CareerAdvancement:BarriersandStrategiesforYoungAdultswithTBI

andOtherDisabilitiesLaurieGutmannKahn,PhD

MoravianCollege

InthisWebinar:• LookattheresearchonyoungadultswithTBI&otherdisabilitiesduringtheearlycareeryears(18-26yearsold)– Outcomes– Barriers

• Discussstrategiesandrecommendationsforcareeradvancementforyoungadultswithdisabilitiesduringtheearlycareeryears.

• Exploretoolsforplanning!• QuestionandAnswer

WhyShouldWeFocusontheEarlyCareerYearsforYoungAdultswithDisabilities?

• Opportunitiesforemployment,training,andeducationduringthistimeisheavilycorrelatedwithadultincomeandoccupationalachievement.

• Withoutplanningandsupports,trackingintolowpayingorunsatisfyingjobs– Lackofopportunitiesforadvancement– Lackofmotivationforadvancement

• GainfulemploymenthasapositiveinfluenceontheoutcomesandoveralllifesatisfactionforindividualsexperiencingaTBI.

WhyShouldWeFocusontheEarlyCareerYearsforYoungAdultswithDisabilities?

YoungadultswithdisabilitiesincludingTBIintheirearlycareeryearsaremorelikelytobe:– Unemployed– Underemployed– Livingbelowthepovertyline

31%

18%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

IndividualswithaDisability

Invidualswithoutadisability

Percentageofindividualsbetween18-34yearsoldearningwagesthatplacedthembelowthefederalpovertyline.(U.S.CensusBureau,2010)

WhatWeKnow:WhatCausesTheseOutcomes?WhataretheBarrierstoCareerAdvancement?

• Lackofcareerexperiencesandlimitedaspirations

• Earlypatternsofemployment

• Lackofaccesstoongoingtrainingandhighereducation

• Discriminationandprejudiceintheworkplace

Barrier:LimitedEarlyCareerExperiences

• Limitedknowledge/awarenesspotentialjobopportunities&careerpaths

• Lackofexposuretoworkexperiences

• JobShadowing• Mentorships• CooperativeEducation• School-BasedBusinesses

HigherAnnualIncomeStableEmploymentFullTimeWork

• WorkBasedInternshipsHigherHourlyWagesLikelihoodsofBenefits

Barrier:LimitedAspirations• Lackofself-confidence– Lessconfidenceandoptimism

• Restrictedaspirations– Influencedbypeergroups,parental&teacherexpectations,academicskills,andrealitiesofthelabormarket.

– Occupationalaspirationsareapredictoroflateraspirationsandfuturecareerchoices.

DQ:Doyouseeanoveralllackinoveralllackofselfconfidencewhendiscussingvocationalgoals?Howdoyouworkwithyourstudentstoincreasetheirconfidence?

Barrier:EarlyPatternsofEmployment

• The“firstjob”settingthestageforlifelongearning– Importanceofenteringtheworkforcedirectlyaftercompletingschool

–Manyyoungadultswithdisabilitiesarenotimmediatelyemployedorenterunskilledpositions

• Difficultymaintainingstableemploymentovertime.– Stayinginajoblongenoughtoadvance• Growingresponsibilities• Increasedwages

– Adjusttoworkdemands• Occupationalskills• Abilitytoadapttobarriersandchanges

Barrier:LackofAccesstoOngoingTraining

Intheworkplace,youngadultswithdisabilitiesmayhavelimited:

Opportunitiesfor

challengingjob

assignments

Accesstoonthejobtrainingoptions

Accesstoexperiencedmentors

Barrier:LackofAccesstoHigherEducationForyoungadultswithTBIandotherdisabilities,postsecondary

educationandtrainingisassociatedwith:

Higherwages

Higherratesof

competitiveemployment

Greaternumbersof

hoursworked

Lessoccupationalrestrictions

however

Barrier:DiscriminationandPrejudiceintheWorkplace

43%ofadultswithdisabilitieshaveencounteredjobdiscrimination(NationalOrganizationonDisability,2010)

Employermisconceptions,misinformation,andstereotypedbeliefscancreateinvisiblebarrierstoemployment:•Impacthiringanddischarge•Limitopportunitiesfortrainingandpromotion•Failuretoprovidereasonableaccommodations•Intimidationandharassment

CharacteristicsandSkillsAssociatedwith PositiveTrajectoriesfor Employeeswith Disabilities

– Problemsolving– Goalsetting– Timemanagement– Prioritization– Effectiverelationshipswithpeers– Effectiverelationshipswithsupervisors– Adaptabilitytonew/changingworkenvironment– Awareofowndisabilities– Copingandself-advocacyskills– Abilitytopersistindifficultsituations– Maintainasenseofpersonalcontrol– Clearself-concept(awarenessofstrengthsandskills)

DQ:HowdoyouworkwithpeoplewithTBItoteachandaccommodatetheseskills?Howdoyouworkwithyourstudentstolearnmoreabouttheirdisability?

EffectiveAccommodationsforEmployeeswithTBI

• Questionstoask:– Whatfunctionallimitationsintheyoungadultexperiencing?

– Howdothesefunctionallimitationsaffecttheirjobperformance?

– Whataccommodationsareavailable?– WhathasworkedfortheindividualwithTBIinthepast?Aretheyinvolvedintheprocess?

– Howdoyouassessiftheaccommodationsareeffective?

– Doesemployerand/orotherpersonnelrequiretrainingonTBI?

WhataccommodationscanyouusetosupportstudentswithTBIinthedevelopmentofthesecharacteristics?

• PhysicalAccommodations– Simplifiedenvironments(removing

unnecessarymaterials)– Ramps,elevators,etc.

• OrganizationalAccommodations– List-making– Color-coding– Timers– Additionalreminders– Technology&Apps

• ProblemSolvingAccommodations– Havevisualrepresentationsofproblemsolving

techniquesvisible(diagrams)– Havedirectresourceforwhenindividualhas

questions• EmotionalAccommodations

– Praiseandreinforcement– Provideawarenesstrainingforco-workers– Explicitstressmanagementplanwithvisual

cues

• SensoryAccommodations– Largeprintedmaterials– Changeflorescentlightstowhitlight/natural

light– Glareguardsfortechnology– Whitenoisemachinesornoise-cancelling

headphones• MemoryAccommodations

– Recordingmeetings/trainings– Providewrittenmaterialsfor

meetings/trainings– WrittenInstructionsnexttoequipment

• EnduranceAccommodations– Flexiblescheduling/breaks– Increasedtrainingfornewtasks– Self-pacedworkload

• ConcentrationAccommodations– Dividinglargeassignmentsintomanageable

tasks– Reducingdistractions

Strategy:AwarenessofIndividualCharacteristicsandSkillsandHowto

DevelopThem– Strengths-basedexplorationandplanning– Accuratecareerassessments– Individualorgroupinstructiontoteachcareeradaptabilityskills(problemsolving,self-advocacy,andcommunicationskills).

– AccommodationAdvocacyandExploration

Strategy:BroadenCareerExploration• Informationgathering• Jobshadowing• Visitingjobsites• Exploringonlinelabormarketsurveys

CAPTCareer

AdvancementPlanningTool

ECAMEnvironmental

CareerAdvancement

Measure

Strategies:DevelopWorkOpportunities

• Developworkopportunitieswithaccesstofurtherpostsecondaryeducationortrainingandskilldevelopment.

• Encouragehighschoolwork-basedinstructionandcommunityworkexperience

• Considerjob-personfit(challengingandpersonallyrewarding)

• Encouragelearningskillsonthejobwithsupervisionfromanexperiencedco-worker

• Utilizefinancialincentives

Strategy:ObtainingPostSecondary

Education&Training

• Lookbeyondserviceindustryforopportunitieswithoccupationaltraining/coursework.

• Provideinitialinformationaboutarangeofpostsecondaryprograms.• Ensurestudentshavecompleteinformationaboutprogram

requirements.• Provideassistancewithcompletingapplications&financialaid

paperwork.• Connectstudentswithdisabilityresources.• Encouragepositivecommunicationandself-advocacyskills

Strategy:GrowingontheJob• Teachproblemsolvingskills• Rolemodelsandmentors• Peersupportgroups• Externalsupportsystems• Workplaceaccommodations–Modifyingapplicationprocedures– Adaptingfeaturesoftheworkplaceortasks

– Shiftingworkplacerules• Assistivetechnology

Strategy:ChangingtheWorkplace• Partnerwithemployerstomakethecaseforhiringpeoplewithdisabilities

• Workingwithhumanresourcespersonnelto– Assessaccessibilitystandards– Developabudgetforaccommodations

– Promoterecruitmentefforts– Supportemployeementoringprograms

• Conductemployertrainingtoincreasedisabilityawarenessandaddressdiscrimination

CAPTCareerAdvancementPlanningTool

• Focus:Foryoungadults• ForwardPlanning• BackwardPlanning

• Purpose:• Todevelopanunderstandingoftheprocessofcareerdevelopmentaswellastogatherinformationontheneedsofcareeradvancement.

ECAM:EnvironmentalCareerAdvancementMeasure

• Focus:Forprofessionalssupportingyoungadultswithdisabilities• Purpose:• Toassessthecareeradvancementopportunitiesinvariousemploymentenvironments.

QuestionsorComments?

Thankyou!

PresentationadaptedfromLindstrom,L.,Kahn,L.,&Lindsey,H.(2013).Navigatingtheearlycareeryears:Barriersandstrategiesforyoungadultswithdisabilities.JournalofVocationalRehabilitation,39,1,1-12.

LaurieKahn,PhD kahnl@Moravian.edu