Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Background

Customized employment (CE) has gained increasing acceptance, yet solid empirical evidence still needs to be provided. The Spanish government, through the Ministry of Inclusion and “Plena inclusión España” (a major NGO representing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Spain), tested the effects of CE in Spain. As the research team, we actively participated in this CE evaluation and described the results in the present study.

Objective

To test the effects of CE on the employment and inclusion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (hereafter in this abstract, “participants”).

Methods

We conducted a randomized controlled trial. A total of 232 participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (CE), while 203 were assigned to the control group (using services as usual). Participants and supporting professionals reported Employment and inclusion indicators at three-time points: baseline, mid-term, and final.

Results

Mixed factorial repeated measures analyses of variance revealed that CE improves employment outcomes (number of jobs and paid hours worked per week), reduces pessimism about the likelihood of finding a job, and enhances inclusion indicators. Despite the positive effects of CE, challenges remain. For instance, although CE facilitated employment, the overall percentages were still low—20% of the intervention group obtained employment, compared to just 10% in the control group.

Conclusion

Despite ongoing challenges, CE is confirmed to be a valuable strategy for improving these outcomes.

Keywords

customized employment intellectual and developmental disabilities employment inclusion randomized controlled trial

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Berens

Stroe-Kunold

Kraus

Tesarz

Gauss

Niesler

Herzog

Schaefert

(2018). Pilot-RCT of an integrative group therapy for patients with refractory irritable bowel syndrome (ISRCTN02977330). Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 105, 72–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2017.12.002

Dawis

R. V.

England

Lofquist

L. H.

(1964). A theory of work adjustment (Minnesota studies in vocational rehabilitation: XV, under support of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare). University of Minnesota, Industrial Relations Center.

Duncan

T. E.

Duncan

S. C.

Strycker

L. A.

(2013). An introduction to latent variable growth curve modeling: Concepts, issues, and application. Routledge Academic. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203879 962.

Dusseljee

J. C. E.

Rijken

P. M.

Cardol

Curfs

L. M. G.

Groenewegen

P. P.

(2011). Participation in daytime activities among people with mild or moderate intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 55(1), 4–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2010.01342.x

Ellenkamp

J. J.

Brouwers

E. P.

Embregts

P. J.

Joosen

M. C.

van Weeghel

(2016). Work environment-related factors in obtaining and maintaining work in a competitive employment setting for employees with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 26(1), 56–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-015-9586-1

Foschi

(2014). Hypotheses, operationalizations, and manipulation checks. In Webster

Sell

(Eds.), Laboratory experiments in the social sciences (pp. 247–268). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-404681-8.00011-X

Hales

A. H.

(2023). One-tailed tests: Let's do this (responsibly). Psychological Methods, 29(6), 1209–1218. Advance Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000610

IMSERSO. (2024). Censo de centros residenciales de servicios sociales en España. https://imserso.es/documents/20123/7034125/censo_centros_r_2022.pdf/0fa74538-4a22-2c09-6196-3578cc20b618

Inge

K. J.

Avellone

Wehman

Broda

Joy

(2023). Effects of customized employment on the independence of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 61(6), 481–491. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-61.6.481

10.

Inge

K. J.

Wehman

Avellone

Broda

McDonough

(2024). The impact of customized employment on the competitive integrated employment outcomes of transition age youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A randomized controlled trial study. Work, 77(3), 721–729. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-61.6.481

11.

Instituto Nacional de Estadística. (2022). Mercado laboral. El salario de las personas con discapacidad. https://www.ine.es/jaxi/Tabla.htm?tpx=49247&L=0

12.

Leahy

M. J.

Del Valle

R. J.

Landon

Iwanaga

Sherman

S. G.

Reyes

Chan

(2018). Promising and evidence-based practices in vocational rehabilitation: Results of a national Delphi study. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 48(1), 37–48. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-170914

13.

Matthews

R. A.

Pineault

Hong

Y. H.

(2022). Normalizing the use of single-item measures: Validation of the single-item compendium for organizational psychology. Journal of Business and Psychology, 37(4), 639–673. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-022-09813-3

14.

Metzel

Walker

(2001). The illusion of inclusion: Geographies of the lives of people with developmental disabilities in the United States. Disability Studies Quarterly, 21(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v21i4.323

15.

Navas

Esteban

Arias

Verdugo

MÁ

(2024). Improving quality of life and reducing behavioral problems of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through deinstitutionalization. Psicothema, 36(2), 113–122. https://doi.org/10.7334/psicothema2023.303

16.

Pellicano

Bölte

Stahmer

(2018). The current illusion of educational inclusion. Autism, 22(4), 386–387. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318766166

17.

Plena inclusión España. (2022). Empleo personalizado. Plena inclusión. https://www.plenainclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Empleo-Personalizado.-Que-es-roles-y-fases.pdf

18.

Riesen

Hall

Keeton

Jones

(2019). Customized employment discovery fidelity: Developing consensus among experts. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 50(1), 23–37. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-180985

19.

Riesen

Hall

Keeton

Snyder

(2023). Internal consistency of the customized employment discovery fidelity scale: A preliminary study. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 66(3), 195–202. https://doi.org/10.1177/00343552211043259

20.

Riesen

Morgan

R. L.

Griffin

(2015). Customized employment: A review of the literature. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 43(3), 183–193. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-150768

21.

Riesen

Snyder

Byers

Keeton

Inge

(2023). An updated review of the customized employment literature. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 58(1), 27–38. https://doi.org/10.3233/jvr-221222

22.

Smith

T. J.

Ching

Weston

Dillahunt-Aspillaga

C. J.

(2019). Achieving competitive, customized employment through specialized services (ACCESS). Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 50(3), 249–258. https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-191004

23.

Taylor

Avellone

Brooke

Wehman

Inge

Schall

Iwanaga

(2022). The impact of competitive integrated employment on economic, psychological, and physical health outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 35(2), 448–459. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12974

24.

Verdugo

M. A.

Jenaro

(2019). Living independently and being included in the community. ANED. https://www.disability-europe.net/country/spain

25.

Wehman

(1981). Competitive employment: New horizons for severely disabled individuals. Paul H. Brookes.

26.

Wehman

Inge

Revell

G. W.

Brooke

V. A.

(2007). Real work for real pay: Inclusive employment for people with disabilities. Paul H. Brookes.

Effects of Customized Employment on Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Spain

Abstract

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References