Research Database: Article Details
| Citation: | Cimera, R.E., Burgess, S., & Wiley, A. (2013). Does providing transition services early enable students with ASD to achieve better vocational outcomes as adults?. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 38 (2), 88-93. |
| Title: | Does providing transition services early enable students with ASD to achieve better vocational outcomes as adults? |
| Authors: | Cimera, R.E., Burgess, S., & Wiley, A. |
| Year: | 2013 |
| Journal/Publication: | Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities |
| Publisher: | TASH |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.2511/027494813807714474 |
| Full text: | http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2511/027494813807714474 | PDF |
| Peer-reviewed? | Yes |
| NIDILRR-funded? | Not reported |
Structured abstract:
| Background: | Research examining whether receiving early transition services (age 14) versus receiving later transition services (age 16) impacted vocational outcomes for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as adults. |
| Purpose: | This study examined matched pairs of students with ASD over a period of four years to study whether students receiving transition services at age 14 (early) or students receiving transition services at age 16 (late) experienced different vocational outcomes in rates of employment, cost of services and hours worked and wages earned. |
| Study sample: | Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)-911 data in fiscal years 2006-2009 data was extracted and placed into two groups: Group 1: N=453 Young adults with ASD from states mandating transition services by age 16 and Group 2: N=453 Young adults with ASD from states mandating transition services by age 14. |
| Data collection and analysis: | Data was collected from RSA 911 Database and randomly placed into matched pairs. Matching criteria were on the variables of age, gender, ethnicity, level of education, severity of disability and primary disability. Variables analyzed were early versus later transition states, successful employment and cost of purchased services. |
| Findings: | The findings indicated that individuals with ASD from early transition states were more likely to be employed over each of the four years studied. Cost of services were found to be comparable overall, however, employed individuals were found to have statistically significant differences in cost of services with states with early transition costing taxpayers less with a moderate effect size (d=0.37). Finally, while both comparison groups worked comparable numbers of hours per week, but in three of the four years, individuals from early transition states earned more weekly wages |
| Conclusions: | The findings indicated that an extra two years of service provision for transitioning youth with ASD will increase their employment rates, reduce the cost of their services to obtain and maintain employment int he community. The implications of the findings were that if all states provided transition services by the age of 14, more individuals with ASD would achieve employment after high school. |
| Disabilities served: |
Autism / ASD |
| Populations served: |
Transition-age youth (14 - 24) |
| Outcomes: |
Full-time employment Part-time employment Wages Other |