Stuart E. Schwartz

Successfully Employed Adults with Handicaps: Characteristics and Transition Strategies.

Preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by a grant from the Florida Department of Education, Project No. 121808457, awarded to the Department of Special Education, University of Florida. In recent years, the difficulties encountered by students with handicaps making the transition from school to work, home, and community have been well documented. The high rate of unemployment of adults with handicaps is one indicator of this problem. In 1983, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights estimated unemployment in the population of people with handicaps to be between 50% and 75% (Wehman, Kregel, & Barcus, 1985). Recent follow-up studies of adults with mild handicaps in Vermont (Hasazi, Gordon, & Roe, 1985) and Florida (Fardig, Algozzine, Schwartz, Hensel, & Westling, 1985) support these unemployment figures with figures of 45% and 50%, respectively. Difficulties obtaining work are often attributed to failure to complete high school (Fardig et al., 1985; Hasazi et al., 1985) and inadequate vocational preparation. Halpern and Benz (1984) reported that in a survey of special educators and parents of high school students with handicaps in Oregon, vocational preparation was identified as the curriculum area

The Successfully Employed Worker with a Handicap: Employee/Employer Perceptions of Job Performance.

Successful employment of individuals with handicaps has received considerable attention in recent years, especially with regard to the transition from school to the world of work. Certain skills may be critical not only for the transition process but also for continued employment. Agreement between employees and their employers as to the presence or absence of certain skills in the work setting might facilitate a successful work experience. The purpose of this study was to examine whether there are differences between successfully employed workers with handicaps and their employers with regard to the existence or demonstration of learning, work habit, and independence behaviors in the work place.

A Statewide Transition Database: What's Happening in Florida

related programs in the State of Florida. The methodology for developing a database such as this one is described below. Issues relating to the (a) use of common terminology in labeling and describing transition-related programs, (b) documentation of program offerings, (c) importance of information dissemination and collaboration in the transition process, and (d) need for current information concerning statewide transition-related programming is also addressed. Additionally, the role of transition in school reform is discussed.

How Do Adolescents Perform on a Statewide Minimum Competency Test

The purpose of this research was to compare the performance of mildly handicapped and nonhandicapped students on a test designed to measure functional literacy in math and communication skills. Random samples of 300 students were drawn from performance data available for all students participating in a statewide assessment program. Separate item scores as well as percentages of mastery on specific skills and standards were analyzed. Performance of students with individual handicapping conditions on the two standards (communication and mathematics) was compared across exceptional student groups and with the performance of nonhandicapped peers. A high percentage (87.0%) of non-handicapped students demonstrated mastery levels of performance on the communication and mathematics items. Students classified as emotionally handicapped (EH) and learning disabled (LD) achieved mastery within 5% of one another on the communication and mathematics items and performance of students classified as educably mentally handicapped (EMH) was far below that of other exceptional students. In general, scores were highest in communication skills involving writing (i.e., being able to complete money orders, checks, and common forms) and in mathematics skills involving the use of equivalent amounts of change and currency.

Job Placement of Handicapped Persons: A Positive Approach.

upon the expected performance of handicapped individuals. Few authors have discussed the effects of labels, expectancies, and prior information upon the outcome of the employment interview with handicapped individuals. This article explores the effects of labels and employers’ hiring decision making as reported in the literature. This information is then related to approaches suggested for use by vocational placement personnel when attempting to secure jobs for handicapped clients.

Work-Study Coordinators' Opinions of Factors Contributing to Successful On-the-Job Training

Preparing mildly mentally retarded students for competitive employment is a primary goal of secondary special education programs. In order to achieve this goal, vocational training is considered an important component of the secondary curriculum (Brolin, 1976; Kolstoe & Frey, 1965). Work-study programs have been implemented in many school districts to improve vocational training. Students participating in these programs typically spend all or some portion of their school day in on-the-job training (OJT). The key individual within this system is the work-study coordinator (WSC). Younie and Clark (1969) characterize this person as someone with composite skills in special education and rehabilitation counseling. D’Alonzo (1974) identifies 63 qualities, including involvement in the community, school, and business-industry, that compose role expectations for the WSC’s. Teacher trainers, administrators, and WSC’s generally agree on the value of these characteristics. Among the primary responsibilities of the WSC is the placement and supervision of secondary students in OJT situations. These situations may be within the school or community. While various studies have suggested factors related to successful postschool adjustment of the mildly mentally retarded (Brolin, Durand, Kromer, & Muller, 1975; Chaffin, Davison, Regan, & Spellman, 1971; Kidd, Cross, & Higginbotham, 1967; Muth & Singell, 1975; Strickland, 1967), there is little information on factors contributing to successful OJT placement and performance of the individual in the school setting. As in postschool adjustment, it might be expected that certain subject variables contribute to OJT success. One purpose of the present study