Supported Employment Services and Employment Outcomes for Low-Income Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Case Control Study

Transition-age youth, ages 14-24 years old, with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face unique barriers to entering the labor force when exiting high school. These barriers can be even more severe if the youth is from a low-income background. Supported employment (SE) services may help this population overcome these barriers and be employed in competitive integrated employment (CIE) settings. SE provides an employment specialist to guide them through obtaining and retaining a job (McDonough & Whittenburg, 2020; Wehman et al., 2007). However, limited research has been done on the SE experiences and outcomes of transition-age youth with IDD (Wehman et al., 2014), and even less research has been done on the impact of SE for transition-age youth with IDD from low-income backgrounds. This study uses secondary data from RSA-911, program year 2019, to conduct logistic regression and propensity score matching. These analyses are used to explore whether consumers who receive SE services differ by demographic and financial characteristics, and whether receiving SE increases odds of CIE. Intersectionality and social cognitive career theory guide the analyses and interpretation of the findings. Future directions and implications are discussed