Stakeholders’ perspectives on the provision of vocational training for youth with disabilities in Sri Lanka: protocol for a mixed-methods study

IntroductionThe quality and the range of vocational training (VT) courses offered to youth with disabilities (YwD) in low-middle-income countries are underexplored. This protocol describes a study designed to gather perceptions of a range of stakeholders related to the quality and relevance of VT programmes conducted by the Department of Social Services in Sri Lanka. The purpose of this study is to communicate with authorities the ways in which they can improve their services by paying close attention to the needs and recommendations of all stakeholders.Methods and analysisA parallel mixed-methods study will be conducted at eight vocational training institutes (VTIs). A survey will be conducted with five participant groups; YwD presently enrolled in VTIs (n=358) and their caregivers (n=358), YwD who completed the VT (n=45) and their caregivers (n=45) and educators at VTIs (n=47). The qualitative component includes semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The three groups of participants include: educators, caregivers of potential YwD for future VT (6–10 per group) and key informants from state, corporate and non-governmental sectors (a total of 20). Quantitative and qualitative data will be analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and cross-thematic analysis, respectively.Ethics and disseminationThis study received ethical clearance from the Ethics Review Committee, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya (Ref. No: P/15/02/2021). All data collection processes will abide by health and safety measures required by the national government. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Results from this research will be disseminated, to local stakeholders and participants, via local and international conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Youth-Centered Transition Planning for Students With Disabilities Who Experience Foster Care

Youth with disabilities who experience foster care (YDFC) often experience poor long-term adult outcomes. However, when educators help them access appropriate services and supports YDFC can reach their maximum potential. This chapter describes a youth-centered approach to transition planning for this vulnerable population and highlights essential elements to consider during the process such as disability, mental health, trauma, resilience, self-determination, culture, and how trauma impacts mental health. The chapter concludes with an example of creating a youth-centered plan, possible tools to use, and additional resources.

Evidence-Based Transition Practices

Preparing youth to become active and independent citizens is a critical goal for all societies. However, youth with disabilities are less likely to achieve the same adult outcomes as their non-disabled peers. Although there is a growing body of research that has identified best practices regarding the facilitation of youth with disabilities from school to an inclusive adult life, many teachers do not have the requisite skills or knowledge to facilitate this process. This chapter explores best practices in transition education for teachers beyond the academic content, identifying eight key strategies that should inform teacher preparation programs. Using a case study from Iran, this chapter critically reflects on the relevance of these strategies in an international context, where inclusion and education of students with disabilities is an emerging field.

Community-based workers’ capacity to develop inclusive livelihoods for youth with disabilities in Botswana

Background: Youth with disabilities encounter multiple barriers to livelihood opportunities and socio-economic inclusion. Research focusing on identifying and evaluating evidence-based strategies that may facilitate their transition into socio-economic participation is limited.Objectives: The study undertook to contribute knowledge and evidence to inform inclusive socio-economic development of youth with disabilities and capacitation of community-based workers engaged in implementing the livelihood component of community-based rehabilitation programmes advocating for inclusive development.Method: This qualitative exploratory case study used the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Children Youth Version to analyse community-based workers’ knowledge and experience of the rural and peri-urban communities in which they worked in Botswana. It further analysed their activities, strategies and recommendations in response to environmental factors impacting the livelihood opportunities of youth with disabilities. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews, following a life history and phenomenological approach. Data were analysed inductively using thematic content analysis.Results: Community-based workers showed sufficient knowledge and experience of barriers and enablers in health, education and training, social development, employment and governance that facilitated or obstructed access to livelihood opportunities for youth with disability. Identifying more barriers than enablers, community-based workers adopted innovative strategies to sustain and strengthen their practices and activities in the livelihoods domain. They contributed recommendations, mainly aimed at government.Conclusion: Community-based workers have the capacity to provide valuable evidence and design strategy to facilitate the socio-economic inclusion of youth with disabilities. They are particularly adept at intervening at local levels but do not have sufficient confidence or capacity to mobilise supportive community structures or to exert influence at the level of policy formulation, decision-making and implementation.

Service needs assessment of employment-related soft skills for transition age youth with disabilities

BACKGROUND: Work-related soft skills can be an important factor for successful employment outcomes, particularly for individuals with disabilities. OBJECTIVE: This study conducted a survey on the needs of important work-related soft skills for employment success of transition age youth with disabilities. METHODS: 183 participants included 27 individuals with disabilities, 32 family members of individuals with disabilities,35 disability service providers, 47 disability advocates and 42 employers, completed surveys to identify a list of soft skills by importance for transition age youth with disabilities to succeed at work. RESULTS: All five groups noted the top two skills: asking for help and responding to feedback, as most important. Employers also rated interview skills as third most important skills, while the other four groups advocated requesting for accommodations and negotiating conflicts as the third and fourth most important skills. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicated soft skills being critical to work success for transition age youth with disabilities, with some skills potentially being more important. Vocational counseling implications were discussed.

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Outcomes

This chapter identifies some of the main barriers and available supports that allow students with disabilities to participate in vocational rehabilitation (VR) transition programs. VR is a US federal program that attempts (as one of its goals) to introduce students with disabilities to employment experiences while they are still in school. The program uses access to paid internships and vocational counseling among several other components as key mechanisms to pursue its objectives. The chapter describes how the program is introduced from a best-practices perspective and proposes a conceptual model that highlights the individual, organizational, and contextual factors affecting employment outcomes for youth with disabilities. It also introduces the concept of entrepreneurship as another way to support the transition of high school youth with disabilities and discuss the implications of VR programs and supports on the employment outcomes of youth with disabilities.

Robot-Mediated Interventions to Enhance Communication and Social Abilities of Children and Youth with Disabilities: a Review of the Literature

Objectives: The current paper presents a review of the literature discussing the trends in research that conducted robot-mediated interventions to enhance communication and social abilities of children and youth with disabilities. Method: Thirty-two dissertation or research articles published after 2000 were selected and divided into thematic categories for analysis, including participants, setting, research method, characteristics of robot-mediated interventions, roles of robots, and the results of studies. Results: First, the research most frequently focused on children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Second, most of the research was conducted in educational settings. Third, most research used quantitative research design, in particular a single-subject research design method was the most common. Fourth, in most of the research humanoid robots assisted the intervention, acting as an interaction partner of participants and as an instrumental medium to prompt the participants to demonstrate desirable behavior. Finally, most studies reported positive effects of robot-mediated intervention in the communication and social abilities of children and youth with disabilities. Conclusion: The paper provides the outcomes and limitations of robot-mediated interventions for children and youth with disabilities and the implications for future research.