Beyond the cliff: Parent perspectives on achieving positive employment outcomes for their autistic young adult.
2023-06
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Beyond the cliff: Parent perspectives on achieving positive employment outcomes for their autistic young adult.
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2023-06
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The unemployment rate for autistic young adults after high school graduation is higher than for all other populations with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires transition planning as part of an individualized education plan (IEP) starting no later than age 16. There is evidence, however, that autistic individuals experience difficulty with the transition to adulthood and have numerous needs unmet by current educational and social service providers (Hagner et al., 2014). Research has suggested that the role of parents is of vital importance in creating pathways for their autistic child to successfully achieve adult outcomes, including competitive integrated employment (CIE). CIE is one of the desired outcomes of IEP/transition planning. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore how parents of autistic children helped them navigate post-school transition and obtain CIE. Two theories are thought to play a role in this process. Wigfield and Eccles’ (2000) expectancy value theory was extended to parent expectations as contributors to CIE for their autistic children. In parallel, Barbara Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory (2001) offers a conceptual framework to understand how positive parent expectations play a role in their child’s achievement of goals and produces an iterative cycle of higher expectations and achievements. The study identified four closely related themes - the role, expectations, and advocacy of parents, inadequacy of comprehensive transition planning, access to knowledge and limited resources, and dogged determination - that described how parents in this study were able to help their children navigate a path to CIE. Findings have implications for different stakeholders, including other parents who are just beginning the transition process with their autistic child, school staff that support them, as well as social service providers. I also describe considerations for future research and a specific role for human resource development researchers and practitioners.
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University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. June 2023. Major: Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development. Advisors: Kenneth Bartlett, David Johnson. 1 computer file (PDF); xi, 197 pages.
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Silveira, Cassandra. (2023). Beyond the cliff: Parent perspectives on achieving positive employment outcomes for their autistic young adult.. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/258669.
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