Vocational Rehabilitation Outcomes for Students Participating in a Model Transition Program

Abstract

Despite advances in transition service delivery and increased knowledge of research-supported transition strategies, longstanding service and systems issues continue to impede optimal transition outcomes for students and youth with disabilities. These issues are evidenced in challenges that students with disabilities continue to face as they prepare for and experience the transition from school to employment and adult life. Compared with their peers without disabilities, students with disabilities can still expect lower school completion rates (Stark & Noel, 2015), lower adult employment participation (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016), higher dependence on public income support (Davies, Rupp, & Wittenburg, 2009), and higher incidence of poverty (DeNavas-Walt & Proctor, 2014). In addition, there remains an ongoing challenge to link students to adult support services that many youth with disabilities need to achieve and sustain postschool employment success (Certo et al., 2009; Clark & Unruh, 2009). The need persists to identify cohesive transition service delivery models that incorporate the multiple factors, supported by a growing body of research, that contribute to successful transition from school to adult employment for these youth. Given these circumstances, researchers, transition policy makers, and transition service practitioners have identified strategies to mitigate barriers to successful transition to employment for students and youth with disabilities. Since the publication of a compilation of research-supported transition components, called the Guideposts for Success (National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth [NCWD/Y], 2005), more research has emerged to support several specific factors that contribute to a higher likelihood of postschool employment success. First, several studies continue to reinforce the importance of work experience in secondary school, especially paid employment, in influencing adult employment (e.g., Carter, Austin, & Trainor, 2011; Wehman et al., 2014; Test et al., 2009). Second, family involvement and expectations can influence later employment success of students and youth with 713167R CBXXX10.1177/0034355217713167Rehabilitation Counseling BulletinLuecking et al.

Employment policy and autism: Analysis of state Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) implementation plans

“…South Carolina is currently piloting this model (https://scdmh.net/individualplacement-and-support-ips/); although it was not mentioned in their state WIOA plan. Likewise, Maryland's Seamless Transition Collaborative (MSTC) has evidence of success in serving students with autism and other disabilities (Luecking, Fabian, Contreary, Honeycutt, & Luecking, 2017), but is not mentioned in the state plan. As implementation of WIOA advances and more public funding is spent on Pre-ETS, states should develop mechanisms for identifying and evaluating vocational service innovations so that we can better learn from what is workingor not working -at the community level to improve employment outcomes for people with autism (Shattuck & Roux, 2014).…”

Identifying Patterns of State Vocational Rehabilitation Performance in Serving Transition-Age Youth on the Autism Spectrum

“…a Federal law requires transition planning for students preparing to exit special education, in part to provide early connections to vocational services when needed. 30 Yet, approximately onethird of districts begin transition planning at the age of 16 years or older, 31 and some states have traditionally waited a Roux AM, Rast JE, Shattuck PT. State-level variation in Vocational Rehabilitation service use and related outcomes among transition-age youth on the autism spectrum.…”

Internship Strategy for Intellectual Disability Alumni on the Inclusive Workplace Setting

“…Adulthood is a difficult time to face for mentally disabled individuals. Demands that must be fulfilled in adulthood require a lot of effort [1]. Therefore, support from various parties is needed by the mentally challenged to successfully face challenges in adulthood.…”