ernst vanbergeijk, ph.d., m.s.w. associate dean
TRANSCRIPT
Ernst VanBergeijk, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Associate Dean & Executive Director
New York Institute of Technology
Vocational Independence Program
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Work
Independence
Relationships
adulthood
•Civic involvement? Parenthood?
•Spiritual development? Other?
Approximately 5.1.% (U.S. Dept. Labor)
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According to the U.S Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 12.1% of people with disabilities are unemployed (BLS, 2015).
This is for all disabilities
Over the age of 16 and not living in institutions or in the military
There are no systematically collected data by the government for individuals on the autism spectrum.
Range on the optimistic side = 44% (Source: ABC News) up to 65%
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the unemployment rate for individuals with ASDs may be around 90%
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CDC 1 out of 68 children has an ASD
Early intervention & the application of empirically based treatment has led to better outcomes
Students with this diagnosis are coming of age
The growing AS population entering colleges and the work force bring unique challenges
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Changes in labor economy
Movement to a knowledge based economy has increased the educational requirements of entry level work
Education Matters!
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• Participation in any type of post secondary education (vocational education, college certificate program or even one college course) significantly enhances the ability of individuals with disabilities to secure meaningful employment (Getzel & Wehman, 2005)
• Students with disabilities who earn a B.A. degree obtain subsequent employment at almost the same rate as their neurotypical peers (HEATH Resource Center, 1998; OSER, 2000).
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
Source: Current Population Survey, 2014 Bureau of Labor Statistics
$0$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000$50,000$60,000$70,000$80,000$90,000
$100,000
Series 1
Source: Employment Projections program, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012
Educational attainment Synthetic work-life earnings • None to 8th grade. 936,000
• 9th to 12th grade. 1,099,000
• High school graduate. 1,371,000
• Some college. 1,632,000
• Associate’s degree . 1,813,000
• Bachelor’s degree. 2,422,000
• Master’s degree. 2,834,000
• Professional degree. 4,159,000
• Doctorate degree. 3,525,000
Source: Work-Life Earnings by Field of Degree and Occupation for People With a Bachelor’s Degree: 2011
By Tiffany Julian. Issued October 2012. American Community Survey Briefs
Source: The Economics Daily, Unemployment
rates by educational attainment in August 2015 0 5 10
Doctoral degree
Professional degree
Master's degree
Bachelor's degree
Associate degree
Some college, no degree
High-school graduate
Less than a high school diploma
All Workers
A surge of young people who need a different path to access work, relationships, and independence
All young people need to be as educated as possible to access the range of occupational choices
Without a college degree, jobs in the service sector are most available
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Occupation % Growth Median
Annual Salary
2012
Training Required
Organizational
Psychologist
53 $83,580 Ph.D.
Personal Care Aides 49 $19,910 Short term OTJ
Home Health Aides 48 $20, 820 Short term OTJ
Insulation workers 47 $39, 170 OJT - Apprentice
Interpreters/translators 46 $45,430 BA + Short term OTJ
Diagnostic Medical
Sonographers
46 $65,860 AA
Helpers – brick masons
etc.
43 $28,220 Short term OTJ
O.T. Assistants 43 $53,240 AA + licensure
Genetic Counselors 41 $56,800 M.S. or Ph.D.
P.T. Assistants 41 $52,160 AA + licensure
Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook 2014-2015
Occupation %
Growth
Median
Annual Salary
2012
Training Required
P.T. Aides 41 $23,880 Short term OTJ
Skincare Specialist 41 $28,640 Postsecondary non-degree award
Physician Assistant 40 $90,930 M.S. + licensure
Segmental Pavers 40 $33,720 Moderate term OTJ
Helpers- Electricians 38 $27,670 Short term OTJ
Information Security
Analysts
38 $86,170 B.A.
O.T. Aides 37 $26,850 Short term OTJ
Health specialist instructor
post-secondary
37 $81,140 Ph.D. or MS. Experience if in trades
Medical Secretaries 36 $31,350 High School. Basic computer.
Physical Therapists 36 $79,860 DPT + licensure
Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook 2014-2015
Occupation # of Jobs Median Annual
Salary 2012
Training Required
Personal Care Aides 580,800 $19,910 Short term OTJ
Registered Nurses 526,800 $65,470 B.S.N.
Retail Salespersons 434,700 $21,110 H.S. diploma or less. OTJ
Home Health Aides 424,200 $20, 820 Short term OTJ
Food Prep & Fast food 421,900 $18,260 H.S. diploma or less
Nursing Assistants 312,200 $24,420 Stated approved program
+ competency exam
Secretaries (general) 307,800 $32,410 High School diploma
Customer Service Rep. 298,700 $30,580 H.S. + Short term OTJ
Janitors & Cleaners 280,000 $23,320 H.S. <+ Short term OTJ
Construction Laborers 259,800 $29,990 Short term OTJ
Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook 2014-2015
Occupation # of Jobs Median Annual
Salary 2012
Training Required
Operation managers 244,100 $95,440 BA
Laborers, Stock 241,900 $23,890 H.S.<+ Short term OTJ
Carpenters 218,200 $39,940 H.S. + Apprenticeship
Bookkeeping, Accounting,
Clerks
204,600 $35,170 H.S. + Moderate OTJ
Truck Drivers 192,600 $38,200 Postsecondary non-
degree award + Short
Term OTJ
Medical Secretaries 189,200 $31,350 H.S. Diploma + industry
specific training
Office Clerks, general 184,100 $27,470 H.S. Diploma + OTJ
Child care workers 184,100 $19,510 H.S. Diploma + OTJ
Maids, Housekeeping 183,400 $19,570 H.S. Diploma < + OTJ
Licensed Practical Nurses 182,900 $41,540 Postsecondary non-
degree award
Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook 2014-2015
1. Verizon 2. GE 3. Google 4. Amazon 5. State Farm 6. Merck 7. Lockheed Martin 8. American Express 9.Boston Scientific
10.General Dynamics
11. Oracle 12. Boeing
13. Kellogg’s 14. Apple 15. Intel 16. KPMG 17. Honda
18. Comcast/Universal 19. GAP 20. Prudential 21. CSX 22. Nike 23. Hyatt 24. Ford 25. AT & T
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26. CVS 27. General Motors 28. Liberty Mutual 29. Johnson & Johnson 30. Genentech 31. Aetna 32. Phillips 33. Wells Fargo 34. Northwest Mutual
35. EY 36. Marriott 37. Amgen 38. USAA
39. PSEG 40. Ball Aerospace 41. BASF 42. Astrazeneca 43. CA Technologies 44. Century Link 45. Grant Thorton 46. T. Rowe Price 47. Reynolds America 48. Life Technologies 49. Owens and Minor 50. Capital One
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1. U.S. Department of Justice 2. National Security Agency 3. National Credit Union 4. U.S. Department of Education 5. Social Security Administration 6. Internal Revenue Service 7. U.S Department of Agriculture 8. U.S. Department of Commerce 9. NAVSEA
10. Naval Research Laboratory
11. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
12. U.S. Air Force
13. U.S. Department of Labor 14. U.S. Patent & Trademark 15. U.S. Department of State 16. U.S. Coast Guard 17. FBI
18. NAVAIR 19. Military Sealift Command 20. U.S. Marines
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Vocational Rehabilitation: to help individuals with disabilities to access work
Day treatment, habilitation programs and supported work programs
“Competitive work in integrated work setting…consistent with the strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and informed choices of the individual" (Rehabilitation Act Amendments, 1998).
The goal: help the individual to integrate into normal adult functioning in terms of work and relationships
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The characteristics of the effective programs are: Work site is committed to employing
individuals with a disability
Providing support to stay employed in terms of problem solving and advocacy
Helping the individual to disclose their disability to an employer
Psychiatric services are integrated with the vocational service
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The first randomized clinical study of vocational training as an intervention found that 87.5% of the students with autism trained in a hospital setting were employed post-study
The control group, high school as usual, had a 6.25% employment rate
Source: Wehman et al., (2013). Competitive Employment for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Early Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
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The ADA and integrating into institutions of higher education
A wide range of remedial and supportive services
1. Modify behaviors and/or skills of the student by Providing therapy and counseling for feelings
of helplessness, isolation, and/or for social skill deficits
Teaching organizational and study skills
Providing targeted disability-specific assistance (e.g., providing a curriculum in reading and comprehension, computational math skills, etc).
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2. Alter the learning environment by:
Providing assistive technologies and programs (e.g., recorded textbooks, proofreading programs, utilizing note-takers),
Allowing flexibility in aspects of a course or programs of study (e.g., changes to testing procedures)
Providing tutoring and special mentoring.
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Social experiences
Living experiences
Learning experiences
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Combine vocational and academically supported program models.
Focus on job specific social skills, independent living skills, and academic skills
Tend to be more individually tailored
Longer than a 4 year degree program.
College Based:
Are a department of the college or university
Draw upon the infrastructure of the institution
Answer to the college administration
Students reside in college owned residence halls or apartments
Have financial aid programs for their degree bearing programs already established and approved by the U.S. Department of Education
• College affiliated programs
– Operated by private for profit or not for profit social service agencies
– Based out of a private apartment complex or residential space
– Ideal for students who have difficulty generalizing independent living skills across environments
– The program has memorandum of understanding with a community college
– ARE NOT eligible for Title IV funding
Supported employment & work skills training
Adult life skills training (e.g., financial management, grocery shopping, laundry, and home maintenance)
Social and personal relationships counseling and training
Encouraged social involvement in the community
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Passage of HEOA 2009
Now students with ID in U.S. DOE approved CTP can complete the FAFSA
Eligible for:
Pell Grants
FSEOG
Student Work Study monies
NOT eligible for student loans
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9 out of 10 students with an intellectual disability who graduated from a postsecondary program were employed in the last 2 years
National Longitudinal Transition Study 2:
only about ½ of the graduates of high school with an intellectual disability had been employed in the last 2 years.
Source: Moore, E.J. and Schelling, A (2015). Postsecondary inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities and its effects on employment. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities. DOI: 1744629514564448
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Mastery of self-care skills are a better predictor of post-secondary transition success than intellectual disability
Individuals with the highest self-care skills were better able to maintain employment, utilized employment support services less often, and worked more hours, regardless of symptom severity or intellectual ability
Source: Klinger, 2015 presentation at the International Meeting for Autism Research ( as cited in Diament, 2015)
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Go to:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/eligibility/intellectual-disabilities
The Consortium for Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
The Center for Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
The National Coordinating Center
Heath Resource Center
Online Clearinghouse on Post Secondary education for Individuals with Disabilities
New Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Competitive
Employment
Customized
Employment
Supported Individual
Placements
Enclaves or Cluster Model
Day Habilitation or
Sheltered Workshop Low
Integration
High
Integration
Fig. 1. Degree of expected
community integration as a
function of day or employment
program model.
Gerhardt, P.F. (2009). The current state of services for adults with autism. Organization for Autism Research. Presented at the advancing
futures for adults with autism: think tank. New York, NY.
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Obtain an accurate assessment of an individual’s strengths,
aptitudes, and interests, as well as his/her areas of deficits.
The Vineland Adaptive
Behavior Scale.
Covers five different domains
including communication, self
care, fine and gross motor skills,
and communal living
Analysis of the individual’s
travel skills and other issues
Travel training skills and access
to public transportation, as well
as an assessment of sensory
integration issues & impairments
in executive functioning
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What to do after leaving the secondary school environment
College-level academic courses Transitional programs
There needs to be sufficient
scaffolding to help the
individual navigate the social
demands of the college
environment & compensate for
impairments in executive
functioning
Combine aspects of a college
degree program and a
vocational training program
(training in job skills directly
related to the pursued field)
Also offer training in areas of social
skills & independent living
Offer internships in student’s chosen
occupation & train individuals in
resume writing, job search, proper
dress, interviewing
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Job Search
Use personal or familial connections
80% of jobs are found through personal
connections and only 20% of available positions
are advertised on the internet
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Job Interview
Rehearse or role play
the job interview
beforehand
Videotape mock interviews
and provide specific
feedback to reduce anxiety
Give rules regarding eye contact,
practice small talk, review proper
grooming and dress, teach job
candidate how to focus on skills
and past accomplishments, use a
portfolio
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Learn employment and anti-
discrimination laws that are in effect
Reducing stress
Identify what triggers
the individual’s anxiety
Practice stress
reduction techniques
Share techniques with
employer
Mentors
Help to interpret
ambiguous social
situations
Employees in the Human
Resource department can help
implement reasonable
accommodations and mediate
in situations where the person’s
disability is interfering with
his/her effectiveness at work
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If attempts at securing employment fails
Vocational
Rehabilitation
Agencies
Sheltered Work
Settings*/Day habilitation
Based on I.Q. and adaptive
functioning of the individual
(ideal for higher functioning
individuals with avg. or high
I.Q. but delay in adaptive
functioning skills)
Can place an
individual in an
appropriate work
setting
For lower functioning
individuals
Created specifically to train
individuals with a variety of
disabilities to work
Example: Goodwill
Industries
STEP SIX (CONT’D)
If attempts at securing employment fails
Supportive Work Site Customized Employment
Site
Employer works with the
agency to provide the
person on the spectrum
with employment
Agency will often provide
individual and employer with
job coach who helps decode
social requirements, break
down tasks into pieces,
identify stressful situations,
develop coping strategies
A job is re-structured or
“carved” to suit the
needs, interests, and
abilities of the individual
and simultaneously
meet the needs of the
employer
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STEP SIX (CONT’D)
If attempts at securing employment fails
Competitive Work Site
Individuals earn a competitive wage
Salary is earned through their
contribution to the company
No subsidies are provided to the employer
for the individual’s wages, and little, if any
support, is given to the individual at the
worksite
Provide highest level of community
integration 47
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Volunteering at non-profit
organizations while looking for paid
employment
References from these sources can
be invaluable in later job searches
Can sometimes lead to the creation
of a paid position
At an organization that one is
passionate about, skills and
strengths of the individual on the
spectrum shine
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Introduction to Independence
Vocational Independence Program
Referral to other programs (e.g. ACLD, POINT, NYIT Degree programs)
Advanced Vocational Experience
Associate Degree Support Program
3 year
Vocational Program
Pre-degree Program
3 year
certificate
Conducted 1 or 2 summers before 1st VIP fall semester. Ages 16-21+
7 week summer experience
Held in the same dormitories as the student will live in come fall
4 days a week- ½ of the day is spent in vocational placement
Fridays dedicated to travel training
Stipends paid. $ used to teach budgeting. Students pay for social activities/trips
Emphasis on socialization
Two Programs- 3 Year Program. Ages 18-25+ Vocational Program
Pre-degree Program: Students take some courses at NYIT for credit
Both vocational and degree prep concentrations address academic, vocational, & independent living skills
Individualized attention 2:1 student/staff ratio
Traditional curriculum format: freshman, sophomore, & junior
Certificate of completion
Optional 4th year - Individualized 51
•They are young adults ages 18-
26+ years of age;
•They are students with significant
learning disabilities or higher
functioning individuals on the
autism spectrum
•They must have a desire to learn
how to work and have the potential
to live independently
•I.Q. range 70 - 143
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VIP
Student
Academic Coach
Social Coach
Vocational Coach
Budget & Banking Coach
Independent Living Skills
Coach
Job Coach Licensed
Nurse Practitioner
Resident Advisors
Transportation
Course Instructors
Technology
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Chartered by the Board of Regents of the State University of New York to confer degrees & certificates
Credentialed by Middle States Commission on Higher Education
U.S. Department of Education for approved Comprehensive Transition & Postsecondary (CTP) program. Financial Aid available
Student Tuition Insurance
Planned activities every weekend
Professional Transportation System
Travel training to NYC
International travel options
6 vocational areas
BOCES option*
4th Year option
Research * other fees apply 54
April 9, 2016
10:00 AM at our Central Islip, NY Student Activities Center
Call 631-348-3139 for more information or to make a reservation.
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Ernst VanBergeijk, Ph.D., M.S.W.
New York Institute of Technology
Vocational Independence Program
300 Carleton Avenue
Central Islip, NY 11722-9029
631-348-3354
www.nyit.edu/vip
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