Transition Program from School to Employment in Youths with Intellectual Disability: Evaluation of the Irish Pilot Study E-IDEAS.

AIM

The purpose of this pilot was to evaluate the effectiveness of the E-IDEAS curriculum, specifically designed for workplace inclusion of youths with intellectual disabilities (ID) and aimed to transfer social, communication, independent living and employment skills.

METHOD

The curriculum was attended by 5 participants, and it was provided concurrently with five different work-placements across a period of six months. Two assessment tools were used to demonstrate the acquisition of such skills and an evidence-base improvement of their quality of life. Pre and post-intervention standardized assessments were also taken for measuring the improvement in quality of life (through the San Martín Scale) and adaptive behavior (through the Vineland-II Adaptive Behavior Scale).

RESULTS

The data collected showed increases in the acquisition of such skills. Evidence of maintenance and generalization were also demonstrated.

CONCLUSION

Implications for practice and further research are discussed.