Unlocking potential: Commanders' perspectives on the work efficiency and skillsets of autistic adults in non-combat military roles.
Background: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), present challenges, particularly with respect to employment. The Roim-Rachok Program (RRP) trains individuals with ASD for roles in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), to enhance these individuals' workforce integration. To date, no studies have investigated...
| Publicado en: | Work Vol. 83; no. 1; pp. 131 - 139 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Sage Publications Inc.
Jan2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=190662390&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 190662390 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 10519815 3RC jtl: Work issn: 10519815 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Jan2026 vid: 83 iid: 1 pid: 344 pub: Sage Publications Inc. place: Thousand Oaks, California artinfo: ui: 190662390 186823655 190662390 190662390 10.1177/10519815251359956 190662390 ppf: 131 ppct: 8 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Unlocking potential: Commanders' perspectives on the work efficiency and skillsets of autistic adults in non-combat military roles. aug: au: Selanikyo, Efrat Sagie, Dovrat Haas, Talia Erez, Asnat Bar Haim affil: Roim Rachok Program, Kiryat Ono, Israel sug: subj: Autism Spectrum Disorder In Adulthood Military Personnel Psychosocial Factors Productivity Leadership Personnel Management Support, Psychosocial Needs Assessment Program Evaluation Job Performance Human Male Female Adult Middle Age Israel Cross Sectional Studies Quantitative Studies Questionnaires Convenience Sample Self Report Descriptive Statistics Comparative Studies Summated Rating Scaling Data Analysis Software Nonparametric Statistics Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient Coefficient alpha Persons with Disabilities Adult: 19-44 years Middle Aged: 45-64 years Male Female ab: Background: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), present challenges, particularly with respect to employment. The Roim-Rachok Program (RRP) trains individuals with ASD for roles in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), to enhance these individuals' workforce integration. To date, no studies have investigated the professional work performance of RRP participants from the perspective of their military commanders. Objective: This study evaluated IDF commanders' perceptions of the work performance of RRP soldiers and assessed the support these soldiers need for optimal accomplishment of their job profiles. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study of 45 commanders (M = 27.0, SD = 7.5) was conducted. Data was collected using a 12-item Commanders' Questionnaire (TCQ) that assessed the task performance, independence, work quality, and perseverance of the 70 ASD soldiers under their orders. Descriptive and non-parametric analyses were applied to explore the associations between the commanders' background and their perceptions of these soldiers' performance. Results: Varimax rotation yielded four domains: Performance at Work, Work Quality, Independence, and Perseverance. The commanders rated RRP soldiers similarly to non-ASD soldiers, but gave higher ratings for accuracy and task persistence, and lower ratings for work pace. Older and more senior commanders rated the soldiers' perseverance and independence more highly. No significant associations were found for gender or soldiers' length of service. Conclusions: RRP soldiers excel on tasks requiring accuracy, perseverance, and routines, but face challenges with task versatility and learning new tasks. The structured military environment accommodates ASD individuals well and can serve as a foundation for future civilian employment. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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