The Community Classroom: Technological Vocational Training for Students with Serious Handicaps

A Review of Research on Teaching People With Significant Disabilities Vocational Skills

“…Of the 75 experiments, only 2 reported mixed results (Mace, Shapiro, West, Campbell, & Altman, 1986; Mank & Horner, 1987) and 2 reported negative results (Gaylord-Ross, Forte, & Gaylord-Ross, 1986; Toro-Zambrana, Lee, & Belfiore, 1999). Moreover, given the relatively high level of agreement between the author report and the success estimates, it can be argued that there is a substantial body of evidence supporting the teaching of employment skills to individuals with significant disabilities.…”

“…The ultimate goal of any intervention targeting employment skills for individuals with significant disabilities is that the participants are gainfully employed and that they maintain that employment. It is surprising, then, that only four studies (Gaylord-Ross et al, 1986; Hughes & Rusch, 1989; Wacker & Berg, 1983; Wilson, Schepis, & Mason-Main, 1987) indicated whether their participants acquired and/or maintained gainful employment, though 58% of the included studies discussed long-term outcomes and noted that long-term positive outcomes were essential for individuals with significant disabilities with respect to employment. Future researchers should examine methods that go beyond simply teaching vocational skills.…”

Social Awareness and Transition to Employment for Adolescents with Mental Retardation

“…Therefore, it is imperative that systematic instruction occur in integrated work and community settings. Gaylord-Ross, Forte, and Gaylord-Ross (1986) stated that generalization occurs more frequently when instruction takes place in the real world outside of the classroom. Black (1991) found that students with intellectual disabilities often did not understand the unstated rules of the workplace, with many of these rules relating to social interaction and social reciprocity.…”

Functional Life Skills, Academic Skills, and Friendship/Social Relationship Development: What Do Parents of Students with Moderate/Severe/Profound Disabilities Value?

“…cally oriented skills such as reading (Johnson & Brown, 1974) and math operations (Williams et al, 1974) to the teaching of the functional lifeskills necessary to live, work, and recreate in integrated, community environments (Brown et al, 1979;Falvey, 1989;Gaylord-Ross, Forte, & Gaylord-Ross, 1983;Nietupski, Hamre-Nietupski, & Ayres, 1984;Rusch, 1986;Snell, 1983Snell & Browder, 1987).…”