Vocational Rehabilitation of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities: A Propensity-Score Matched Study

Abstract

Objective To investigate the employment outcomes of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for youth with disabilities in a targeted, enhanced, and contract-based secondary transition program as compared to the traditional VR transition services. Methods A population-based study was conducted on 4422 youth with physical, intellectual, learning, mental and hearing disabilities aged 14-21 at application and whose case was closed after receiving VR transition services in a Midwestern state. Selected youth were classified into either targeted secondary transition program (START) or non-START treatment group. The employment outcomes of the groups were compared using propensity-score matching procedures. Results 2211 youth with disabilities in each treatment group were successfully matched based on demographic characteristics, types of disabilities, existence of severe functional limitations, and year of referral. The overall rehabilitation rate was 57 % [95 % confidence interval (CI) 56-59 %], where the START group rate was 61 % (95 % CI 59-63 %) and the non-START group 53 % (95 % CI 51-55 %). The propensity-score matched odds ratio (OR) was 1.40 (95 % CI 1.24-1.58; p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that the odds of rehabilitation in youth with disabilities were consistently higher when they were in START as compared to non-START (OR ranged from 1.27 to 1.92 with p < 0.05 except for the Hispanic subgroup). Conclusion The results suggest that VR services in a targeted, enhanced, and contract-based secondary transition program are more effective in transitioning youth with disabilities to employment than the regular VR transition services.

Vocational Interventions to Improve Employment Participation of People with Psychosocial Disability, Autism and/or Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review

“…While not included in the analysis, our secondary search of non-randomized vocational interventions identified two studies that highlight key components for supporting people with autism and/or intellectual disability [83,84]. For example, Langi et al found specialized transition programs that integrated school and community-based training within work places, that were delivered during and after secondary school, were more effective than TVR in helping young people disability, including those with intellectual disability, obtain employment outcomes [83]. Similar to the RCTs for young people with autism included in our systematic review analysis, key components of effective programs included job-readiness development, job-shadowing, on-the-job training and support, funded work experience, and job coaching [83].…”

Evaluating the Impact of Intensive Case Management for Severe Vocational Injuries on Work Incapacity and Costs

“…Exact matching on selected covariates and propensity score matching methods [14,19] are the most commonly used. These methods are widely used in economics and social sciences, and have been applied to rehabilitation [20][21][22]. Our variable of interest is the Average Treatment effect on the Treated (ATT).…”

The Impact of Early Work Experiences on VR Outcomes

“…Predictive factors, such as high parental expectations for youth holding a job after high school graduation, family involvement, life skills instruction, interagency involvement, communication skills, independent living skills, job skills training, social skills, and early work experience, are all correlated with postschool employment of youth with disabilities (Carter et al, 2011;McDonnall, 2011;Wehman et al, 2015). Recently, research regarding the role of early work experience in postsecondary employment outcomes has begun to shift from simply identifying associated factors toward investigating causal relationships between specific interventions and employment outcomes (Balcazar et al, 2018;Fraker et al, 2018;Langi et al, 2016;Luecking et al, 2018).…”