Recent research has examined the role of vocational-technical training in facilitating the transition from school to work of adolescents with learning disabilities. The present study provided 6-, 12-, and. 24-month follow-up data on such students who had attended vocational-technical programs. Matched groups of students without disabilities from vocational-technical programs, as well as randomly selected students without disabilities front regular high schools, were also included for comparisons. Results of the study raised several questions about the value and purpose of vocational-technical training for adolescents with learning disabilities.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ClarkG. M.KnowltonH. E. (Eds.). (1987). The transition from school to adult life. Exceptional Children [Special Issue], 53(6).
2.
HasaziS. B.GordonL. R.RoeC. A. (1985). Factors associated with the employment status of handicapped youth exiting high school from 1979 to 1983. Exceptional Children, 51, 455–469.
3.
HasaziS. B.GordonL. R.RoeC. A.FinckK.HullM.SalembierG. (1985). A statewide follow-up on post high school employment and residential status of students labeled “mentally retarded.”Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded, 20, 222–234.
4.
JastakS.WilkinsonG. S. (1984). Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised. Wilmington, DE: Jastak Associates.
5.
MithaugD. W.HoriuchiC. W.FanningP. N. (1985). A report on the Colorado statewide follow-up survey of special education students. Exceptional Children, 51, 397–404.
6.
NeelR. S.MeadowsN.LevineP.EdgarE. B. (1988). What happens after special education: A statewide follow-up study of secondary students who have behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders, 13, 209–216.
7.
OkoloC. M. (1988). Instructional environments in secondary vocational education programs: Implications for LD adolescents. Learning Disability Quarterly, 11, 136–148.
8.
OkoloC. M.SitlingtonP. (1986). The role of special education in LD adolescents' transition from school to work. Learning Disability Quarterly, 9, 141–155.
9.
SchalockR. L.WolzenB.RossI.ElliottB.WerbelG.PetersonK. (1986). Post-secondary community placement for handicapped students: A five-year follow-up. Learning Disability Quarterly, 9, 295–303.
10.
ShapiroE. S. (1988, September). Project TRANS: Vocational-technical training, self-management, and the learning disabled adolescent. (Final report for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.) Bethlehem, PA: Lehigh University, Department of Counseling Psychology, School Psychology, and Special Education.
11.
WhiteW. J.SchumakerJ. B.WarnerM. M.AlleyG. R.DeshlerD. D. (1980). The current status of young adults identified as learning disabled during their school career. (Research report No. 21). Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities.
12.
WillM. (1984). Bridges from school to working life. Washington, DC: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education.
