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Description

From Overwhelmed to Empowered is a program developed an occupation-based emotional regulation program for young adult women with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the transition to adulthood. The purpose of the project was to address the need for interventions that support emotional regulation as a foundation for meaningful social participation, independence, and successful role engagement.

The project involved the development and pilot implementation of an eight-week program consisting of weekly 60-minute group sessions and individualized coaching sessions. Program content focused on emotional awareness, mood and motivation, cognitive strategies, anxiety management, sensory regulation, communication, healthy boundaries, and long-term skill maintenance. The curriculum was informed by the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), Schlossberg's Transition Theory, and the Four-Quadrant Model of Facilitated Learning (4QM).

The expected outcomes include improved emotional awareness, increased use of emotional regulation strategies, enhanced confidence in social situations, and greater participation in meaningful occupations. The project also provides occupational therapists with a structured, evidence-informed program that can be adapted for community and transition-to-adulthood settings.

Publication Date

Summer 8-5-2026

Publisher

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences

Keywords

Emotional Regulation, Social participation, ADHD, ASD, young adult women, MOHO, Transition theory, 4QM, decrease performance skills

Medical Subject Headings

Female, young adult, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emotional regulation, motivation, occupational therapists, social participation, communication, occupations, curriculum, cognition, anxiety

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

Comments

Poster presented at the OTD Capstone Symposium, held at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.

From Overwhelmed to Empowered: An Emotional Regulation Program to Enhance Social Participation in Young Women with Autism and ADHD

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