Adaptation of COMPASS for use in Autism-Specific Schools in Australia: A Cluster Randomized Trial

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Love, A., Cai, R. Y., Stephenson, J., Gallagher, E., Toland, M. D., & Gibbs, V. (2024). Adaptation of COMPASS for use in Autism-Specific Schools in Australia: A Cluster Randomized Trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 55(9), 3274-3287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06345-y

Publication date: 1 Jun 2024 Added to AutiHub: 10 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
6
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 6 (16.7%)
  1. Abigail Love
  2. Ru Ying Cai
  3. Jennifer Stephenson
  1. Emma Gallagher *
  2. Michael D. Toland
  3. Vicki Gibbs

Abstract

Abstract Autistic students are educated in Australia across a variety of contexts and almost all educators use individualized goal-setting as a way of ensuring appropriate accommodations and curriculum modifications. Educators experience similar challenges when developing individualized goals for students, including lack of a standardized process for goal setting, inconsistent support networks, and challenges with data-driven goal-setting. The purpose of our research was to adapt and trial the Collaborative Model for Competence and Success (COMPASS), a research-based intervention aimed at improving the individualized goal-setting process for autistic students. Our primary hypothesis was that autistic students who participate in COMPASS would demonstrate more growth on their individualized outcomes relative to autistic students who receive services as usual (SAU). To answer our primary research question, we applied a single-blind cluster randomized trial. Participants were randomized into one of two groups: (a) a COMPASS intervention group and (b) a SAU group. Results indicate that students whose teachers received the intervention made more progress on their final individualized goals than those who received SAU, replicating previous findings regarding COMPASS in the US. Also, the adaptation of COMPASS for an Australian context showed high rates of satisfaction and fidelity. The success of this intervention in improving the progress that students make on their individualized goals demonstrates the benefits of a standardized intervention that supports teachers and families in this critical practice.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 12 Sep 2026 01:05.

Cited references
53
With a DOI
39
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
10
1 / 53 (1.9%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
13 / 53 (24.5%)
References with detected author names
42 / 53 (79.2%)
Without detected author names
11
Without a structured title
12
Without a stable identifier
10
References with raw author names still to review
10
References with external metadata lookup issues
2
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
163
From DOI or external metadata
163
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
33
40 / 163 (24.5%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 123 / 163 (75.5%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
2 / 163 (1.2%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 2 / 40 (5.0%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 2 / 129 (1.6%).
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