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Use of Vocational Rehabilitative Services Among Adults with Autism

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders volume 39, pages 487–494 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

This study examined the experiences of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the US Vocational Rehabilitation System (VRS). Subjects included all 382,221 adults ages 18–65 served by this system whose cases were closed in 2005; 1,707 were diagnosed with ASD. Adults with ASD were more likely than adults with other impairments to be denied services because they were considered too severely disabled. Among those served, adults with ASD received the most expensive set of services. They and adults with MR were most likely to be competitively employed at case closure. Post hoc analyses suggest that their employment was highly associated with on-the-job supports. The results suggest the importance of the VRS in serving adults with ASD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3535 Market Street, 3rd Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Lindsay Lawer, Eugene Brusilovskiy, Mark S. Salzer & David S. Mandell

  2. Center for Autism Research, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Lindsay Lawer & David S. Mandell

  3. Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    David S. Mandell

Authors
  1. Lindsay Lawer
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  2. Eugene Brusilovskiy
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  3. Mark S. Salzer
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  4. David S. Mandell
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Correspondence to David S. Mandell.

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Lawer, L., Brusilovskiy, E., Salzer, M.S. et al. Use of Vocational Rehabilitative Services Among Adults with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 39, 487–494 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0649-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0649-4

Keywords

  • Autism spectrum disorders
  • Vocational services
  • Rehabilitation services
  • Employment
  • Adults