Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell

School-to-Work Transitions for Youth With Disabilities: A Review of Outcomes and Practices

This review examined employment and postsecondary education outcomes for youth with disabilities leaving secondary schools, as well as studies of educational practices reporting high-quality outcomes. Analytical considerations included the current initiatives in educational reform that emphasize the improvement of career-related outcomes for all students and the inclusion of youth with disabilities in regular classes. While school- and employment-related outcomes for youth with disabilities continue to be problematic when compared with those for nondisabled youth, two educational practices appear to consistently align with higher-quality outcomes for students. The promising practices that merit attention in improving programs and in advancing the knowledge base include school supervised work experiences and functionally oriented curricula in which occupationally specific skills, employability skills, and academic skills are systematically connected for students. The educational reform literature indicates that valued outcomes for all students are focusing more prominently on workplace and transition outcomes, and that educational practices supported with documented evidence from the secondary special education literature are viewed by many authors as promising directions for improving secondary education for all students.

The Second Shock: A Qualitative Study of Parents' Perspectives and Needs during Their Child's Transition from School to Adult Life:

This paper describes a study in the tradition of qualitative research (Biklen & Moseley, 1988; Bogdan & Biklen, 1992; Taylor & Bogdan, 1984) and examines the transition from school to adult-life process. This study employed methodology similar to other investigations that have described the nature of relationships between families and professionals (Ferguson, Ferguson, Jeanchild, Olson, & Lucyshyn, 1993) and investigated the transition process from the perspective of those who experience it (Ferguson, Ferguson, & Jones, 1988; Zetlin & Hosseini, 1989; Zetlin & Turner, 1985). Results indicate that parents of students who are involved in the transition process have a vision for the future of their child. They measure the quality of school services, the potential for future happiness and their faith in the transition process by how their child is succeeding in moving toward that vision. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.

Critical Social Skills for Adolescents with High Incidence Disabilities: Parental Perspectives

This qualitative research explored parental views about critical social skills for adolescents with high-incidence disabilities. Parents in this study shared their beliefs that emotional intelligence and character play critical roles in the social and emotional development of their children. Findings indicate that although parents agree that academic performance is important, they want their children to develop skills in two major areas: (a) interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, which include skills such as communicating, listening, interpreting, and discerning; and (b) moral development, which includes areas of character, empathy, and perseverance/motivation.

Reported Factors Contributing to Job Terminations of Individuals with Severe Disabilities

This study examined factors reported to contribute to job terminations of adults with disabilities. Fifty-one terminations were investigated utilizing three job termination categories. The most frequently reported causes for job loss were problems in the areas of character and/or production. Social awareness, character, and/or production accounted for more than 80% of all terminations. Results indicated that the majority of job terminations were due to reasons classified as social reasons, and when production problems were reported, the presence of social problems was associated with a greater likelihood of job termination.

Packing the Parachute: Parents' Experiences as Their Children Prepare to Leave High School:

This study explored parents experiences as their children prepare to leave high school and documented differences that exist in the transition experiences of parents of students with and without disabilities. Survey participants included 93 parents of students with disabilities and 111 parents of students without disabilities. Three factors were identified representing parents (a) comfort with the transition, (b) vision for their childs future, and (c) response to the schooling process. Differences were found between the groups on a multivariate measure of their transition experiences. Significant differences were found between the groups on the Comfort and Vision measures but not on the Response measure. The results indicate that parents of students with disabiliites feel greater discomfort and pessimism than do parents of students without disabilities. Both groups of parents describe school personnel as important players in their childs transition to adulthood.

Qualitative Research in Rehabilitation Counseling.

Qualitative research approaches offer rehabilitation scholars and practitioners avenues into understanding the lives and experiences of people with disabilities and those people and systems with whom they interact. The methods used often parallel those used in counseling and appear to be well matched with the field of rehabilitation counseling. Despite this, qualitative research is still rarely present in Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin (RCB) and other counseling-related journals. Thus, acquainting/reacquainting rehabilitation researchers and practitioners with qualitative research seems appropriate. This article presents an overview of qualitative research, including a discussion of common components and processes and two designs commonly used in RCB—case study and grounded theory. Research previously published in RCB is used to illustrate various aspects of the discussion. The article ends with a discussion of current qualitative research perspectives and how these perspectives challenge rehabilitation scholars to consider new directions.

Middle School Boys’ Perspectives on Social Relationships With Peers With Disabilities

Factors that contribute to the development of positive peer relationships between middle-school students with and without disabilities are investigated. Eight typically developing, seventh-grade boys participate in semi-structured interviews to discern their perspectives of the personal benefits or challenges associated with having social relationships with classmates who have disabilities. Data coding reveal five themes that relate to the formation of positive peer relationships: (a) perceived similarity in interests and ability, (b) the role of the adolescent without disabilities in the relationship, (c) amount of time spent together, (d) peer reactions towards students with disabilities, and (e) adult behavior towards students with disabilities. A theory of congruence and mutuality in peer relationships emerges from the data analysis to explain middle school relationships between students with and without disabilities.

“I Wanted to See if We Could Make it Work”: Perspectives on Inclusive Childcare

Increasingly, young children with disabilities are included in natural learning environments such as home- and center-based childcare settings. Childcare providers are asked to adapt their practices and make accommodations to include these children. In this qualitative study, six childcare providers who provide inclusive childcare in a Midwest city were interviewed. They discussed factors that contribute to their ability to provide inclusive childcare. The authors analyzed the data according to grounded theory methodology. They identified the following main contributing factors: (a) the providers commitment, (b) finding the balance between resources and needs, (c) problem-solving with parents, (d) access to emotional support and technical assistance, and (e) access to other supports. The authors discuss commonalties and divergences between home-based and center-based programs and implications for future practices.

Rehabilitation Counseling, Special Education, and Vocational Special Needs Education: Three Transition Disciplines.

EDNA MORA SZYMANSKI is Assistant Professor Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison; CHERYL HANLEY-MAXWELL is Assistant Professor Rehabilitation Institute, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale; and SUSAN ASSELIN is Associate Professor Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Virginia Polytechnic and State University. This manuscript was prepared for the professional development group of the Employ-

Improving Employment Outcomes for Chronic Alcoholics: Applying the Supported Employment Model

Alcohol use and alcoholism have massive and far-reaching effects on employment. The consequences of lost employment and reduced productivity as a result of alcohol use can be circumvented through the use of supported employment services. The purpose of this article is to present the implications of using the supported employment model to assist chronic alcoholics in their employment. Several components of supported employment (ecological assessment, job training, job sharing, and ongoing support) are presented as being beneficial to alcoholics in maintaining employment.