Evaluating the Social Validity of Project TEAM: A Problem-Solving Intervention to Teach Transition Age Youth with Developmental Disabilities to Resolve Environmental Barriers

Feasibility of electronic peer mentoring for transition‐age youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Project Teens making Environment and Activity Modifications

“…This study did not include a direct evaluation of satisfaction or acceptability from mentors or mentees. However, other published research about Project TEAM includes both positive and negative feedback about the peer mentoring component from both mentees and parents (Kramer et al, in press). In addition, research is needed to understand how engagement in electronic peer mentoring relates to Project TEAM outcomes.…”

Considering Social Validity in Special Education Research

“…Although it is common to see social validity assessed using a qualitative approach in quantitative intervention studies, these seldom represent true mixed methods research, but instead often involve a separate research question related to social validity or assess social validity informally. Kramer et al (2018) used a true mixed methods approach in their participatory evaluation (i.e., participants in the program were involved in designing and conducting the evaluation) to assess the social validity of Project TEAM (Teens making Environment and Activity Modifications), which teaches teens with developmental disabilities to identify and remove environmental barriers to their school, work, and community-based participation. The researchers chose to assess social validity, as defined by Wolf (1978) (what), to explore if their intervention was "considered valuable, worth the effort and time expended, and relevant to the needs of transition age youth" with developmental disabilities (p. 59) by capturing the perspectives and experiences of 42 participating youth and 37 of their parents (why and who).…”

Understanding self-determination as a crucial component in promoting the distinct value of occupational therapy in post-secondary transition planning

“…Further, occupational therapists possess the skills to systematically evaluate the physical, social, cultural, economic, and technological environment. An example of this is Project TEAM (Teens making Activity and Environment Modifications), an occupational therapy intervention that teaches youth to identify environmental barriers to their participation, generate modification strategies to address those barriers, and request reasonable accommodations (Kramer et al, 2018). Youth use a problem-solving approach that is grounded in self-determination theory, but this intervention differs from typical self-determination programs by focusing on the environment.…”

“…At the research level, occupational therapists can build upon and expand the existing evidence-base of self-determination programs and models. The previously described Project TEAM intervention study provides an example of how occupational therapy research has the potential to contribute a unique, nuanced, and in-depth understanding of the transaction between the person and environment (Kramer et al, 2014, 2018). Occupational therapy research could focus on identifying and documenting self-determination from an occupational performance perspective, i.e.…”