Correlation Between Employment And Postsecondary Education

Autism has been made to seem like this huge issue, something that needs to be stopped. While there are many issues that come with autism, it is not something that should be getting such negative attention. People with autism seem to be the most extraordinary out of any of us. “They are usually intelligent, gifted, honest, hard workers when interested in a task and excellent problem solvers. People with high-functioning autism are thought to become excellent scientists and engineers or enter other professions where painstaking, methodical analysis is required. Some believe this particular assertion is a stereotype, as some high-functioning autism adults tend to struggle with the traditional work setting and the surrounding societally accepted ways of behaving,” (Synapse, Pg 2). There

The data collected from NLTS:12 Phase II will help to understand the impact of the reauthorization and implementation of the IDEA 2004, analyze the postsecondary education enrollment and financial support available to students with disabilities. The findings will provide a foundation of current and longitudinal information on youth experiences and outcomes that can inform future research and policy discussion regarding transition planning practices, access to financial supports for post-secondary education and employment preparation, and subpopulations of youth with disabilities who are less prepared for college and career.

Most parents wonder what is the next chapter after their child with autism spectrum disorder graduate from high school, for some individuals, it is to move onto higher education. As stated by Cai and Richdale (2015), the USA has one of the lowest rates of college enrollment for individuals with ASD, with over 50% of these individuals being in neither education nor employment following their secondary school, with similar finding in the UK (p. 31). For the individuals with ASD who move forward in gaining a higher education will have to learn to adapt and determine how to transition into higher education. Mentioned by Cai and Richdale (2015), a USA national survey illustrated poor outcomes from transitioning from secondary school into adult-hood. “The findings showed that after young adults with ASD left the public school system, 80% continues to live at home, only 32% attended postsecondary education, just 6% had competitive jobs, while 21% had no employment or education experience at all. Further 40% reported having no friends. (p. 32)”

Apprenticeship is a work-based learning program administered by the Employment and Training Administration’s Office of Apprenticeship (OA) to advance and increase employment opportunities for people with and without disabilities. Building on existing research and Executive Order No.13801, Expanding Apprenticeships in America is to increase and improve capacity building of Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAP) and Industry-led Apprenticeship Programs (ILAP). ODEP will focus on the development of funding opportunities through the Apprenticeship PWS and collaboration and outreach with the OA, focused on promotion of inclusive RAP, and ILAP for transitioning youth and young adults with disabilities (YWD), including significant disabilities.

Balfanz, Bridgeland, Bruce and Fox (2013), estimated that the 2012-2013 national high school graduation rate was approximately 81.4% for the general student population while the graduation rate for Students With Disabilities (SWD) was estimated to be at 61.0%. This difference of twenty percentage points is significant as it demonstrates the disparity between college and career ready general education students who successfully met the requirements for graduation and those SWD that did not. However, for SWD, successful participation in a career and technical education program is shown to be an efficient and operational way of

Mental illnesses have been changing how Americans view one another. A major disability that wrecks havoc on citizens and their viewpoints is the list of disorders under the autism spectrum. Many styles of aid are available to these people, most beginning with younger, school age children. However, the question stands whether they actually need all the assistance being thrown at them. While students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) should be given the help they need to flourish, their needs are different from others with special needs. Furthermore, while their grades are likely maintain a decently high average, they may not manage all too well socially.

West. M. D., Wehman, P. B., & Wehman, P. (2005). Competitive employment outcomes for persons with intellectual developmental disabilities: The national impact of Best Buddies jobs program. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 61(1),

In the peer-reviewed article Successful Transition of Students with Disabilities to 21st-Century College and Careers, the authors start by discussing the cases of a high school special education teacher named Ms. Hitchcock. At Ms. Hitchcock high school, they have been working on new ways to help their students transition from high school to adult activities such as post-secondary schooling, independent living, and maintain a job. A new transition process has shown to cover a broad range of skills that are more non-academic than academic, something that many students struggle with. With this new system of nonacademic skills, Ms. Hitchcock has noticed that two of her students, Damien and Jasmine, would benefit from these new findings (Gothberg,

It increases the likelihood of independence and opportunities for greater participation in the community and social interactions. Employment, volunteer work, and day services provide structure, integration and better health related outcomes in individuals with Autism (Holwerda et al., 2012). Historically, employment outcomes for individuals with ASD are poor. Less than .03 percent employment in 2003. They have the lowest employment rate in the United States compared to other disabilities with more than 50 percent of individuals still unemployed two years after leaving high school (Shattuck et al., 2012). Twenty five percent of individuals with Autism are employed, of those the greater portion would be considered higher functioning. Of those only six percent are competively employed. Persons with ASD that do work have limited opportunities for economic independence as wages typically are substantially lower then their non disabled counterparts, and often work less hours. The majority of individuals with ASD earn less than the national minimum wage (Chiang et.al, 2013). They often are kept in low skill jobs, and experience frequent job

Legislation assisting students with disabilities (SWD) with equal opportunities in education and training has been progressive. Legislative mandates underpinning CTE and inclusion of students with special education needs has occurred in rapid succession since the 1950’s. There are several key legislative directives, which bolster the inclusion of students with disabilities (SWD) in career and technical education (CTE). In 1975, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act, together with the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), the Rehabilitation Act (1973) and Section 504, prohibit discrimination based on disability, and require equal access for all students in programs that are federally funded. Furthermore, the Perkins Act (1998) requires that individuals with disabilities receive equal access to all vocational education endeavors supported by federal financial assistance and bars discriminatory practices based on ability (Ordover and Annexstein,

Dipeolu, Storlie, and Johnson (2014) focus on strategies for school counselors in assisting students with disabilities, more specifically students with High-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HASD) in their transition process. These counselors are not as prepared to work with the unique transition path of HASD students in comparison to their typical peers. The purpose of this article is to build awareness and understanding of the struggles the HASD students face and provide the school counselors with strategies to assist these students in their transition beyond high school. Dipeolu, Storlie, and Johnson use a model of eleven essential elements for a successful transition:

In the same fashion, in Aspergers – Different, Not Less: Occupational Strengths and Job Interest of Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome, Lorenz and Heintz (2014) studied the role an autistic student’s self-determination and self-efficacy played during IEP transition planning. Lorenz and Heintz (as cited Martin, Marshall, & Sale, 2004) that found, while 70% of middle and high school students with ASD attended their annual ARD, the students spoke only 3% of the time (p. 256). Further, the researchers found, of the 320 randomly selected for their study, 62.5% did not attend their ARD meetings or were present but participated very little (p. 260). Lorenz and Heintz argued this should be of concern because other research conducted by Cameto, Levine,

The article makes many important points regarding preparing students with disabilities for school-to-work transition and post school life. For example, a significant amount of students with disabilities don’t have the knowledge they need to join the workforce after high school. Moreover “only one-fourth of students with disabilities graduate high school with a diploma” This may be because many high school focus on preparing student for college and that may not be the right track for everyone. This is a major problem in fact “Compared to their nondisabled peers, students with disabilities are more likely to experience unemployment or under-employment, lower pay, and job dissatisfaction”.

This study intends to explore on the services offered to students with disabilities, and the outcomes of these services to their education and career goals. It will examine if the obstacles faced by special needs children have to do with how effective the policies are in addressing the needs of such children. This study is important to children with disabilities because it can help them discover the education opportunities available for them, the institutions they can rely on for economic support, and the treatment they should expect from the society.

A literature review illustrates how vital job placement services have been found to be in the job employment assistance endeavors. The review of previous studies reveals the “receipt of placement services” to be the “strongest predictor of employment outcomes” (Fleming et al., 2014, p. 7). A 2006 study characterized job placement as “the driving force behind the vocational rehabilitation program” (Fleming et al., 2014, p. 7). According to the researchers, the public Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services have attained the status of “the most important vocational programs for persons with disabilities” (Fleming et al., 2014, p. 7). The authors cite the number of “new applicants [registered] nationally” as 564,908, in the 2011 Fiscal Year alone, as proof of the organization’s heavy caseload of new clients (Fleming et al., 2014, p. 7). These numbers indicate that rehabilitation services have been in high demand. Considering the importance of the vocational programs in assisting the disabled clients who are in need of employment, the authors determined that it was appropriate to examine the different ways these services can be rendered.