Group and Peer-Mediated Behavioral Skills Training for Job Interview Skills: A Preliminary Evaluation With Adults With Developmental Disabilities

Competitive employment for individuals with developmental disabilities is associated with improved quality of life; however, research on interview training for this population is limited, and no studies emphasize interview questions that align with participants’ career goals. We adapted and extended procedures from Roberts et al. for behavioral skills training (BST) with group instruction and peer-to-peer role play with feedback to teach four adults with developmental disabilities interview skills that matched with their employment interests. A concurrent single-case multiple-probe design was used across three skills: answering questions, asking questions to the interviewer, and maintaining appropriate body language. Instruction began with small-group teaching, followed by peer-to-peer and individual practice interviews with feedback. Participants acquired the target skills and maintained performance during scheduled maintenance probes. Social validity results indicated the goals, methods, and outcomes were acceptable to participants, and professionals unfamiliar with the participants reported noticeable improvements in answering and asking interview questions.