Effects of Customized Employment on Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Spain

Background Customized employment (CE) has gained increasing acceptance, yet solid empirical evidence still needs to be provided. The Spanish government, through the Ministry of Inclusion and “Plena inclusión España” (a major NGO representing individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Spain), tested the effects of CE in Spain. As the research team, we actively participated in this CE evaluation and described the results in the present study. Objective To test the effects of CE on the employment and inclusion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (hereafter in this abstract, “participants”). Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial. A total of 232 participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (CE), while 203 were assigned to the control group (using services as usual). Participants and supporting professionals reported Employment and inclusion indicators at three-time points: baseline, mid-term, and final. Results Mixed factorial repeated measures analyses of variance revealed that CE improves employment outcomes (number of jobs and paid hours worked per week), reduces pessimism about the likelihood of finding a job, and enhances inclusion indicators. Despite the positive effects of CE, challenges remain. For instance, although CE facilitated employment, the overall percentages were still low—20% of the intervention group obtained employment, compared to just 10% in the control group. Conclusion Despite ongoing challenges, CE is confirmed to be a valuable strategy for improving these outcomes.