Occupational therapy intervention approaches for successful employment outcomes for individuals with an intellectual disability

“Disability is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. Disability is thus not just a health problem. It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives” (Boyt Schell & Gillen, 2019, pp. 1196). Disability is a natural part of the human experience, and does not inhibit an individual’s ability to successfully contribute to society. “Intellectual disability is a developmental disability that is diagnosed before the age of 18 and expected to last throughout life. It involves significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior” (Johnson & Blaskowtiz, 2017, p. 3). According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, persons with a disability have significantly lower employment rates than persons without a disability (2020). Disability is a natural part of the human experience, and does not inhibit an individual’s ability to successfully contribute to society. “The unemployment rate for adults with intellectual disability is more than twice as high as those without disabilities, with only 44% of adults with intellectual disability aged 21 to 64 years participating in the labor force (Johnson & Blaskowtiz, 2017, p.4). Legislation has been implemented to support individuals with intellectual disabilities including American Disability Act (ADA), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) (Cleary & Persch, 2020)