Evaluation of a Multicomponent Intervention Package to Increase Summer Work Experiences for Transition-Age Youth with Severe Disabilities

Abstract

Early work experiences have been advocated as an important avenue for equipping youth with disabilities with the skills, attitudes, opportunities, and aspirations needed to transition successfully to meaningful careers after high school. We examined the efficacy and social validity of a multicomponent intervention package—composed of summer-focused planning, community connectors, and employer liaisons—aimed at connecting youth with severe disabilities to summer work experiences. Sixty-seven youth were randomly assigned to intervention and comparison groups from within six diverse high schools. Youth in the intervention group were 3.5 times more likely to have community-based work experiences during the summer and worked more hours per week. Key stakeholders generally perceived the intervention strategies to be acceptable, feasible, and effective. We present a detailed analysis of the summer experiences of youth with severe disabilities and offer recommendations for improving students' access to early work and community experiences as part of comprehensive transition education.