Characteristics, Service Use and Employment Outcomes of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum Who Engaged with Vocational Rehabilitation Services from 2017 to 2020
Evidence | Publications

Characteristics, Service Use and Employment Outcomes of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum Who Engaged with Vocational Rehabilitation Services from 2017 to 2020

Published: Apr 28, 2023
Publisher: Mathematica
Health Disability Employment and Training Transition to Adulthood Employment Youth Employment Federal

Associated Project

Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum

Time frame: 2021—2026

Prepared for:

U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy

Authors

Marisa Shenk

Astrid Harnack-Eber

Ankita Patnaik

Key Findings

  • Educational institutions were the most common source of referral among autistic young adult VR applicants (48 percent), followed by self-referrals (19 percent).
  • The average age at VR application for young adults on the autism spectrum was 20. About 47 percent of autistic young adult VR applicants were ages 16 to 18, 28 percent were ages 19 to 21, 14 percent were ages 22 to 24, and the remaining 11 percent were ages 25-28.
  • Of autistic young adults with an individualized Plan for Employment (IPE), nearly all (92 percent) used some VR services during their application year. About 33 percent of autistic young adults with an IPE used career services during their application year, an equal share (33 percent) used pre-employment transition services, 12 percent used training services, and 84 percent used other types of VR services.
  • Among young adults on the autism spectrum with a signed IPE who exited VR during 2017-2019, 50 percent were employed.

Young adults on the autism spectrum can face unique challenges when transitioning from school to employment. Past research suggests that their participation rates in vocational or technical education and employment are lower than for young adults with other disabilities, and they also experience worse employment outcomes in the years after leaving high school. This study examined how young adults on the autism spectrum, ages 16 to 28, engaged with state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies, the characteristics of those who applied for VR services, the VR services that they used, and their employment outcomes, using Rehabilitation Services Administration – Case Service Reports (RSA-911) data.

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