Formative evaluation of project TEAM (Teens Making Environment and Activity Modifications).

Project TEAM taught high-school students with intellectual or developmental disabilities how to spot barriers and ask for changes.

Ten teens met after school for 12 lessons. They played games, took photos, and set personal goals like using the elevator or asking for seat cushions.

Staff gave quizzes before and after to check learning and tracked each student’s goals for eight weeks.

Every teen scored higher on the barrier quiz after the lessons.

Yet their real-life problem-solving stayed flat.

Three out of four teens hit at least one self-set goal, such as using a quiet room for tests.

Taylor et al. (2017) and EbrahimiSani et al. (2020) also used tech tools with teens who have developmental delays. All three studies show medium skill gains, but the skills stay narrow.

Mombarg et al. (2013) and Wuang et al. (2011) saw the same pattern with Wii games: kids got better at the game task, but the skill did not spread to daily life.

Savaldi-Harussi et al. (2025) looks like a contradiction. Their Smart-Glove helped some students learn words faster, while Project TEAM did not boost problem solving. The gap fades when you note Gat targeted basic recall with younger, moderate-ID students, while M et al. asked older teens to plan and speak up—far harder skills.

You can use Project TEAM lessons as a quick knowledge boost before transition planning. Teach the barrier-spotting language, then add extra coaching to turn that knowledge into real requests. Pair the curriculum with in-vivo practice if you want the skill to travel beyond the classroom.