A challenge for teacher educators in special education is to impact the beliefs and attitudes of preservice teachers in ways that cultivate or strengthen dispositions and inform practice. This study investigated the impact of service-learning experiences on the development of professional dispositions by undergraduate students in two preservice…

The purpose of this study was to identify job site supervisors' opinions regarding job placement, training, evaluation, and job maintenance of persons with disabilities. In order to assess the role of job site supervisors, 10 supervisors in businesses that employed individuals with handicaps were interviewed. Employment sites represented four…

The Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services discusses the office's initiative encouraging supported employment for the disabled. Accomplishments of the initiative include implementation in all states and territories. Employment trends favoring increased employment of the disabled include the need for…

Focus groups with 26 Alberta agencies and 16 volunteers with disabilities addressed success factors, barriers, and accommodations for fuller participation by persons with disabilities ("supported volunteering"). Results were used to help develop supported volunteering in local agencies. (JOW)

This study of supported employment's effects on wages earned by Michigan adults with disabilities found that wages increased after entering supported employment, mostly because of higher hourly rates but somewhat because of increased hours of employment and that individual placement had the largest effect on wages whereas participation in mobile…

This tribute to the late Robert Gaylord-Ross notes his research, publications, teaching, and commitment to the cause of the disabled especially the provision of vocational education and supported employment services to allow open employment of persons with disability. (DB)

This study investigated the ways in which workplace supports are conceptualized and implemented by four organizations that provide supported employment services. Findings indicate that each agency was driven by strong leadership and a cohesive vision and values with a history of innovation and change. Natural workplace supports were promoted in…

An intervention had three phases: (1) a worker who was taught instructional skills then taught a disabled worker a new task; (2) the nondisabled workers encouraged others to interact with the disabled worker; and (3) the disabled worker was taught appropriate conversational exchanges. Coworker instruction alone did not increase the disabled…

This study investigated the possibility that high levels of direct support in supported employment programs are associated with less typicalness, integration, and wages. The study found that wage and integration outcomes can be increased, even if there is a high level of direct support, if there is coworker training. (Contains references.)…

Differences in rates of case closure, case service cost, hours worked per week, and weekly wage between customers with autism closed successfully in competitive employment and supported employment were found using the Rehabilitation Service Administration national database of 2001. Using logistic regression, customer demographic variables related…

The longitudinal status of supported employment in Finland was examined via a 2003 nationwide survey sent to job coaches involved in supporting workers with intellectual and other disabilities. Sustained supported employment, defined as "paid work in integrated settings with ongoing supports that contained at least two on-site visits per…

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a supported employment programme on measures of executive functions for 44 adults with autism, assessed at the beginning and the end of the programme period. The average length of time of the community employment was 30 months. Methods: Based on their predominant work activity…

Examined job terminations of individuals (N=51) with severe disabilities who had received job training and follow-up services using the supported employment model. Results indicated that, although there was no relationship between reasons given for leaving job and length of time on job, participants lost their jobs most often within the first year…

A study investigated support provided to target employees who have been competitively employed. Ten supervisors in businesses employing individuals with handicaps were interviewed. Supervisors' roles included hiring, modifying the job, providing training, assisting co-workers in providing employee support, evaluating employees, and providing…

A survey administered to 91 supported employment job coaches and 86 supervisors revealed that confusion exists over what constitutes an aversive intervention versus a nonaversive intervention for persons with disabilities. When asked to rate 20 vignettes describing interventions, respondents' ratings ranged from nonaversive to severely aversive on…