Predictors of Post-High School Employment Among Young Adults with Disabilities

Abstract

This study examined the employment status of 1,393 former special education students who had exited from 37 of Alabama's 128 school systems between 1996-2000. These 37 school systems served as demonstration sites through the state's transition systems change grant. Follow-up telephone interviews revealed that 73% (N=1,013) of these former students were employed one year after exit. Using a hierarchical logistic regression analysis, there was an 87% probability that these students would be employed one year after high school if they held a job at the time they exited school. Other significant findings include the relationship between employment status and gender, disability, and urban or rural setting. The probability of the student having a job one year after high school, for example, was greater if the student was male, had a learning disability, was from an urban school, and had a job at the time of school exit. In contrast, the probability of employment was less likely for females with a disability other than a learning disability, from rural schools, and without a job at the end of high school. These findings suggest that students with disabilities can benefit from participating in paid work experiences during high school and that females in rural settings need better transition planning and programs.

Availability of and Access to Career Development Activities for Transition-Age Youth With Disabilities

“…Unfortunately, none of the six most common career development activities accessed by youth with severe disabilities involved direct work-related experiences. Yet, research has consistently found that it is early, hands-on, and frequent work experiences that are among the most consistent predictors of improved post-school employment outcomes (Benz et al, 2000;Fabian, 2007;Rabren, Dunn, & Chambers, 2002). Additional research is needed to explore how schools might expand the hands-on employment options that comprise the high school experiences of youth with disabilities, including school-based enterprises, school-sponsored work experiences, internships, and afterschool or summer jobs (Carter, Ditchman, et al, in press).…”

Exploring Employment Preparation and Postschool Outcomes for Students With Mild Intellectual Disability

“…Gaining employment is associated with increases in an individual's sense of self-esteem, sense of fulfillment, quality of life, and sense of worth as a productive member of the society (Eggleton, Robertson, Ryan, & Kober, 1999;Patton et al, 1996;Steere et al, 2007;Test et al, 2006). However, students with disabilities often struggle with employment (Rabren et al, 2002). From the National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS), Blackorby and Wagner (1996) found that students with disabilities were less likely than their peers without disabilities to be employed after being out of school for either 2 (46% vs. 59%, respectively) or 3 to 5 years (57% vs. 69%, respectively).…”

Special Education Teachers' Perceptions of Benefits, Barriers, and Components of Community-Based Vocational Instruction

“…Several studies have examined the link between high school work experiences in community settings and competitive employment outcomes (Benz, Lindstrom, & Yovanoff, 2000;Benz et al, 1997Benz et al, , 2004Colley & Jamison, 1998;Inge & Dymond, 1994;Inge, Wehman, & Dymond, 2005;Luecking & Fabian, 2000;Rabren, Dunn, & Chambers, 2002;Wagner & Shaver, 1989). These studies have revealed that youth who participate in CBVI are significantly more likely to be employed after high school (Benz et al, 2000;Colley & Jamison;Wagner & Shaver) and that having two or more work experiences during the last 2 years of school is particularly important (Benz et al, 1997).…”