Employment Outcomes for Postsecondary Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Secondary Analysis

Individuals with disabilities do not access postsecondary education at the same rate as their peers without disabilities. This gap is unfortunate, as research shows that when students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) participate in postsecondary education, they have improved physical, social, and employment outcomes. To address these issues, colleges and universities have created postsecondary programs for students with IDD. While research on employment outcomes of these programs has been positive, there are conflicting results when analyzing which aspects of those programs are associated with positive employment outcomes. In this study we analyze data from 92 students enrolled in nine programs within the Statewide Consortium of postsecondary programs for students with IDD. We used logistic regression to analyze the effects of student level differences, academic and campus access, and career development activities on employment after students exit their postsecondary program. Results show that variables related to employment during college and housing were significant predictors. Implications and future directions are discussed.