The Effect of Coworker Instruction on the Integration of Youth in Transition in Competitive Employment

Abstract

We examined the effectiveness of coworker instruction, a natural support strategy, in improving the integration of youth with disabilities in transition in a competitive employment setting. The intervention consisted of two phases: (a) teaching coworkers without disabilities instructional skills, and (b) having them then teach the students with disabilities a new job task. Coworkers without disabilities were taught the instructional procedures of verbal instructions, modeling, practicing the step with corrective feedback, praise, and quality control checking. Integration data were collected using direct observation, social validation, and global measures. The results demonstrate that the intervention strategy increased the social integration of the students with disabilities.