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Improving Quality of Life and Career Attitudes of Youth With Disabilities

Experiences From the Adolescent Employment Readiness Center

George Mason University, Arlington, Virginia, mwolfbra{at}gmu.edu

Vincent Schuyler

Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC

Patience White

The Arthritis Foundation, Washington, DC

Improving quality of life is the primary focus as adolescents with disabilities enter adulthood. They increasingly, however, encounter difficulties transitioning into domains such as employment as these services occur near the end of their high school experience. Using an ecosystems model within a developmental approach, the program sought to improve the likelihood that adolescents will find and maintain meaningful employment as adults. The authors measured physical health, psychosocial functioning, and attitude toward employment of adolescents participating in the program during a 2-year period. Physical health, school functioning, and total functioning improved during the 2 years. Career attitudes were above the norms in earlier grades but fell in later grades. This suggests the need for early and continued intervention.

Key Words: disability • quality of life • adolescence • ecosystems • complex systems • career attitudes

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