Paul J. Gerber

Identifying Alterable Patterns in Employment Success for Highly Successful Adults with Learning Disabilities

Adults with learning disabilities were studied to ascertain the patterns of successful functioning that promoted high levels of vocational success. This area of research has been neglected in the developing research base on adults with learning disabilities. In this study of 46 highly successful and 25 moderately successful adults with learning disabilities using ethnographic interviews, it was found that the overriding theme was control and that control was sought through the pursuit of two sets of themes---internal decisions and external manifestations. These themes transcended the entire sample, and the clear difference between the groups was the degree of attainment on the various elements the themes comprised. These elements and themes are discussed and a model of successful vocational functioning is developed and explained.

Reframing the Learning Disabilities Experience

Reframing the learning disabilities experience has been identified by researchers as a key variable in employment success and adjustment in adulthood. This article provides a discussion of theory, related literature, methods, and techniques related to the process of reframing — from recognition, to understanding, to acceptance of the learning disability, to the development of a plan of action. We argue that successful reframing is imperative if one is to take control of his or her learning disability in adult life. It is also necessary for the development and implementation of self-advocacy skills.

New Perspectives on Teaching From Successful Adults with Learning Disabilities

The experiences of adults with learning disabilities who have found success in employment may provide new perspectives about teaching students with learning disabilities. A qualitative research project with 71 successful adults with learning disabilities indicates that their individual achievements share a number of commonalities. Moreover, these commonalities represent skills and processes that can be taught and learned. This article presents a model of vocational success developed from interviews with the 71 subjects. The authors discuss methods so that practitioners may use the model to help students with learning disabilities inculcate behaviors that will facilitate successful adult adjustment. Instructional approaches that teach these skills and processes will embrace a success rather than deficit model, a focus on strengths rather than a preoccupation with weaknesses.

Making Collaborative Teaching More Effective for Academically Able Students: Recommendations for Implementation and Training.

Collaborative teaching is being used more and more in serving academically able students with disabilities, including a large number of students with learning disabilities. The focus of this article is a series of recommendations to improve collaborative teaching. The recommendations were generated as a result of an intensive study of collaborative teaching in elementary, middle, and high school programs through interviews with administrators, teachers, parents, and students. The recommendations are divided into (a) general recommendations addressing service delivery, administrative, and communication issues and (b) training recommendations for new and indirectly involved personnel, parents, and university pre- and inservice programs.

The Impact of Learning Disabilities on Adulthood A Review of the Evidenced-Based Literature for Research and Practice in Adult Education

It is now well established that learning disabilities (LD) persist into the adult years, yet despite a developing literature base in this area, there is a paucity of evidence-based research to guide research and practice. Consistent with the demands of the adult stage of development, autonomy and self-determination are crucial to quality-of-life issues to adults in general, and specifically to adults with LD. There are many areas of functioning in which adults need to adapt successfully, such as employment, family, social and emotional, daily living routines, community, and recreation and leisure. In essence, there are a myriad of challenges and outcomes as adults navigate the trials and tribulations of LD as it manifests itself into adulthood. This review of the extant evidence-based literature seeks to discover relevant knowledge that can be shared with practitioners who serve adults with LD in a variety of professional and volunteer roles, particularly in adult education settings.

The Americans with Disabilities Act and Adults with Learning Disabilities as Employees The Realities of the Workplace

Adults with learning disabilities, ages 19 to 32, were queried to examine their employment experiences at job entry and in job advancement vis-à-vis the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They were questioned regarding job acquisition; experiences on the job; job advancement; self-disclosure; and employer experiences, attitudes, and beliefs. The interviews indicate that provisions of Title I of the ADA currently are being under-utilized by individuals with learning disabilities in the workplace. Self-disclosure about disability was rare, and, surprisingly, reasonable accommodations were used infrequently. These findings raise a number of important questions for consideration by the field of learning disabilities.

Cognitive Correlates of Social Perception in Students with Learning Disabilities

In investigating possible explanations for social skills deficits in students with learning disabilities, researchers have examined social perception —the interpretation of behavior in order to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. This study specifically examined cognitive correlates of social perception in individuals with learning disabilities. Thirty-two students with learning disabilities in elementary grades were measured on three sub tests (Comprehension, Picture Arrangement, and Digit Span) of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised and on the Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity. Both Picture Arrangement and Comprehension seemed to have an inherent relation to social perceptual functioning. Implications of these results are discussed.

Beyond Transition A Comparison of the Employment Experiences of American and Canadian Adults with LD

With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the United States and the Canadian Chartre of Rights and Freedoms, there is a new work environment for individuals with learning disabilities (LD) in North America. This qualitative study sought to compare the employment experiences of 25 U.S. adults with LD and 24 Canadian adults with LD. Areas of comparison were job getting, experiences on the job, and job advancement. Remarkably, the U.S. and Canadian adults with LD had nearly the same employment experiences. In essence, each set of data mirrored the other despite marked differences in U.S. and Canadian federal disability legislation.

At Second Glance Employers and Employees with Learning Disabilities in the Americans with Disabilities Act Era

The impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 on the American workplace is examined. The findings of a previous study (Gerber, 1992) on employer knowledge about learning disabilities are compared to current findings. Important themes and employer beliefs and practices that were consistent in employer responses are described. Although employers are continuing to make efforts to comply with the regulations of the ADA, they still have relatively little knowledge or experience with it in terms of learning disabilities.

Instructional strategies for long-term success.

Through a qualitative research study we developed a model of employment success based on the experiences of successful adults with learning disabilities. This model may be particularly useful to students with learning disabilities in helping them experience success both in school and beyond. We suggest that the components of the model—internal decisions comprising desire, goal orientation, and reframing, and external manifestations or behaviors of persistence, goodness of fit, learned creativity, and favorable social ecologies—can be systematically taught and then used. By focusing on what has worked for adults with learning disabilities, we propose that the model taps into inherent strengths that can compensate for significant limitations associated with learning disabilities. The model does not guarantee success, but it does equip students with learning disabilities with a readiness to capitalize on opportunities that they might otherwise miss.