Correlates of Postsecondary Employment Outcomes for Young Adults with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) to examine the efficiency of a set of selected variables for predicting postsecondary employment success for young adults classified as learning disabled in high school and (b) to provide a portrayal of employment adjustment in the first years after exiting high school. Data on both employment stability and job status were gathered through telephone interviews. Of the 284 students with learning disabilities who exited the four participating high schools between 1986 and 1989, contact was made with 175 (62%). This sample was composed of 75% males, who ranged in age from 18 to 23 years. Statistical tests reveal that students (a) with high math ability, (b) who were employed during high school, and (c) whose parents actively participated in their education were more likely to experience employment success after high school. Overall, 86% of the sample was employed either full- or part-time, with the majority in entry-level, unskilled jobs. In terms of postsecondary education, 26% completed at least one semester of college or technical school, though at the time of follow-up only 13% were enrolled in school.