Background: Research indicates that transition-age youth with disabilities face several obstacles with regard to finding employment. However, research on the extent to which barriers and facilitators differ across disability types and contexts is lacking. Objective: The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to understand employment-related…

Community employment outcomes were examined for 338 transitioning youth with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in one state 18 months after exiting public school. All transitioning youth received ongoing Developmental Disability agency funding. The majority of transitioning youth (57.1%) were engaged in sheltered or nonwork…

Recently, consensus among researchers and professionals has emerged about factors that contribute to postschool success of youth with disabilities. Prominent among these factors are targeted academic preparation, family involvement, youth empowerment, and service collaboration and linkages. Work experience and paid employment have been identified…

This report focuses on the seven original Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) projects selected for funding in 2003. Three of the original seven projects were selected for a national random assignment evaluation in 2005; however, this report only focuses on program operations prior to joining the random assignment evaluation for the three…

A survey of 49 Maryland service providers offering vocational services found the weekly earnings of persons placed in supported employment were 3.5 times the earning of persons employed on the premises of the service provider. Nevertheless, there was strong evidence that substantial improvements are needed, and possible, in supported employment.…