Promoting school to work transition for students with emotional/behavioral disorders

The successful transition of students from high school to adult occupations, including work and independent living, has been a major focus of the educational reform movement in the United States. However, despite good intentions, students with disabilities have less favorable transition outcomes than do students in the general population and employment opportunities are even less promising for students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD).

The purpose of this model demonstration project, funded by the US Department of Education, was to develop a program based on identified best practices to facilitate successful school to work transition for students with EBD.

47 students with EBD between the ages of 14 and 19 were participants in this project. The majority of participants in the project were white males with a generic diagnosis of a disruptive personality disorder.

Five cohort groups of students participated in a four phase program; Phase 1 - School-based Learning, Phase 2 - Community Involvement, Phase 3 - Paid, Supported Work Experience, and Phase 4 - Competitive Employment and Follow-Up.

At the conclusion of the project, 30% of the project participants were competitively employed. Students had the most difficulty in Phase 3, but 81% of those who successfully completed Phase 3 obtained and retained competitive employment for a least one year. Four case studies are presented to illustrate findings.

The School to Work Transition Program model shows promise for providing interventions to promote successful transition for students with EBD. Further research on the effectiveness of the overall model, as well as specific components of the model, is needed.