Community Integration: ProductivityAccess Education

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Community Integration Productivity/AccessEducati
on

• Roberta DePompei, Ph.D.
• University of Akron
• 330-072-6114
• rdepom1_at_uakron.edu

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Adult Transition Goals
Road through Adulthood
Sustains TBI
Employment Independence Relationships Quality of
Life
Return to previous or optimal or acceptable
lifestyle
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Youth Transition Goals
Childhood
Sustains TBI
School Activities Relationships Quality of Life
Return to previous or optimal childhood
TRANSITION to Adulthood
Adult Identity Employment Independence
Relationships Quality of Life
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Individuals with Disabilities Act(IDEA)

• Mandates transition services for students with
  disabilities at age 16.
• Specifies the services are to be a coordinated
  set of activities designed to promote movement
  from school to post-school activities including
  post secondary education, vocational training,
  integrated employment, continuing and adult
  education, adult services, and independent living
  or community participation.

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Individuals with Disabilities Act(IDEA)

• Plan for transition services is to be included in
  the Individual Education Program (IEP).
• Student, parent, school should plan transition
  together.

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Transition Services IDEA

• Mandated, but not funded
• Students with TBI are under-identified for
  special ed and transition services
• Focus is often on graduation
• Transition services are highly variable from
  district to district, disability to disability,
  severity of disability

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Transition Services IDEA

• Academic or Life Skills Track
• Not combined
• Either write resume and visit post secondary
  training sites OR
• 3 to 4 years of supported employment, life
  skills, bus training, self-advocacy, social
  skills, experience in independent living

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Post Secondary Outcomes for Students with
TBITransition Experiences

• Bonnie Todis, Ph.D.
• Ann Glang, Ph.D.
• Teaching Research
• Eugene, OR

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Post-Secondary Outcomes Project (PSO)

• 8-year study of transition outcomes
• Funded by OSEP and NIDRR
• 90 students in Oregon and Washington
• Recruited at exit from high school
• Interviews with Parent and Youth every 6 months

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PSO Participants

• 77 had severe injuries
• only 2/3 were on IEPs
• Half were injured while in high school
• 2/3 male

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Life Transition Planning
At initial interview
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Written Transition Plan
At initial interview
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Person Who Helped Plan Transition
At initial interview
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Other PSO Findings

• Receipt of special education services had no
  impact on transition outcomes
• Those who received rehabilitation services were
  more likely to live at home
• Severity of injury was not a factor

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Other PSO Findings

• Those with higher ratings on emotional adjustment
  were more likely to live independently
• Those with higher ratings on executive function
  were more likely to be enrolled in post-secondary
  training/education

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National Transition Longitudinal Study (NTLS)

• 10-year study of transition outcomes
• Funded by OSEP
• 11,000 students
• 12 disability categories
• NTLS1(1996) did not include students with TBI
• NTLS2 (2005) included students with TBI

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NTLS Employment

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NTLS Post-secondary Education

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NTLS Living with Parents

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Summary of Findings

• Students with all disabilities are working and
  going to school at lower rates than peers in
  general population (62 employed and 55 in post
  secondary education).
• Students with TBI were participating at less than
  the rate for all disabilities employed at 50
  rate and in post secondary education at 22.

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Summary of Findings

• What parents say about what their students with
  TBI need after leaving high school

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NTLS Needs Life Skills

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NTLS Needs vocational services

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NTLS Needs additional services

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Points to Consider

• Transition continues well beyond high school
  graduation
• The service system youth with TBI enter is the
  same one that produces 40 employment for adults
  with TBI

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Implications for Practice

• Special education interventions for students with
  TBI should
• Target emotional adjustment and executive
  functioning
• Work with students to address barriers to
  post-secondary enrollment

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Implications for Practice

• Transition services should recognize the role of
  family support
• Connect families with community based resources
• Provide information on financial assistance for
  post-secondary training
• Connect youth and family with post-secondary
  disability services

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Implications for Practice

• Young adults with TBI need improved
  post-secondary community supports
• Vocational training, placement, supports
• Life skills training and supports
• Post secondary education supports
• Consider existing programs such as Youth
  Transition Program (Collaboration of Departments
  of Education, Vocational Rehabilitation Services
  and local school districts)

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Challenges for Post Secondary Education

• Young adults with TBI need improved assistance in
  post-secondary educational settings
• Community colleges and universities have little
  experience with how to accommodate students with
  TBI
• Accommodation models are unavailable
• Types of supports for students that will make a
  difference are not yet identified through
  evidence based research.

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References

• Todis, B., Malec, J., Gillett, J. (2007).
  Promising practices for youth with TBI
  Transitioning to Adulthood. Brain Injury
  Professional, 3(4) 30-33.
• Wagner, M., Newman,L.,Cameto, R. et al
  (2005)After high school A first look at the
  postschool experiences of youth with
  disabilities. A report from the longitudinal
  study-2 (NLTS2) Menlo Park, CA SRI
  International.

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References

• Glang, A., Todis, b., Bullis, M. (2003)
  Resilience in students with TBI A longitudinal
  investigation. NIDRR Grant H133G030179.
• Bullis,M., Fredricks, HD. (2002). Providing
  consultation and technical assistance. In
  Vocational and Transition Services for
  Adolescents with Behavioral and Emotional
  Disorders. pp. 173-184. Champaign, ILResearch
  Press.