Advancing the transition to employment for young adults with intellectual disabilities through assessment, self-report, and learning from lived experience
Date
2024
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Abstract
This dissertation seeks to advance the transition to employment for young adults with intellectual disabilities through three distinct approaches. First, we explore the construct of self-determination specifically as it pertains to the employment of young adults with intellectual disabilities. Second, we intentionally refine an assessment of "vocational fit" for self-report by young adults with intellectual disabilities. Third, we examine how young adults with intellectual disabilities and their families experience barriers to engagement in self-advocacy in navigating complex systems intended to assist with the transition to work. In Study 1, we found evidence to support the idea that the context of employment plays a bigger role in the construct of self-determination than is explicated in current self-determination theories. We learned in Study 2 that young adults with intellectual disabilities can interpret and respond appropriately to a self-report version of a vocational fit assessment. In Study 3, findings taught us that the complexities of support systems intended to assist young adults with intellectual disabilities in reaching their employment goals drastically affects their and their families' ability to advocate for their rights and needs. Taken together, these studies present a multi-faceted approach to improved assessment, inclusion, and access necessary for the successful transition to employment for young adults with intellectual disabilities.
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Embargo expires: 05/20/2026.
Subject
intellectual disability
self-determination
transition
patient reported outcome measure
employment
social security