Effects of Paid Work in High School on the Employment Outcomes of Youth with Disabilities

Equipping students with severe disabilities for the world of work has been the longstanding emphasis of transition education. Adolescence is a critical period for employment preparation, yet too many young people with disabilities do not have access to paid work during high school. This episode explores a study that is gathering perspectives on barriers to and facilitators of paid employment for youth and young adults with severe disabilities. 

Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Researcher: Erik Carter, Ph.D., Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair and Professor of Special Education; Co-Director, VKC University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Interviewer: Caitlin Bernstein, Research Analyst, Next Steps at Vanderbilt

What is The Promise of Discovery?

“The Promise of Discovery” is a podcast hosted by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center that highlights research in intellectual and developmental disabilities. The goals of the podcast are to host conversations about research in plain language and to highlight “real world” implications. The discussions cover why the research matters in the lives of people with disabilities and families, how the research impacts and enhances what we know already and/or raises additional questions in the field, and what implications the research might have for policy.