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This volume in The SAGE Reference Series on Disability explores education issues for people with disabilities and is one of eight volumes in the cross-disciplinary and issues-based series, which examines topics central to the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families. With a balance of history, theory, research, and application, specialists set out the findings and implications of research and practice for others whose current or future work involves the care and/or study of those with disabilities, as well as for the disabled themselves. The concise, engaging presentational st

BackgroundIt is important to investigate receipt of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services, service patterns and outcomes for youth with autism, so that limited public resources can be used more efficiently.MethodThis study used chi‐squared automatic interaction detector, and multivariate logistic regression analysis to investigate relationships between demographic variables, receipt of VR services and employment outcomes for transition‐age youth (TAY) with Autism.ResultsThe results indicate that gender, education level and cash benefits are significant predictors of employment outcomes. After controlling for the effect of demographic variables, several VR services (i.e., job placement, on‐the‐job support, on‐the‐job training, maintenance, other services, information referral, and diagnostic and treatment services) were significantly associated with competitive employment.ConclusionsOverall, the results indicate that job‐related services were significantly related to employment outcomes for TAY with Autism; therefore, it is important these youths are provided with more targeted job placements and supported employment services (Wehman et al., ).

This paper describes a study in the tradition of qualitative research (Biklen & Moseley, 1988; Bogdan & Biklen, 1992; Taylor & Bogdan, 1984) and examines the transition from school to adult-life process. This study employed methodology similar to other investigations that have described the nature of relationships between families and professionals (Ferguson, Ferguson, Jeanchild, Olson, & Lucyshyn, 1993) and investigated the transition process from the perspective of those who experience it (Ferguson, Ferguson, & Jones, 1988; Zetlin & Hosseini, 1989; Zetlin & Turner, 1985). Results indicate that parents of students who are involved in the transition process have a vision for the future of their child. They measure the quality of school services, the potential for future happiness and their faith in the transition process by how their child is succeeding in moving toward that vision. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.

This study examined factors reported to contribute to job terminations of adults with disabilities. Fifty-one terminations were investigated utilizing three job termination categories. The most frequently reported causes for job loss were problems in the areas of character and/or production. Social awareness, character, and/or production accounted for more than 80% of all terminations. Results indicated that the majority of job terminations were due to reasons classified as social reasons, and when production problems were reported, the presence of social problems was associated with a greater likelihood of job termination.