Search

Based on the increasing numbers of students with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) entering colleges and universities, many schools are at a loss for how to support students needing services outside the typical academic assistance often required by students with disabilities. The diagnostic features and psychiatric characteristics associated with ASD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), coupled with the transitions and stressors that come along with college life, present extraordinary challenges for these students. With the unique characteristics and support need of this population in mind, the Raiders on the Autism Spectrum Excelling (RASE) transition program was developed and implemented in 2012 to provide transitional support for students with ASD entering a midsized public university in the Midwest. First year results indicate an increase in student GPA over two semesters, a decrease in behavioral violations, and high levels of satisfaction with the program from both the students and the transition coaches.

This article describes the approach implemented by one university to mitigate typical barriers encountered by college students with disabilities when attempting to find post-graduation employment. The unique vocational program offered is reinforced by the successful employment outcomes and case studies discussed in this review. Over a span of five years, this approach yielded close to a 40% employment rate among graduates with disabilities. This is a significant percentage when considering the severity of disabilities within the target population and the national rates of employment for persons with disabilities. Recommended job-seeking preparation and employment services are outlined in this article with supporting literature. Implications for postsecondary institutions, disability services centers, state vocational rehabilitation counselors and researchers are provided.

Background: Little research has evaluated what types of factors contribute to successful field experiences among undergraduate rehabilitation students. Objective: This study evaluated undergraduate rehabilitation student perspectives on (a) factors that contributed to student success during field experience placements, (b) the relevancy of rehabilitation coursework to the field experience, (c) how field experiences influence student career preferences and goals. Methods: Field experience essays from 98 students were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach. Findings: Students identified a variety of factors that had a positive impact on their field experiences and offered several recommendations for how future students might have successful field experiences. Students provided a description of the frequency at which their field experiences influenced their long-term career goals as well. Conclusions: The findings of the current study provide rehabilitation education stakeholders with an understanding of the nature and value of the undergraduate rehabilitation field experience. It is clear that student volition is a key predictor of internship satisfaction and success. Furthermore, it was apparent that a variety of different factors may influence one's experience. Future research should explore how such experiences may be enhanced in order to identify best practices for training.

With equal access requirements and increasing rates of enrolment of students with disabilities in higher education, universities must find appropriate and efficient ways to create accessible materials which benefit and support all students. In response to cuts to disability funding, issues relating to the provision of an inclusive curriculum are now dominating institutional policy and educational discourses. This paper reports on a trans-Atlantic project which utilised student employees to convert and develop inclusive learning materials for their peers, with the expressed purpose of piloting a sustainable intervention method generalisable to meeting similar needs of diverse universities for inclusive material provision and a future workforce aware of disability issues and accommodations. Qualitative in-depth interviews with ten students (eight UK and two US) find that involving student employees in the delivery of inclusive materials improves partnerships and attitudes around disability and accessibility measures.

Purpose: The current climate of higher education, the implementation of the Workforce Opportunity and Innovation Act, and the 2017 merger of accrediting bodies have created changes within the field of rehabilitation. These changes must be appropriately addressed in order to fortify a profession that has long been instrumental in ensuring that individuals with disabilities are able to achieve a satisfactory quality of life. Methods: This study was designed to provide current undergraduate rehabilitation education (URE) information to the field for discussion and planning purposes. Results: This research represents the results of a survey of URE program coordinators (n = 26) on the current state of their programs and programmatic needs. Conclusion: Recommendations for current URE programs and future research directions are provided.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to discuss the upsurge of technology-enhanced rehabilitation education programs and telerehabilitation services, to provide examples of these advancements, and to discuss the implications of this technology for education and the field including the unique advantage to developing technological skills through participation in effective online coursework allowing rehabilitation graduates the requisite transferable skills for competent online service delivery. Method: The authors completed a thorough review of the available literature on online technology-enhanced education programs and online telerehabilitation services. Results: Rehabilitation counselor education and the delivery of rehabilitation services have capitalized on recent technological advancements and provide opportunities to reach students and consumers via the Internet. Conclusion: It is clear that technology-enhanced education and clinical services will have an expanding role in the future of rehabilitation counselor education and practice. There is a unique advantage for students to develop technological skills through participation in effective online coursework. The skills learned from completing online courses are transferable skills for competent online service delivery.

Background: There remains some uncertainty on the role and nature of undergraduate-level rehabilitation education (URE) programs and service providers The existing research remains wide-ranging and limited. Objectives: This study evaluated perspectives from URE program stakeholders on key areas of research need relating to (a) undergraduate rehabilitation education, (b) URE graduate professional identity, and (c) professional issues relevant to URE. Methods: Surveys of URE perspectives on areas of research need were completed by thirty-nine URE stakeholders. A qualitative content analysis was utilized to identify themes within the data. Findings: Participants identified a variety of areas of research need within the three broad content categories. Frequently cited topics included URE graduate outcomes, the place of URE programs and service providers in the greater field of rehabilitation, program accreditation, and areas of best practice in URE. Conclusions: The findings of the current study highlight multiple areas of research need. To best prepare URE graduates for success and to bolster the current status of the field of rehabilitation, a better understanding of the role and nature of URE will be valuable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the personal characteristics of transition-aged youth served by a Midwest state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency and to determine if these characteristics are predictive of service provision and successful employment. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis were used to determine the relationships between personal characteristics variables (such as disability type, gender, and race/ethnicity) and the provision of VR services and employment outcome. Individuals with sensory and other health impairments were less likely to be employed while individuals with a mental illness were more likely to be employed. Implications for practice, policy, and further research are discussed., Adolescents with disabilities have federally mandated transition plans (or the transition individualized education program). Yet, even with services starting no later than age 16, many youth with disabilities have difficulty [...]

This study examined cost of services provided by VR for fiscal years 2002 through 2006 for all consumers served within the entire United States (i.e., 3,182,126 individuals). Specifically, this study sought to determine the average cost of services that VR provides to its consumers, the cost-trends of VR's services (e.g., whether the costs of services are increasing or decreasing over time), and whether certain demographic variables (e.g., disability, severity of disability, level of education) influence the costs of services that consumers receive. Findings here indicate that costs of VR's services decreased over time when placed within the context of wages earned by the consumer. In addition, costs of services changed substantially by disability, but not by the presence of a secondary disability., In eras when fiscal resources become constrained, policymakers and politicians often place increasing emphasis on evaluating human service programs by the costs they generate (Boardman, Greenberg, Vining, & Weimer, 2006). [...]

Empathy allows individuals to care for the well-being of others and act with compassion. Research indicates that empathy is an essential ingredient for developing successful counseling relationships, leading to positive change for clients. Determining how empathy is related to personality provides counselors with valuable information for exploring the impact of personality on empathy in counselor trainees. To explore the relationship between empathy and personality among counselor trainees, the researchers compared scores on the MBTI® and the IRI. Results of this study suggest a clear relationship between personality and empathy and were similar to the findings of previous researchers. In addition, this study demonstrated that the MBTI® type preferences of extraversion, intuition, feeling and perceiving are significantly higher than introversion, sensing, thinking and judging on the various empathy scales, specifically in the areas of empathic concern, perspective taking, personal distress and fantasy. Implications were discussed for both counselor educators and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to develop and deliver an evidence-based education package with a caseload management focus to professionals in public rehabilitation settings. The sample (n=283) included professionals inmultiple areas of public rehabilitation. The data was collected to evaluate the knowledge, skills, and abilities of professionals to assess and plan appropriate caseload management activities for individuals with disabilities. The pre/post testing design was analyzed through frequency distributions and paired samples t tests. Findings from this study suggest rehabilitation professionals in public settings have probable knowledge and skill inadequacies in the area of caseload management. Implications are noted in the need for quality training opportunities that provide professionals an avenue to increase their individual knowledge base related to the overall principles of caseload management, thereby influencing their management abilities and future capacity for successful rehabilitation outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the increasing numbers of students with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) entering colleges and universities, many schools are at a loss for how to support students needing services outside the typical academic assistance often required by students with disabilities. The diagnostic features and psychiatric characteristics associated with ASD (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), coupled with the transitions and stressors that come along with college life, present extraordinary challenges for these students. With the unique characteristics and support need of this population in mind, the Raiders on the Autism Spectrum Excelling (RASE) transition program was developed and implemented in 2012 to provide transitional support for students with ASD entering a midsized public university in the Midwest. First year results indicate an increase in student GPA over two semesters, a decrease in behavioral violations, and high levels of satisfaction with the program from both the students and the transition coaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This exploratory study examined how rehabilitation counseling professionals self-identify in the areas of specialty and language fluency. A total of 4,388 profiles from rehabilitation counseling professionals in six states were sampled and analyzed based on information collected from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification's (CRCC) online website. Of those professionals listed on the website, less than 44% reported some type of specialty within the field of rehabilitation counseling. The most frequently reported specialties included vocational rehabilitation (22%), job development/placement (10%) and school, education and career counseling (9.5%). Additionally, only 318 or 7% reported fluency in a language other than English. Based on the results, it is recommended that rehabilitation counseling professionals utilize current website opportunities to list appropriate specialty skills and client outcomes. Further research is warranted to investigate the potential impact of the website on provider promotional activities and outcomes, the development of evidence-based private practices and sense of identity in rehabilitation counseling professionals. When private practitioners holding certification/licensure in both areas of rehabilitation and counseling list specific skills on a professional organization's website, clients will be better informed and able to self-select appropriate rehabilitation counselors based on individual needs, counselor expertise and demonstrated counselor effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the approach implemented by one university to mitigate typical barriers encountered by college students with disabilities when attempting to find post-graduation employment. The unique vocational program offered is reinforced by the successful employment outcomes and case studies discussed in this review. Over a span of five years, this approach yielded close to a 40% employment rate among graduates with disabilities. This is a significant percentage when considering the severity of disabilities within the target population and the national rates of employment for persons with disabilities. Recommended job-seeking preparation and employment services are outlined in this article with supporting literature. Implications for postsecondary institutions, disability services centers, state vocational rehabilitation counselors and researchers are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of more than 1,000,000 survivors of poliomyelitis living in the United States, about 80% experience symptoms associated with post-polio syndrome (PPS). New weakness, fatigue, and pain are the most common symptoms that may appear years after acute polio. PPS is reported to be the most prevalent progressive neuromuscular disease in North America. The physical symptoms of PPS can be severe enough to decrease an individual's quality of life, significantly alter work function, and impose lifestyle changes. The psychological implications of battling once again with a disease that had stabilized decades ago can be devastating. Rehabilitation physicians and counselors knowledgeable of post-polio syndrome and its possible impact on employment can have a positive influence on persons with PPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]