Transition-aged youth with disabilities lag behind same-aged peers without disabilities in education and employment outcomes, contributing to economic disparities across the lifespan.
OBJECTIVE:
To address these disparities, federal partners jointly funded the PROMISE Initiative, which includes six demonstration research projects targeting youth with disabilities receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
METHODS:
This paper reports preliminary data (n = 1,429) from one of these projects called ASPIRE. Youth receiving SSI aged 14–16 were randomly assigned to a control or intervention condition. Intervention activities included ongoing case management and training opportunities in self-determination, financial literacy, transition planning, and benefits counseling.
RESULTS:
Study participant data from enrollment, 12-months, and 24-months post-enrollment showed significantly better outcomes for intervention youth compared to control youth in terms of parent encouragement about having a job (p = 0.008), youth expectations of working (p = 0.001), and participation in employment activities (p = 0.009). These factors are associated with improved long-term economic outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS:
Findings suggest that providing case management and self-determination services to youth on SSI might result in improved long-term outcomes.
Algozzine, B., Browder, D., Karvonen, M., Test, D. W., & Wood, W. M. (2001). Effects of interventions to promote self-determination for individuals with disabilities. Review of Educational Research, 71(2), 219–277. 10.3102/00346543071002219
2.
Benz, M. R., Lindstrom, L., & Yovanoff, P. (2000). Improving graduation and employment outcomes of students with disabilities: Predictive factors and student perspectives. Exceptional Children, 66(4), 509–529. 10.1177/001440290006600405
3.
Berry, H. G. (2000). The Supplemental Security Income program and employment for young adults with disabilities: An analysis of the National Health Interview Survey on Disability. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 15(3), 176–181. 10.1177/108835760001500309
Carter, E. W., Austin, D., & Trainor, A. A. (2012). Predictors of postschool employment outcomes for young adults with severe disabilities. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 23(1), 50–63. 10.1177/1044207311414680
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018b, July 11). YRBSS - Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System: Data - Adolescent and School Health. Retrieved August 8, 2018, from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm
8.
Cobb, R. B., & Alwell, M. (2009). Transition planning/ coordinating interventions for youth with disabilities: A systematic review. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32(2), 70–81. 10.1177/0885728809336655
9.
Cook, J., Blyler, C., Burke-Miller, J., McFarlane, W., Leff, H., Mueser, K.,... & Kaufmann, C. (2008). Effectiveness of supported employment for individuals with schizophrenia: Results of a multi-site, randomized trial. Clinical Schizophrenia & Related Psychoses, 2(1), 37–46. 10.3371/CSRP. 2.1.2
10.
Doren, B., Gau, J. M, & Lindstrom, L. E. (2012). The relationship between parent expectations and postschool outcomes of adolescents with disabilities. Exceptional Children, 79(1), 7–23. 10.1177/001440291207900101
Honeycutt, T. C., Thompkins, A. V, Bardos, M. E, & Stern, S. N. (2017). Youth with disabilities at the crossroads: The intersection of Vocational Rehabilitation and disability benefits for youth With disabilities. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 60(3), 131–144. 10.1177/0034355215621897
15.
IBM Corp. (2013). IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0 (Version 22.0). Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.
Ipsen, C., Chambless, C., Kurth, N., McCormick, S., Goe, R., & Hall, J. (2017). Underrepresentation of adolescents with respiratory, mental health, and developmental disabilities using American Community Survey (ACS) questions. Disability and Health Journal.10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.11.005
18.
Joshi, G. S., Bouck, E. C, & Maeda, Y. (2012). Exploring employment preparation and postschool outcomes for students with mild intellectual disability. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 35(2), 97–107. 10.1177/0885728811433822
19.
Karpur, A., Clark, H. B, Caproni, P., & Sterner, H. (2005). Transition to adult roles for students with emotional/behavioral disturbances: A follow-up study of student exiters from steps- to-success. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 28(1), 36–46. 10.1177/08857288050280010601
20.
Landmark, L. J., Ju, S., & Zhang, D. (2010). Substantiated best practices in transition: Fifteen plus years later. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 33(3), 165–176. 10.1177/0885728810376410
21.
Lenhard, W., & Lenhard, A. (2014). Computation of Effect Sizes. Psychometrica. 10.13140/RG.2.1.3478.4245
22.
McDonnall, M. C., & Crudden, A. (n.d.). Factors affecting the successful employment of transition-age youths with visual impairments, 14.
23.
Murray, C. (2003). Risk factors, protective factors, vulnerability, and resilience: A framework for understanding and supporting the adult transitions of youth with high-incidence disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 24(1), 16–26. 10.1177/074193250302400102
24.
Nagelkerke, N. J. D. (1991). A note on a general definition of the coefficient of determination. Biometrika, 78(3), 691–692. 10.1093/biomet/78.3.691
25.
Papay, C. K., & Bambara, L. M. (2014). Best practices in transition to adult life for youth with intellectual disabilities. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 37(3), 136–148. 10.1177/2165143413486693
26.
Powers, L. E., Garner, T., Valnes, B., Squire, P., Turner, A., Couture, T., & Dertinger, R. (2007). Building a successful adult life: Findings from youth-directed research. Exceptionality, 15(1), 45–56. 10.1080/09362830709336925
27.
Shogren, K. A., Wehmeyer, M. L, Palmer, S. B, Soukup, J. H, Little, T. D, Garner, N., & Lawrence, M. (2008). Understanding the construct of self-determination: Examining the relationship between the ARC's self-determination scale and the American Institutes for Research self-determination scale. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 33(2), 94–107. 10.1177/1534508407311395
Stewart, D., Freeman, M., Law, M., Healy, H., Burke-Gaffney, J., Forhan, M.,... Guenther, S. (2010). The transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities: Evidence from the literature. In International Encyclopedia ofRehabilitation (p. 26). Buffalo: NY: Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange.
30.
Test, D. W., Mazzotti, V. L, Mustian, A. L, Fowler, C. H, Kortering, L., & Kohler, P. (2009). Evidence-based secondary transition predictors for improving postschool outcomes for students with disabilities. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 32(3), 160–181. 10.1177/0885728809
Wagner, M., Newman, L., Cameto, R., Garza, N., & Levine, P. (2005). National Longitudinal Transition Study 2: After High School: A First Look at the Postschool Experiences of Youth with Disabilities (No. 2) (p. 190). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International. Retrieved from https://nlts2.sri.com/reports/2005_04/nlts2_report_2005_04_complete.pdf
35.
Wehmeyer, M. L., & Palmer, S. B. (2003). Adult outcomes for students with cognitive disabilities three-years after high school: The impact of self-determination. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 38(2). Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/23879591
36.
Wehmeyer, M. L., Palmer, S. B, Shogren, K., Williams-Diehm, K., & Soukup, J. H. (2013). Establishing a causal relationship between intervention to promote self-determination and enhanced student self-determination. The Journal of Special Education, 46(4), 195–210. 10.1177/0022466910392377
Wong, P. K. S., Wong, D. F. K., Zhuang, X. Y., & Liu, Y. (2017). Psychometric properties of the AIR Self-Determination Scale: the Chinese version (AIR SDS-C) for Chinese people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 61(3), 233–244. 10.1111/jir.12343
