A preliminary comparison of successful and nonsuccessful closure types among adults with specific learning disabilities in the vocational rehabilitation system

Journal of Rehabilitation, Jan-March, 1996 by Mardis D. Dunham, James R. Koller, David E. McIntosh

Method

Participants

Subjects consisted of all 613 former VR clients independently diagnosed with SLD during fiscal years 1992-1993 by licensed psychologists whose files were reviewed in cooperation with the State of Missouri VR central office. The mean age for the total population was 20 years (SD = 6.0) and included 582 Caucasians, 30 African Americans and one Hispanic. There were 448 males and 165 females. Eighty-eight percent of the subjects never married while 12% reported being married, divorced, or widowed. As a group academically, the highest average level achieved in school was the 11th grade. Table 1 presents the average ability and achievement standard scores for the population studied.

Procedure

Data were categorized according to closure type and compared across individual client (e.g., cognitive, academic) and service variables extracted from individual client files. For cases closed Status 26, two additional variables were available (i.e., monthly income and Dictionary of Occupational Code job type). Aside from these two variables, data sets for both groups were identical.

Results

A significant majority of the VR clients were male (71%) and did not have a high school diploma. The average age for persons placed in Status 26 closure was 20.3 years (SD = 6.3) and 19.7 years (SD = 5.5) for persons placed in Status 28. Not surprisingly, participants in this study demonstrated academic achievement levels significantly below the average when compared to non-SLD persons. As a group, participants in this study had academic achievement standard scores over one standard deviation below the normative mean with Reading, Mathematics, and Written Language standard scores of 82.4, 85.4, and 79.0, respectively. Consistent with the BPA (1989) findings, with the present SLD population both the successful (Verbal = 88.3, Performance = 99.8, Full Scale = 92.4) and nonsuccessful (Verbal = 91.2, Performance = 101.7, Full Scale = 95.2) closure types displayed significantly higher Performance than Verbal IQs. Chi square and independent t-tests were computed to determine whether significant differences existed between the two closure status groups (see Table 2). Regarding client performance on standardized psychometric tests, five variables were found to be significantly different between the two groups at the .05 level or below. Similar to previous findings (BPA, 1989), persons placed in Status 28 had significantly higher Full Scale, Verbal Scale, and Performance Scale IQ scores as well as significantly higher reading and writing standard scores than persons in Status 26.

Comparisons of functional limitations between Status 26 and Status 28 groups yielded significant differences on three variables. Chi square results indicated that individuals with an unsuccessful closure status were more likely ([X.sup.2] (1, [Mathematical Expression Omitted], [Mathematical Expression Omitted]) to have significant affective states of depression compared to those with a successful closure status. Similarly, the proportion of unsuccessful SLD closure types with a secondary diagnosis of a mood disorder was significantly higher ([X.sup.2] (1, [Mathematical Expression Omitted], [Mathematical Expression Omitted]) compared to successful closures. In addition to the SLD diagnosis, individuals with unsuccessful closure status were also more likely ([X.sup.2] (1, [Mathematical Expression Omitted], [Mathematical Expression Omitted]) to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) compared to individuals with a successful closure status. Among VR service variables studied, statistically significant differences ([X.sup.2] (1, [Mathematical Expression Omitted], [Mathematical Expression Omitted]) were found between the successful and unsuccessful groups receiving college services. Unsuccessful VR clients, as a group, were more likely to have received college training as part of their intervention plan yet were closed Status 28. By contrast, individuals with unsuccessful VR closures were more likely ([X.sup.2] (1, [Mathematical Expression Omitted]), [Mathematical Expression Omitted]) to receive guidance and counseling services compared to successful closures.