Research Brief: Employer Practices and the Employment of People with Disabilities: Scoping the Literature

Much of the literature about disability employment aimed at employers has consisted of checklists and recommendations of best practices that are loosely based on academic theories of diversity but lack research-based evidence of their efficacy. Little measurement has been done to determine whether the identified practices show real-world promise in improving employment rates for people with disabilities. As Kreitz (2008) says many of these articles “Rely on brief case studies or anecdotal stories” and are not based in research.” The experimental research that has been done has been heavily focused on the perception of and beliefs about applicants and employees with disabilities and attitudes towards disability itself. To address this information gap, in 2010 the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) issued an RFP for a national-level Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employer Practices related to employment outcomes among individuals with disabilities. NIDRR noted: “obtaining empirical data about actual employer practices, and further investigating the extent to which these practices are associated with employment for individuals with disabilities, would inform the development of interventions to improve the number and diversity of employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

A Guide to the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database

The primary purpose of this paper is to describe the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Dataset (TBIMS ND) and discuss its potential uses in rehabilitation research by examining the data structure, key variables, and data trends. This database is the only longitudinal long-term follow-up data set that documents pre-injury characteristics, acute care and rehabilitation services, and long-term rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with TBI in the United States. The descriptive analysis presented in this paper are aimed to inform researchers about potential uses of this data set in rehabilitation research

Research Brief: Job-Mobility for People with Disabilities: Impact of Employer-Paid Health Insurance

As most employers appear to make decisions to offer EHI from an economic perspective, research has yet to demonstrate how such decisions could potentially contribute to higher turnover rates as indicated by job-mobility of workers, especially among employees with disabilities. This research brief describes the results from the analysis of large national survey data examining the relationship between employer-paid health insurance and the likelihood of job-change for people with and without disabilities

Brief report: Validity and reliability of the Nigerian Autism Screening Questionnaire

Informant-report measures for screening symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are needed for low-resource settings if early identification is to be prioritized because early developmental concerns are likely to be expressed by parents and other caregivers. This paper describes the initial psychometric evaluation of the Nigeria Autism Screening Questionnaire (NASQ). Parents and other caregivers completed the NASQ on 12,311 children ages 1 to 18 in a Nigerian population sample as part of the World Bank National General Household Survey conducted in the country in 2016. Factor analyses indicated a parsimonious three-factor structure with social communication/interaction, repetitive sensory motor, and insistence on sameness dimensions. Measurement invariance was excellent across age and sex. Reliability of the subscales and total scale was good, and item response theory analyses indicated good measurement precision in the range from below average to high scores, crucial for screening, and tracking ASD symptoms. Studies with gold standard ASD diagnostic instruments and clinical confirmation are needed to evaluate screening and diagnostic accuracy. The NASQ appears to be a reliable instrument with a clear factor structure and potential for use in screening and tracking ASD symptoms in future Nigerian samples

Rural Indian tribal communities: an emerging high-risk group for HIV/AIDS

BACKGROUND: Rural Indian tribes are anthropologically distinct with unique cultures, traditions and practices. Over the years, displacement and rapid acculturation of this population has led to dramatic changes in their socio-cultural and value systems. Due to a poor health infrastructure, high levels of poverty and ignorance, these communities are highly vulnerable to various health problems, especially, communicable diseases including HIV/AIDS. Our study sought to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding sexuality, and the risk factors associated with the spread of HIV/AIDS and STDs among these communities. METHODS: A nested cross sectional study was undertaken as part of the on going Reproductive and Child Health Survey. A total of 5,690 participants age 18–44 were recruited for this study. Data were obtained through home interviews, and focused on socio-demographics, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors regarding sexuality, HIV/AIDS and other STDs. RESULTS: The study revealed that only 22% of adults had even heard of AIDS, and 18 % knew how it is transmitted. In addition, only 5% knew that STDs and AIDS were related to each other. AIDS awareness among women was lower compared to men (14% vs.30 %). Regarding sexual practices, 35% of the respondents reported having had extramarital sexual encounters, with more males than females reporting extramarital affairs. CONCLUSION: Lack of awareness, permissiveness of tribal societies for premarital or extra-marital sexual relationships, and sexual mixing patterns predispose these communities to HIV/AIDS and STD infections. There is a dire need for targeted interventions in order to curtail the increasing threat of HIV and other STDs among these vulnerable populations

Transition To Adult Roles For Students With Emotional/Behavioral Disturbances A Follow-Up Study Of Student Exiters From Steps-To-Success

Transition from adolescence to adulthood is especially challenging for youth and young adults with emotional/behavioral disturbances (EBD). The Transition to Independence Process (TIP) model serves to prepare and facilitate youth and young adults with EBD in their transition into adulthood roles through a person-centered and developmentally appropriate process. Using existing state and program data, this study compared the postsecondary outcomes (e.g., employment, postsecondary education, incarceration) of exiters from the Steps-to-Success Program, a TIP-based system serving secondary school students, to those of matched comparison groups of (a) other young adults with EBD who had services as usual and (b) young adults with no previous classification. Our results demonstrated the efficacy of the Steps-to-Success Program in improving postsecondary outcomes for youth with EBD

Factors associated with resilience among children and youths with disability during the COVID-19 pandemic

There is evidence of negative impact of social distancing and confinement measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic on children, including increased anxiety and depression and behaviour difficulties. Paradoxically, positive impacts like increased support and more self-care activities have also been documented. Little is known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the children with disability and the potential role of familial, environmental, and biological factors on mitigating this impact. The aims of the study were 1) identifying profiles of functioning across multiple domains during the COVID-19 pandemic and 2) examining the extent to which parenting self-efficacy, support in accessing schooling, and type of diagnosis predict the likelihood of resilience among children with disability, after controlling for household income and single-parent status. An online survey developed from COVID-19 guidance recommendations, was available from June 11- July 21, 2020, and resulted in a convenience sample of caregivers across Canada (n = 883) of children with disability (mean age of 9.4 years old, SDage = 5.7, 58% male). We conducted latent class analysis to examine the number of latent profiles on caregiver-reported changes of 12 functioning domains, as either ‘worsening’, ‘no change’, or ‘improving’. Most participants belonged to ‘stable’ or ‘worsening’ profiles. However, we identified a small subgroup with improvements in child functioning, a pattern indicative of a ‘resilient’ profile. Using a multinomial logistic regression, we found that diagnosis type, parenting self-efficacy and support in accessing schooling were associated with membership in the Resilient or Stable profiles compared to the Worsening profile, after controlling for single-parent status and income. Taken together, our findings identified variability in responses to adversity that is dependent on the child’s diagnosis type, parenting self-efficacy, and support in accessing schooling. By identifying potentially modifiable predictors of resilience, namely parenting self-efficacy and support in accessing schooling, we signal the potential for tailored supports for different diagnoses, through interventions that enhance caregiver empowerment, access to schooling, access to health and social services, and/or mitigate disparities resulting from social disadvantage

Socio-demographic disparities in receipt of clinical health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic for Canadian children with disability

Abstract Background Little is known about the experience of receiving in-person and virtual clinical health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic for Canadian children with developmental disabilities and delays facing multiple layers of vulnerability (e.g., low income, low educational attainment families). We examined the relationship between socio-demographic factors and the receipt of these services (physical and mental health services) during COVID-19 for Canadian children with these conditions. Methods Data collected in Canada for the Global Report on Developmental Delays, Disorders and Disabilities were used. The survey: (1) was developed and disseminated in collaboration with caregivers of children with disabilities, (2) included topics such as response to the pandemic and receipt of services and supports, and (3) documented the experiences of a non-random convenience sample of caregivers of children (any age) with these conditions during and prior to the pandemic. We used four logistic regression models to assess the association between socio-demographic factors and receipt of services. Results Being a single parent, having low educational attainment (high school or less), having low income (making less than $40,000 per year), working less than full time (working part-time, working reduced hours due to COVID, retired, stay home parent or student), as well as male gender and older age of the child with disability were factors associated with decreased likelihood of receiving services. Conclusion Our findings point to the need for tailoring services for families of children with disabilities, particularly low socioeconomic status families, to ensure continuity of care during public health emergencies

A Framework for Research in Transition: Identifying Important Areas and Intersections for Future Study

The role of research in transition education has been prominent and influential. Yet too many young people with disabilities are still not experiencing outcomes aligned with their personal aspirations and priorities. Moreover, individuals with disabilities continue to experience barriers to employment, educational, economic, and other challenges well into adulthood. Moving forward as a field will require continued investment in strong scholarship and careful consideration of new areas of inquiry. In this article, we present a framework for transition research designed to identify key issues and intersections in which future inquiry should be directed. We present research needs in six different areas to illustrate these possibilities. We also highlight some of the complexities and considerations associated with conducting this research