TEACCH-supported employment program.

TEACCH staff tracked adults with autism who joined their supported work program. They counted how many kept their jobs over time.

The paper reports an 89% retention rate for more than 100 adults.

Most adults stayed employed. The 89% figure shows the TEACCH model keeps autistic workers on the job.

Job retention is the key outcome, not just getting hired.

Fedoroff et al. (2016) later topped the 89% mark. They used customized supported employment and hit 98% retention with 64 adults. The newer study adds individual job matching and fading supports.

Wehman et al. (2017) and Schroeder et al. (2014) show the same idea works for youth. Their Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports trials reached 90% competitive employment for autistic students, compared with only 6% in typical services. The youth studies used random assignment, giving stronger evidence.

Maddox et al. (2015) pooled ten studies and called community-based supported employment one of the two best-backed options for autistic adults. The review includes the 1997 TEACCH data, so the paper you are reading anchors the evidence base.

If you serve adults with autism, keep the job support going long after placement. The 89% mark is a benchmark you can share with funders and families. Pair it with newer customized tools from Fedoroff et al. (2016) to aim even higher.