Pathways to employment: A national survey of adults with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

BACKGROUND:The federal government has invested billions of dollars to promote employment for adults with intellectual disabilities. Despite this investment, the employment rate within this population has remained stable during the recent decades. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to identify characteristics of adults with intellectual disabilities who are employed, and to understand the paths towards employment for these individuals. METHODS: Respondents included a nationally representative sample of 1,055 parents/guardians of adult children (21 years of age or older) with an intellectual disability surveyed by Gallup. These parents/guardians were selected from approximately 341,000 households screened by Gallup. This methodology allowed for the inclusion of a sample of adults with ID who had never been in the labor force or even sought employment. RESULTS: Several characteristics are associated with greater likelihood of employment, including younger age, early work experience, higher levels of adaptive behavior, and absence of emotional and behavioral problems. These characteristics are especially predictive of employment in a competitive setting, and relatively less predictive of sheltered employment. There is very little movement between the two types of employment settings: very few people currently in competitive employment ever worked in a sheltered setting. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study have clear implications for policies and programs. Young adults with intellectual disabilities need early opportunities to work in community settings. These community-based experiences must provide them with the opportunity to develop necessary adaptive, behavioral, and emotional skills. Finally, policy makers must recognize that sheltered employment is not a stepping-stone to employment in a competitive setting.

Attitudes of Jordanians People toward Employment of Persons with Disabilities

“…In any case, these conclusions need for further research. This result also disagrees with the result of Siperstein et al (2014 [9]) study, which indicated that young employers attitudes towards the employment of persons with disabilities more positive compared to the elderly.…”

The association between employment and the health of people with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review

“…Lower emotional and/or behavioural problems have been associated with the employment status of people with intellectual disabilities (Martorell, Gutierrez-Recacha, Pereda, & Ayuso-Mateos, 2008;McDermott, Martin, & Butkus, 1999;McInnes, Ozturk, McDermott, & Mann, 2010;Siperstein et al, 2014), as have absence of psychiatric symptoms (Martorell et al, 2008) The majority of the studies in this review are cross-sectional, and as such, it is not possible to attribute causality. Even in the best-quality longitudinal study identified, the authors note that they cannot confirm the direction of the relationship between change in behaviour and day occupation .…”

“…Typical forms of activity and employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities include segregated day programs and sheltered workshops, and supported employment (SE) in competitive settings with typical wages and ongoing individualized support services (Owen et al, 2015). In view of the impact of employment on health and well-being, internationally policy concerning people with intellectual disabilities has been directed towards improving the employment opportunities of people with intellectual disabilities (Blamires, 2015;Siperstein, Heyman, & Stokes, 2014), with policy favouring community-based employment (Beyer, Brown, Akandi, & Rapley, 2010). It has been estimated that 65% of people with intellectual disabilities in England without a job would like one (Emerson, Malam, Davies, & Spencer, 2005).…”

“…The overall paid/self-employment rate for working-age adults with intellectual disabilities in England receiving long-term support from social care agencies was 5.7% in 2016/17 (NHS Digital, 2017). Similarly, in the United States, despite substantial investment to promote employment for people with intellectual disabilities, the employment rate showed no improvement over the period of a decade (Siperstein et al, 2014).…”

Staying in the Race: Counselor Visits and Job Search Confidence Among People With Disabilities

“…In S1, we measured employment barriers that are well documented in the literature as constraining employment opportunities (Macali, 2006;Siperstein, Heyman, & Stokes, 2014;Tuckerman et al ., 2012) . Clients reported whether they experienced employment disadvantage as a function of intellectual, physical, and/or mental disabilities .…”