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

evanberg@nyit.edu

www.nyit.edu/vip

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