Differential vocational rehabilitation service patterns and outcomes for transition-age youth with specific learning disabilities: Implications in the COVID-19 era

BACKGROUND: It is essential to ensure that youth with specific learning disabilities (SLD) receive an appropriate type and amount of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to facilitate their entrance to employment and career development. METHODS: In this study, the chi-squared automatic interaction detector (CHAID) analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship among demographic variables, VR services, and employment outcomes for transition-age youth with SLD. RESULTS: Results indicated that age, gender, race, educational level, and cash benefits from the Social Security Administration were significant predictors of employment outcomes for transition-age youth with SLD. After controlling for the effects of demographic variables, job and training related services had significant relationships with employment outcomes. Most notably, job placement, occupational/vocational training, and on-the-job support services had the strongest relationships with competitive employment outcomes. CONCLUSION: These findings support the effectiveness of job-related services and supported employment for transition-age youth with SLD. Implications for future research and practice in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed.

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Demographic Variables, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and Employment Outcomes for Transition-Age Youth With Intellectual Disabilities

Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities ◽

10.1111/jppi.12249 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 226-236 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Cahit Kaya

Keyword(s):

Intellectual Disabilities ◽

Vocational Rehabilitation ◽

Employment Outcomes ◽

Demographic Variables ◽

Rehabilitation Services ◽

Transition Age Youth ◽

Transition Age ◽

Vocational Rehabilitation Services

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Predicting vocational rehabilitation outcomes of young adults with specific learning disabilities: Transitioning from school to work

Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation ◽

10.3233/jvr-2011-0544 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 34 (3) ◽

pp. 163-172 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Rene Gonzalez ◽

David A. Rosenthal ◽

Jeong Han Kim

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Young Adults ◽

Vocational Rehabilitation ◽

Specific Learning Disabilities ◽

School To Work ◽

Rehabilitation Outcomes ◽

Specific Learning

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Inter-Correlations Between Tests Of Intelligence In Students With Learning Disabilities

Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing ◽

10.15614/ijhw.v11i01.11 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (01) ◽

Author(s):

S. Venkatesan ◽

L. Lokesh

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Test Scores ◽

Convergent Validity ◽

Survey Design ◽

Specific Learning Disabilities ◽

Demographic Variables ◽

Single Shot ◽

Students With Learning Disabilities ◽

Mental Age ◽

Specific Learning

Background: Tests of intelligence are a prelude to the diagnosis of specific learning disabilities. This study selected three commonly preferred performance measures, such as the Porteus Maze Test (PMT), Seguin Form Board (SFB), and Gesell Drawing Test (GDT), to examine their inter-correlations. A single-shot correlation survey design was combined with convenience sampling to determine the nature, direction, degree, and extent of co-variance of test scores between the chosen tests for an overall sample of 161 students with specific learning disabilities. The overall trends and concerning personal-demographic variables like age, gender, level of schooling, and type of curriculum, were investigated. For the overall sample (N: 161), the obtained mean SFB mental age of 109.79 (SD: 20.38), GDT mental age of 98.80 (SD: 20.07), and PMT mental age of 103.75 (SD: 29.07) months. The GDT appears to be estimating mental ages less by five points against the PMT, and by twelve points against the SFB in the targeted children. Analysis of inter-correlations between the test scores on pairs for the three tests of intelligence shows moderate to highly significant correlation (p: 0.05) ranging from 0.48 and 0.53, irrespective of which among them is used as anchor test. This means that they all possess good convergent validity for their regular use during clinical practice in the diagnosis of children with learning disabilities.

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Determinants of employment outcomes of transition-age youth with depressive disorders

Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation ◽

10.3233/jvr-211172 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Olayemi A. Akinola ◽

Christian T. Doabler

Keyword(s):

Vocational Rehabilitation ◽

Depressive Disorders ◽

Employment Outcomes ◽

Demographic Characteristics ◽

The State ◽

Rehabilitation Services ◽

Transition Age Youth ◽

Transition Age ◽

Vocational Rehabilitation Services ◽

Successful Employment

BACKGROUND: Transition-age youth (TAY) with depressive disorders struggle with finding and retaining gainful employment. Thousands of these youth enroll in the state-federal vocational rehabilitation (VR) program each year to improve their employment outcomes. However, there is a dearth of information on the factors that facilitate or impede their success in the program. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to shed light on the demographic characteristics and vocational rehabilitation services and their association with successful employment and earnings of TAY with depressive disorders in the state-federal VR program. METHOD: The sample comprised of 4,772 participants drawn from the Rehabilitation Services Administration dataset. Regression analyses were employed to examine the effects of demographic characteristics and vocational rehabilitation services on successful employment and earnings. RESULTS: Results indicated that employment outcomes varied by demographic characteristics such as race/ethnicity, severity of disability and level of education. Also, certain VR services had significant positive or negative relationships with successful employment and earnings. CONCLUSIONS: Highlighting the promise of the state-federal programs for supporting TAY with depressive disorders to successfully participate in the labor market, findings from this study expand upon the literature by suggesting practices and services for optimizing employment potentials of this population.

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A Misuse of IQ Scores: Using the Dual Discrepancy/Consistency Model for Identifying Specific Learning Disabilities

Journal of Intelligence ◽

10.3390/jintelligence6030036 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 36 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

A. Beaujean ◽

Nicholas Benson ◽

Ryan McGill ◽

Stefan Dombrowski

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Test Scores ◽

The United States ◽

Specific Learning Disabilities ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Supporting Evidence ◽

Related Services ◽

Consistency Model ◽

Iq Scores ◽

Specific Learning

The purpose of this article is to describe the origins of patterns of strengths and weaknesses (PSW) methods for identifying specific learning disabilities (SLD) and to provide a comprehensive review of the assumptions and evidence supporting the most commonly-used PSW method in the United States: Dual Discrepancy/Consistency (DD/C). Given their use in determining whether students have access to special education and related services, it is important that any method used to identify SLD have supporting evidence. A review of the DD/C evidence indicates it cannot currently be classified as an evidence-based method for identifying individuals with a SLD. We show that the DD/C method is unsound for three major reasons: (a) it requires test scores have properties that they fundamentally lack, (b) lack of experimental utility evidence supporting its use, and (c) evidence supporting the inability of the method to identify SLD accurately.

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