic people.

We will schedule the interview for about 30 minutes by phone or through an online video-calling platform (which includes a chatroom for text-based responses). Individuals who complete the interview will receive a $40 gift card.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call Marisa Shenk at 202-838-3639. We look forward to your participation. Thank you for your help!

Sincerely, 

[Mathematica Staff]

Interview Invitation – People who have never had full-time employment

Subject: Invitation for virtual interview about work and job-related services

Dear [name]:

We would like to invite you to schedule a 30-minute virtual interview. During the interview we will talk about your experiences with work and job-related services and training.

The interview is part of the Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS) project. Thank you for completing the Young Adult Survey and agreeing to being contacted with details about the interview. The U.S. Department of Labor is sponsoring this national study about autistic young adults’ job experiences. [Partner organization] is partnering with Mathematica, who is leading the study. The study will help us learn about the job experiences of young adults on the autism spectrum. This information can be used to support the well-being of autistic people.

We will schedule the interview for about 30 minutes by phone or through an online video-calling platform (which includes a chatroom for text-based responses). Individuals who complete the interview will receive a $40 gift card.

Topics for the interview include:

• Interest in working

• Challenges finding or staying in a job

• Help or accommodations that would make it easier to find or stay in a job

• What kind of services have or would help you find or stay in a job

• Challenges accessing or using job services

Can you please respond by [date] confirming if you are interested in taking part in an interview? If you are interested, we will send you a scheduling poll and more details about how to log in to the virtual meeting.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call Marisa Shenk at 202-838-3639. We look forward to your participation. Thank you for your help!

Sincerely, 

[Mathematica Staff]

Interview Reminder – People who have never had full-time employment

Subject: Reminder about participation in virtual interview on work and job-related services

Dear [name]:

We’re following up on an email we sent last week inviting you to schedule a 30-minute virtual interview about your experiences with work and job-related services and training.

The interview is part of the Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS) project. We’re inviting you to participate in this interview since you completed the Young Adult Survey in [Date] and agreed to be contacted with details about the interview. The interview will cover a variety of topics, such as interest in working, challenges finding or staying in a job, and challenges accessing or using job services.

Can you please respond by [date] confirming if you are interested in taking part in an interview? If you are interested, we will send you a scheduling poll and more details about how to log in to the virtual meeting.

As a reminder, the U.S. Department of Labor is sponsoring this national study about autistic young adults’ job experiences. [Partner organization] is partnering with Mathematica, who is leading the study. The study will help us learn about the job experiences of young adults on the autism spectrum. This information can be used to support the well-being of autistic people.

We will schedule the interview for about 30 minutes by phone or through an online video-calling platform (which includes a chatroom for text-based responses). Individuals who complete the interview will receive a $40 gift card.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call Marisa Shenk at 202-838-3639. We look forward to your participation. Thank you for your help!

Sincerely, 

[Mathematica Staff]