Employment and independent living outcomes of a mixed model post-secondary education program for young adults with intellectual disabilities

BACKGROUND: Employment and independent living are both critical factors for increasing the quality of life for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). Recently there has been an increasing number of post-secondary education (PSE) programs opening on college campuses focused on improving these outcomes. Unfortunately, there are a lack of studies measuring the efficacy of PSE programs, especially based on the type of programming provided (i.e., inclusive, mixed/hybrid, separate). OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine the effectiveness a mixed/hybrid PSE program had on employment and independent living outcomes for individuals with ID. METHODS: A 33 item survey was mailed to the parents of all program graduates who exited between 2010 and 2016. RESULTS: Findings indicated 96% of students had at least one paid employment position after graduation, while the remaining 4% had enrolled in additional PSE training. However, at the time of the survey only 84% were currently employed, while 44% of graduates were living independently. On average, graduates worked 22 hours per week, earning $8.93 per hour. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to the national average for individuals with ID, graduates from a hybrid/mixed PSE program demonstrated significantly higher rates of employment (84% v. 34%) and independent living (44% v. 16%).