The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of schema therapy on job satisfaction and organizational commitment of employees with early maladaptive schemas in a rehabilitation center for children with autism spectrum disorder in Tehran. The research method was a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest design with a control group and a follow-up phase. The statistical population included all employees of the autism center between October and November 2025, from which 30 eligible individuals were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (15 individuals in each group). The experimental group underwent 10 90-minute schema therapy sessions based on the protocol of Yang et al. (2014) and Arentz et al., while the control group remained on the waiting list. The research instruments included Spector's Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (JSS), Allen and Meyer's Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ), and Young's Early Maladaptive Schemas Questionnaire (YSQ-SF). Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance and post hoc tests. The results showed that schema therapy significantly increased job satisfaction and organizational commitment in the experimental group compared to the control group, and this effect remained largely stable at the follow-up stage (P<0.01). The findings indicate that modifying early maladaptive schemas can lead to improved job attitudes and strengthened psychological bonds between employees and the organization by improving emotion regulation, reducing cognitive distortions, and increasing healthy adult mindset. Overall, schema therapy as a foundational intervention can play an effective role in improving the occupational mental health of employees in rehabilitation centers.
