Evidence-based research drives the development of the program.

KF-STRIDE was developed by Dr. Helen Genova, a cognitive neuroscientist and Associate Director of the Center for Autism Research at Kessler Foundation, a leading non-profit research institution. KF-STRIDE is based on well-validated principles of positive psychology. Our research indicates that KF-STRIDE is meaningful to the neurodiverse community and effective in improving job interview skills.

Study 1

Recently, Dr. Genova’s work published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders showed that students who used a brief version of KF-STRIDE combined with other practice improved their interview skills more than students who did not use KF-STRIDE. This randomized controlled trial also indicated that students felt more confident in their job interview skills after using KF-STRIDE.

Study 2

Dr. Genova partnered with the neurodiverse community by collecting feedback about KF-STRIDE from neurodiverse individuals, and those who work with them. The neurodiverse community (including individuals on the autism spectrum) provided essential recommendations on how to refine KF-STRIDE to best suit the needs of neurodiverse individuals. Based on this feedback, Dr. Genova refined KF-STRIDE to be the version we offer today. You can read more about this exciting study here.

Ongoing Work

In Dr. Genova’s ongoing work funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research and other donors will continue to develop, expand and evaluate KF-STRIDE. Our team is currently developing other KF-STRIDE products which include a job interview tool for older adults and a job maintenance program.

Our goal is to build a future for the neurodiverse community inspired by their strengths.