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This paper addresses the issues involved in helping severely developmentally disabled individuals become placed in competitive employment. Based on the placement experiences of Project Employability, factors in job selection and in working with employers are described. The client's previous work history, functioning level, supplemental security income, living situation, transportation needs, and parent attitudes are identified as critical factors in selecting an appropriate job. Identification of an appropriate employer is discussed as well. Factors involved in this process include community job assessment, approaching the employer, establishing a training period, and conducting a job interview. The information in this article will facilitate job placement of severely disabled clients with limited work histories.

The purpose of this article is to describe the competitive employment experiences of 21 persons labeled severely mentally retarded. Over an 8-year period from 1978 to 1986, 21 persons with measured intelligence levels under 40 were competitively employed with ongoing or intermittent job site support. A cumulative total of over $230,000 of unsubsidized wages was earned. Significant vocational problems included slow work rate and lack of appropriate social skills. The majority of the persons worked in part-time, entry-level service positions. The major suggestions for improving the quality of vocational interventions included (a) more creative and comprehensive job development and (b) more powerful systematic instructional techniques. It was concluded that, while this report extends the concerns of competitive employment literature to persons with more severe intellectual handicaps, much more innovative work needs to be performed with individuals who exhibit profound disabilities.