Characteristics and experiences of Youth who are Deaf-Blind

Authors: 
McGilloway, S., & Donnelly, M.
Year Published: 
2017
Pages: 
1-38
Publisher: 
The NRTC on Blindness & Low Vision
Background: 

According to the National Center on Deaf-Blindness' (NCDB) there have been 8,937 individuals from age 3 to 21, identified with deaf-blindness. Approximately two thirds of transition-age youth with deaf-blindness have participated in state vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs. However, very limited research exists that gives an accurate depiction of the deaf-blind community's experience.

Purpose: 

This report describes deaf-blind youth in a sample from 2001 to 2009 and examines the population's characteristics, secondary school experiences, academic achievements, postsecondary school attendance, and employment experiences. The perspective of this report is from that of parents/guardians, youth, and teachers.

Setting: 

Data for this report come from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) from 2001 to 2009. Data for this sample were collected via mail surveys and interviews of youth and their parents/guardians, surveys of school personnel, and district assessments.

Sample: 

Participants included young adults who identified as having visual and auditory loss as a primary disability.

Data Collection: 

Data collection used in this NLTS2 sample were conducted every two years with a total of five waves from 2001 to 2009 with the largest sample size occurring during Wave 1 (170).

Intervention: 

There was no intervention.

Control: 

There was no control group.

Findings: 

A detailed description of the school and employment experience of young adults who are deaf-blind is included in this report. However several commonalities presented themselves within this sample including that the majority of respondents (92% or more), lived with their parent(s) or other relatives, received transition planning for adult life, received special services from their school, and most had one or more accommodation identified on their individualized education program (IEP).

Conclusions: 

Although this dataset has been used to represent transition aged youth with disabilities in the past, this report is the first for young adults who are deaf-blind in the United States at a national level. These data are somewhat dated and it would be beneficial to continue this research with a more recent sample.

URL: 
http://www.blind.msstate.edu/docs/characteristicsAndExperiencesOfYouthWhoAreDeafBlind.pdf
Disabilities: 
Hearing impairments
Visual impairments
Populations: 
Male & Female
Transition-age youth (14 - 24)
NIDILRR Funded: 
Yes
Research Design: 
Observational
Peer Reviewed: 
No

Disparities in job placement outcomes among deaf, late-deafened, and hard-of-hearing consumers

Authors: 
Moore, C. L., Harley, D. A., & Gamble, D.
Year Published: 
2001
Publication: 
Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin
Volume: 
44
Number: 
3
Pages: 
144-150
Publisher: 
Hammill Institute on Disabilities
Background: 

There is an emphasis placed on vocational rehabilitation programs to deliver high-quality employment outcomes. Competitive jobs allow VR consumers to acquire transferable skills as well as to earn higher wages.

Purpose: 

The purpose of this study is to provide state VR agencies a national benchmark to compare rates at which consumers who are deaf, late-deafened, and hard-of-hearing achieve competitive jobs and to compare rates at which these target groups are provided with specific types of VR services.

Setting: 

This study included individuals who are deaf, late deafened and hard of hearing served by multiple vocational rehabilitation agencies in various settings.

Sample: 

RSA-911 data on all VR consumers who were identified as deaf, late-deafened, and hard-of-hearing during fiscal year 1997 and closed successfully in status 26. (15,248 individuals)

Data Collection: 

RSA-911 national data tape. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses.

Intervention: 

VR services including assessment, restoration, college or university training, adjustment, on-the-job training, counseling, job-finding services, job placement, transportation, and maintenance.

Control: 

There was no control or comparison condition.

Findings: 

A significantly greater proportion of VR consumers who are deaf achieve competitive jobs than of consumers who are late-deafened and hard-of-hearing. Consumers who were deaf were provided with significantly more college/university training, business and vocational training, on-the-job training and job placement than consumers were were late-deafened and hard-of-hearing.

Conclusions: 

Consumers who were late-deafened and hard-of-hearing were not provided with effective training and with job placement services at the same rate as consumers who were deaf. Some VR counselors may have assumed that consumers who are late-deafened and hard-of-hearing were less likely to benefit from such services. VR counselors may want to inform consumers of the availability of such services.

URL: 
http://rcb.sagepub.com/content/44/3/144.short
Disabilities: 
Hearing impairments
Populations: 
Male & Female
Outcomes: 
Employment acquisition
NIDILRR Funded: 
Yes
Research Design: 
Observational
Peer Reviewed: 
Yes

Evidence-based secondary transition predictors for improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities

Authors: 
Texler, L. E., Texler, L. C., Malec, J. F., Klyce, D., & Parrott, D.
Year Published: 
2009
Publication: 
Career Development for Exceptional Individuals
Volume: 
32
Number: 
3
Pages: 
1-22
Publisher: 
Hammill Institute on Disabilities and Sage
Background: 

Post secondary school outcomes for youth with disabilities are poor. For example, the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 Wave 3 data indicated students continue to live with their parents, did not attend post secondary education and had high rates of unemployment as compared to their non disabled peers, after exiting school. The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center had been identifying evidenced based practices to help improve these and other outcomes. The Council for Exceptional Children was also looking for evidenced based practices in Special Education.

Purpose: 

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the secondary transition correlational literature using recommended quality indicators to identify in-school predictors of improved post school outcomes for students with disabilities.

Setting: 

This study is a systematic review. The included studies were undertaken in various locations and settings.

Sample: 

One hundred and sixty two articles were identified for review. Sixty three passed an analyses and were passed on for further review. Among these, 35 were excluded which left 28 articles for comparison against a quality of evidence checklist for correlational research. This resulted in 22 articles for final review. Three were exploratory studies and the others were a priori studies related to students with disabilities.

Data Collection: 

The remaining studies were examined for the following: population, sample size, predictor variables, postschool outcome variables, type of statistical analysis used, relationships among variables, significance levels, and data that allowed for calculation of effect sizes. It was not possible to extract conclusions across studies, so the researchers chose to convert significant relationships to standardize effect size measures to allow comparisons. Various conversions were calculated.

Intervention: 

The interventions were various transition practices.

Control: 

There were no comparison or control conditions.

Findings: 

A review of the literature identified 16 evidence-based in school predictors of post-school outcomes. These include: career awareness, community experiences, exit exam requirements/high school diploma status, inclusion in general education, interagency collaboration, occupational courses, paid employment/work experience, parental involvement, program of study, self advocacy/self determination, self-care/independent living skills, social skills, student support, transition program, vocational education and work study. Some negative findings were also found. Two studies reported negative relationships between secondary transition predictors and one or more post school outcomes. Among the 16 predictor categories: inclusion in general education, paid employment and work experience, self care/independent living, and student support improved outcomes in all 3 post school outcome areas.

Conclusions: 

The results from this review provide information to help practitioners improve post school outcomes for students with disabilities. Combining knowledge gained from this review with evidenced based instructional practices should provide state and local education agencies with a foundation to improve programs and thereby increase post school outcomes.

URL: 
http://sites.bu.edu/miccr/files/2015/03/Evidence-based-secondary-transition-predictors-for-improving-post-school-outcomes-for-students-with-disabilities.pdf
Disabilities: 
Hearing impairments
Intellectual disabilities
Orthopedic impairments
Specific learning disabilities
Speech or language impairments
Visual impairments
Populations: 
Transition-age youth (14 - 24)
Outcomes: 
Employment acquisition
NIDILRR Funded: 
Yes
Research Design: 
Systematic reviews and meta-analysis
Peer Reviewed: 
Yes

Hearing impairment, work and vocational enablement

Authors: 
Krupa, T
Year Published: 
2008
Publication: 
International Journal of Audiology
Volume: 
47
Number: 
2
Pages: 
S124-S130
Publisher: 
Informa Healthcare
Background: 

Employment is considered one of the major life areas. An increasing number of individuals with hearing loss are seeking help with occupational problems and need individualized employment supports.

Purpose: 

This paper describes a recently developed vocational enablement protocol (VEP) addressing the specific needs of those with hearing loss in the workforce.

Setting: 

The setting was an Audiological Center in a University Medical Center, in Amsterdam.

Sample: 

The study sample include 86 patients with hearing loss aged 19-64 years.

Data Collection: 

Data from the VEP was collected and discussed in a board multidisciplinary team.

Intervention: 

Vocational enablement protocol (VEP)
evaluation of the work situation and problems from both the patient's and the professionals perspective, including an assessment of the auditory demands at the workplace</li>
diagnostic examination of the individual's auditory profile
assessment of the an individual's coping abilities
an examination of the workplace
recommendations for an enablement plan an options available
written report
Implementation of the recommendations

Control: 

There was no control or comparison condition.

Findings: 

Recommendations were made by the multidisciplinary team in the following areas: hearing aid (re)fitting, communication training, environmental modifications, psychosocial counseling, assistive listening devices, re-delegation of assignments, restructuring of time schedules, further medical examination, occupations retraining, hearing protection.

Conclusions: 

This program may be regarded as a step forward in the management of people with hearing loss who experience problems as work, but there is still room for improvement. There is no scientific evidence available for the effectiveness and efficiency of the recommendations proposed.

URL: 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19012121
Disabilities: 
Hearing impairments
Populations: 
Male & Female
Outcomes: 
Other
NIDILRR Funded: 
No
Research Design: 
Qualitative
Peer Reviewed: 
Yes