Background: Autism typically begins in childhood and affects over five million adults across the United States. Although most adults with autism would like to work, only about one-fourth are employed, and only 1% of working-age adults with autism receive employment services paid for by Vocational Rehabilitation or Medicaid. Individual Placement…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the current literature regarding the vocational rehabilitation services found effective in promoting employment among transition-age youth with disabilities as well as identifying factors affecting the effectiveness of those services. Methods: This study utilized the Preferred…

Purpose: Americans with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represent an emerging vocational rehabilitation (VR) clientele. Method: Following an overview of the etiology, incidence, prevalence, and impact of RA, the authors present strategies to meet the service and support needs of Americans with RA across the phases of the VR process. Results: The…

Background: Little is known in the rehabilitation counseling profession regarding the needs and rehabilitation approaches used with seasonal and migrant farmworkers in the United States. Objectives: The purpose of this article is to provide rehabilitation counselors with awareness of the vocational needs of seasonal and migrant farmworkers. The…

Background: Over the past 25 years, research has demonstrated the value of the demand-side placement model in increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Objective: The demand-side model is focused on working with businesses (the demand-side) to create systemic change within companies to pull-in consumers, in contrast to a…

Background: Emerging adults, the developmental period ranging from the late teens through the 20s, experience chronic pain at an estimated rate of 7.6%--14.3% and report greater pain interference (i.e., pain that disrupts daily life activities) than middle-aged or older adults. Chronic pain can interfere with the completion of developmental tasks…

Background: Many emerging disabilities that affect today's rehabilitation consumers are linked to lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, smoking, substance use, and obesity. Lifestyle-related disabilities have dramatically increased in incidence and prevalence over the past two decades. Rehabilitation counselors play an important role in…

The purpose of this study was to explore certified rehabilitation counselors' (CRCs') importance of and preparedness in the labor market survey (LMS) competency through data collected by the "Knowledge Validation Inventory-Revised" ("KVI-R") instrument used by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification's (CRCC)…

The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was applied to study the factors that influence the intention of public rehabilitation placement professionals to place consumers with major depressive disorder (MDD) in jobs. A sample of 108 public rehabilitation placement professionals in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States completed the MDD…

The experience of living with multiple sclerosis (MS) can have a profound effect on employment. The impact of MS is a complex interaction of personal, medical, functional, financial, and psychosocial variables that ultimately results in up to 80% of persons with MS leaving their jobs within 10 years of their diagnosis. The aim of this study was to…

Labor Market Survey (LMS) and labor market analysis knowledge and methodologies are minimum competencies expected of rehabilitation counselors through credentialing and accreditation boards. However, LMS knowledge and methodology is an example of a contemporary oral tradition that is universally recognized in rehabilitation and disability services…

Purpose: This study examined demographic and rehabilitation service variables affecting employment outcomes of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) receiving services from state vocational rehabilitation agencies. A secondary purpose was to determine whether there are disparities in services and outcomes between European American and Hispanic…

Purpose: To validate an 80-item self-report measure, A Systems Approach to Placement: Self-Assessment for Students and Counselors (SAP-SASC), designed to identify critical areas of knowledge, skills, and competencies possessed by rehabilitation counselors in state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency settings. Participants: 275 rehabilitation…