Strategies to Support Work-Based Learning Experiences for Students with Disabilities: Perceptions from the Field

Employment is the cornerstone for many adults' lives. Not only does a career increase resources, it also provides an individual with greater life satisfaction as a result of decreased isolation [...]
Work-based learning experiences (WBLEs) are important pre-employment experiences for preparing students with disabilities for competitive employment. However, little is known about what evidence-based behavioral and instructional strategies are used by transition personnel to support students in these settings. Results from this survey study indicated the most common problem behaviors students engaged in during WBLEs were off-task behaviors and the most common behavior strategy/intervention used to address problem behaviors was social skills training. The most common instructional strategy used during WBLEs was performance feedback. In addition, there was a significant difference between instructional strategies transition personnel received training/professional development on and instructional strategies commonly used by transition personnel to support students. Keywords: WBLE, Work-based learning experiences, secondary transition, instructional strategies, behavioral strategies