Career development for adolescents and young adults with mental retardation

Professional School Counseling, Dec, 2004 by John Wadsworth, Amy Milson, Karen Cocco

Furthermore, federal legislation mandates that school districts attend to the career development needs of students with disabilities. For example, Public Law 98-524, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984, requires that school districts assess the career interests and aptitudes of students with disabilities. Moreover, Public Law 101-476, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990, mandates the development of transition plans as part of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process for students with disabilities. These transition plans are designed to outline a set of coordinated activities to assist students in transitioning to postsecondary activities including employment or education (McCrea & Miller, 1999).

School counselors, with their training in career counseling, life-span development, and assessment, are the logical school personnel to coordinate these activities. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) supports school counselor involvement in transition planning (1999), yet Milsom (2002) found that 32% of the high school counselors who completed her survey indicated they did not participate in the transition planning process for students with disabilities. Myrick (1997) noted, "Most educators agree that school counselors should participate in the decision making process and meet with members of the [IEP] staffing team" (p. 319).

THE NEED FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Over the past several decades, there has been a tremendous shift in traditional work and in supported employment settings for people with more severe forms of mental retardation (Mank, Cioffi, & Yovanoff; 2000; Pierce, McDermott, & Butkus, 2003). In the past, the career choice for many people with mental retardation was largely determined by the work activities offered in local institutional settings (Sowers, McLean, & Owens, 2002). More recently, tenure with a single employer has been a desirable outcome of career development activities; however, job tenure is unlikely to be the future occupational trend for many workers (Szymanski & Parker, 2003). The future career paths of many students with mental retardation are likely to reflect a succession of employed positions at different settings rather than a single, sustained placement, because employment and job tenure continue to be low for adults with mental retardation (Pierce et al., 2003; Pumpian, Fisher, Certo, & Smalley, 1997; Schaffer, Banks, & Kregel, 1991). As a result, a career trajectory for an employee with a severe cognitive disability may include a succession of short-term employment situations that positively contribute to the employee's existing job skills and professional portfolio (Pierce et al.; Pumpian et al., 1997). Due to the cyclical nature of the labor market experience for most people with mental retardation, long-term career goals that complement short-term employment activities can promote a positive outlook toward employment (Enright, 1997; Pierce et al.; Sowers et al., 2002).