Janet W. Hill

A Report on Competitive Employment Histories of Persons Labeled Severely Mentally Retarded.

The purpose of this article is to describe the competitive employment experiences of 21 persons labeled severely mentally retarded. Over an 8-year period from 1978 to 1986, 21 persons with measured intelligence levels under 40 were competitively employed with ongoing or intermittent job site support. A cumulative total of over

Toward Generalization of Appropriate Leisure and Social Behavior in Severely Handicapped Youth: Pinball Machine Use.

230,000 of unsubsidized wages was earned. Significant vocational problems included slow work rate and lack of appropriate social skills. The majority of the persons worked in part-time, entry-level service positions. The major suggestions for improving the quality of vocational interventions included (a) more creative and comprehensive job development and (b) more powerful systematic instructional techniques. It was concluded that, while this report extends the concerns of competitive employment literature to persons with more severe intellectual handicaps, much more innovative work needs to be performed with individuals who exhibit profound disabilities.

Parent Attitudes about Working Conditions of Their Adult Mentally Retarded Sons and Daughters

This study demonstrated the acquisition and generalization into community settings of a chronologically age-appropriate leisure skill with severely and profoundly mentally retarded adolescents. The skill involved operating an electronic pinball machine independently. The study evaluated the effects of an instructional program in a multiple baseline across individuals, with frequent generalization probes into the community. Systematic instructional procedures were utilized that involved verbal instructions, modeling, physical guidance, and social reinforcement. Modeling was also used to help reduce inappropriate social behaviors, such as self-stimulation actions that took place in the community setting. The results indicated that participants could acquire and generalize use of an electronic pinball machine leisure skill effectively and learn to exhibit appropriate social behavior.

Medicaid HCBS Waivers and Supported Employment Pre- and Post-Balanced Budget Act of 1997

As major changes in vocational habilitation strategies are being proposed by the experts in the field of employment services for disabled persons, the attitudes of parents toward the working conditions of their sons and daughters who are mentally retarded warrant careful attention. A mail survey was conducted from a representative sample of 660 parents/guardians whose adult sons/daughters were receiving mental retardation services in the State of Virginia. From demographic and attitudinal information surveyed, a series of one-way ANOVAS showed that parent attitudes toward vocational services for their child were not influenced by age or sex of the adult child or the educational or occupational status of the parent. An analysis of covariance was conducted employing the IQ level of the child and satisfaction with current program placement as the covariate. IQ level showed highly significant effects on parental attitudes even when satisfaction with current program was controlled in this way. Parents and guardians in this sample expressed low interest in specific improvements in working conditions, especially increased wages for their sons/daughters who are mentally retarded. They indicated satisfaction with the current program placements for their adult children. Although most parents/guardians indicated a positive attitude toward work in general for the adult children, only 12% indicated a preference for competitive employment for their adult sons/daughters who are currently consumers of retardation services.

Helping Severely Handicapped Persons Enter Competitive Employment

Findings from a national survey of state mental retardation/developmental disability agencies regarding use of the Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver to fund supported employment were reported. Numbers of individuals and funding levels were requested for day habilitation services for FYs 1997 and 1999, before and after the(P.L. 105-33), which removed eligibility restrictions for this service. Findings show that growth rates for this service far exceeded growth rates for other day services, with high growth rates in a small number of states. However, supported employment accounted for less than 16% of those receiving day habilitation services through the Waiver and only 12% of day habilitation funding, with the remainder going to day support, prevocational services, and other segregated options.

Preparing Severely Handicapped Youth for Less Restrictive Environments

This paper addresses the issues involved in helping severely developmentally disabled individuals become placed in competitive employment. Based on the placement experiences of Project Employability, factors in job selection and in working with employers are described. The clients previous work history, functioning level, supplemental security income, living situation, transportation needs, and parent attitudes are identified as critical factors in selecting an appropriate job. Identification of an appropriate employer is discussed as well. Factors involved in this process include community job assessment, approaching the employer, establishing a training period, and conducting a job interview. The information in this article will facilitate job placement of severely disabled clients with limited work histories.

Competitive Employment for Moderately and Severely Handicapped Individuals

In order to facilitate community integration of severely and profoundly handicapped (SPH) youth, community-based training is of vital importance. Numerous reasons exist for using a classroom-community model, including: skill generalization, reinforcer sampling, awareness by nonhandicapped people, appropriate role models in the community, elevated teacher expectations, parent expectations, demonstrations of competence by SPH students, and facilitating curriculum selection. These areas will be explored as well as techniques for programming outside the classroom, such as peer tutoring, use of natural homes and local workshops for instruction, and use of nearby local community facilities. Finally, problems inherent in a community-based training model are discussed as well strategies to overcome them.

Integrating Severely Handicapped Students in Community Activities.

The purpose of this article is to present a trainer-advocacy approach to job site training and placement for moderately and severely handicapped individuals. A major focus of this article is that job placement into nonsheltered work environments should be a more frequent option for handicapped individuals than it has been in the past. A model program for job placement is discussed, with interim data presented on the individuals placed to date. At this point, over

Benefit-Cost Analysis of Supported Competitive Employment for Persons with Mental Retardation.

90,000 has been earned cumulatively by 33 moderately and severely handicapped individuals, most of whom had never worked competitively before.

Differential reasons for job separation of previously employed persons with mental retardation.

As the educational blueprint for the childs service needs and programmatic goals, the Individualized Education Program (lEP) is the best vehicle for administering a community integration program. Identified objectives should reflect parental needs and ability to support the program; the childs interests and present functioning level; and coordination with other objectives on the IEP. Identifying specific instructional objectives before a community integration program is implemented avoids the pitfall of presenting isolated activities that do not meet long-range needs. The following considerations may serve as guidelines in determining target goals for program planning: