Multiple Perspectives on the Employment Preparation of Students With Extensive Support Needs

Although schools are charged with equipping students with disabilities for post-school employment long before graduation, little is known about the work-related preparation of secondary students with extensive support needs. This study examines parent and educator perspectives on the employment preparation, employment skills, and employment barriers of 42 students with extensive support needs who were in their final year of high school. Overall, most students lacked prior hands-on work experiences. Educators and parents varied widely in their views of how well-prepared students were for the world of work, the ways in which they described student work experiences, and their perceived barriers to employment. In particular, parents were often unaware of the career-related services their students had received. We offer implications for research and practice related to expanding school-based services to more explicitly connect these students to paid work prior to graduation and empowering parents throughout their pursuits.