Session Description
Introduction to Workplace Social Skills is a professional development course based on Universal Design for Learning standards and the National Standards for Quality Continuing Education and Professional Development Rubric. This training equips neurodiverse adults with essential workplace social skills to enhance self-efficacy and employment success. The five-session, online course will provide targeted knowledge, role-playing, and workplace practice in key areas such as comprehending job expectations, initiating and maintaining small talk, and understanding others' perspectives. With the help of digital tools to build workforce readiness, learners will develop skills to communicate effectively with coworkers and supervisors, collaborate productively, and apply proven problem-solving strategies. They will also engage in critical thinking, regular self-reflection, and practices that foster empathy and inclusion.
These skills can help learners navigate workplace interactions more effectively and reduce barriers to meaningful and sustained employment. The course will be structured to address stated learner needs in developing workplace social skills. By the end of the course, students should be prepared to apply these skills on the job which will build their confidence and effectiveness in solving workplace social challenges.
This course is part of an iterative research project that begins with the development of learning content, objectives, and assessments for social skills training. Future research will compare the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality simulations and video-based training in improving workplace social skills, exploring the role of AI-driven virtual environments in professional development.
Presenter(s)
Sandra Oshiro
COE Learning Design & Technology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Honolulu, HI, USA
Sandra Oshiro is pursuing a doctorate degree in learning design and technology from the University of Hawaiʻi. She coordinates the Hawaiʻi Young Adults in Transition, a support group for families with adults on the autism spectrum, and is a University of Hawaiʻi Center on Disability Studies Community Advisory Council member. She also serves as managing editor of the UH Review of Disability Studies and sits on the Hawaiʻi board of the Association for People Supporting Employment First and the Pacific Housing Assistance Corp., advocating for disability employment and affordable supportive housing.