Predictors of successful transition from school to employment for youth with disabilities.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined data from the second National Longitudinal Transition Study to determine variables associated with post-high school competitive employment, and to develop a logistic regression model for predicting successful employment outcomes. DESIGN: A longitudinal survey design. Setting United States. PARTICIPANTS: A nationally representative sample (N = 2,900) of special education students who exited high school in the 2002/2003 school year. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Any competitive employment during the 6-year study period. RESULTS: A number of predictors of competitive employment were confirmed, including high school employment experiences, parental expectations of post-high school employment, arrest record, and school type. The strongest predictors were high school employment experiences and parental expectations of a post-high school employment. CONCLUSIONS: The current study supports finding of several prior studies and fail to support others, such as the importance of self-determination for adult success. The findings highlight two aspects of the transition process that are critical for success: employment training and work experiences in high school, and high parental expectations for their child's future.

The state of the science of employment and economic self-sufficiency for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Employment, career advancement, and financial independence are highly valued in the United States. As expectations, they are often instilled at a young age and incentivized throughout adulthood. Despite their importance, employment and economic sufficiency continue to be out of reach for most people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Over the last quarter century, extensive research and effort has been committed to understanding and improving these phenomena. This paper summarizes this employment research base by reviewing the literature on the effectiveness of the current employment support system, employment-specific interventions, and the economics and cost benefits of employment for people with IDD. Recommendations and directions for future research are also presented.

Connecting employers with people who have intellectual disability.

Longstanding advocacy for employment opportunity, recent legislative and policy developments, and advancements in employment service practice have contributed to an emerging notion of presumptive employability for individuals with disabilities. Unfortunately, low levels of employment remain the norm for people with disabilities, especially those with intellectual disability. Further, an examination of employer views of people with intellectual disability suggests that effective connections remain elusive between employers and employment service programs that support job seekers with intellectual disability. In this article employer perspectives are considered and case descriptions of effective connections of people with intellectual disability to employers are provided in order to meet demand-side operational needs. These perspectives have implications for elevating the effectiveness of employment service practice.