Background: Previous research has shown that post-secondary collegiate vocational educational programs often have positive effects on employment outcomes for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Aims: Using secondary data of a program in the United States collected over several years, we examined which intervention…

Students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities often require substantial support to acquire the skills needed to secure work experience and paid employment. Prior findings suggest that video prompting is likely to be an effective and feasible strategy for establishing such skills. To evaluate this possibility in a special…

Objectives: The purpose was to investigate effects of an in-service training for secondary special education teachers in Turkey. The study was to serve as an initial analysis of the basic knowledge of educators about transition mandates, transition planning and components of quality goals. Methods: Twenty-two teachers of students with DD completed…

This study is a qualitative analysis of the use of best practices in vocational training for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the Omaha metropolitan area. Best practices from the transition literature related to vocational training were identified as transition planning, parental involvement, community support,…

Youth with developmental disabilities are over-represented in juvenile detention facilities when compared to juveniles without disabilities. In fact, juveniles with disabilities are four times more likely to be found in detention centers as they are to be found in public school settings (Griller Clark et al., 2011; Quinn et al., 2005). Recent…

The purpose of this literature review was to examine transition related activities that are associated with securing competitive employment upon graduation from high school for transitioning youth with I/DD. Studies included in this review met the following required criteria: (a) participants were transition-aged individuals with I/DD and (b)…

Our purpose in this study is to offer a more comprehensive understanding of how students with intellectual and developmental disabilities attending postsecondary education programs are prepared for competitive employment. Data collected through a national survey indicate that the vocational-related support services offered frequently by…

The purpose of this study was to examine disproportionality in transition services for students with disabilities. The authors predicted that students' transition services and secondary programs would be driven not only by their postschool goals, but also by their gender, ethnicity, disability, and school setting. To test this hypothesis, the…

The paper describes Stepping Stones Growth Center, which prepared handicapped students for transition into competitive employment. The origins of the program and its emphasis on functional skill training are reviewed, followed by a description of three levels of services: a "ready" class stressing basic skills, a "set" class emphasizing…

Six papers address issues in the transition from school to work for mentally retarded and developmentally disabled young adults. The first presents a three-stage vocational transition model emphasizing functional curricula, integrated services, community-based instruction, involvement of parents and adult services representatives, and a diversity…

The Individualized Resource Program/Community-Based Vocational Training Program of the Iowa Valley Community College District provides assessment, vocational and functional academics training, and job placement services for adults with developmental disabilities and moderate mental retardation. Participants complete a non-credit community college…

Competitive employment for individuals with developmental disabilities is the ultimate goal in defining vocational success. Employment training programs for the mentally retarded have often focused on pre-vocational lock-step prerequisite skills rather than on a functional methodology that is skill specific. In contrast, the concept of ecological…

This article summarizes 43 empirical studies of school-to-community transition of hearing-impaired persons with developmental disabilities; discusses data collection and interpretation issues; and recommends future research, development, and evaluation. The studies deal with such areas as career/vocational preparation, independent living skills,…

This booklet, based on the Transition Through the Arts project developed by Very Special Arts, describes the successes that project instructors have achieved in using the arts to assist individuals with developmental disabilities reach employment. The project uses the arts as a vehicle to teach and reinforce the social and personal skill…

This report presents the findings of a study which examined the service delivery system for adolescents with chronic illness, through a survey of 248 directors of public agencies and programs of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, with a 73 percent response rate. The seven programs surveyed within each state were Maternal and Child Health…