ODEP and our grantees, contractors and other partners undertake a variety of research, analysis and evaluation efforts to help us achieve our mission. This page contains information and links to work currently underway as well as work published in the past year. For earlier work, please visit our Past Research page. For tools and other resources related to research highlighted in this section, please visit project-specific pages.
2022
Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS) Project
(November 2022) REYAAS is seeking to identify promising practices and policies to support employment of young adults (ages 16 through 28) on the autism spectrum. Recent estimates suggest that annually about 100,000 youth on the autism spectrum turn 18-years old in the United States. A majority of young adults on the autism spectrum have one or more co-occurring health or mental health conditions, and young adults on the autism spectrum are more likely than young adults without disabilities to be living in households with income below the federal poverty level. Young adults on the autism spectrum can face challenges to entering the labor force, including a sudden drop in services when exiting high school (the “services cliff”). After leaving high school, they are less likely to participate in vocational or technical education and employment than young adults with other disabilities. Read the REYAAS project fact sheet.
Evaluation Design Options Report
This report builds on literature reviews and listening sessions the team conducted in the knowledge development phase of the REYAAS project, by presenting evaluation design options for the following interventions to improve employment outcomes for autistic young adults:
- Enhanced access to Registered Apprenticeship and related support services,
- Tailored YouthBuild program to the needs of autistic young adults,
- Enhanced access to supported employment in Vocational Rehabilitation and
- Incorporation of virtual interview training for transition-age youth in Job Corps.
Literature Review #2
This report summarizes the evidence on the effectiveness of the approaches identified in the first literature review, and it also assesses whether that evidence is growing, lacking, consistent, or divergent.
Data Inventory Brief
This issue brief presents an inventory of 11 data sets, including administrative and survey data sources, which contain employment-related information for young adults on the autism spectrum that researchers can use to shed light on the topic, although these data sets are limited in their ability to provide a detailed, longitudinal assessment of this population and employment outcomes.
Listening Sessions Report
This report summarizes content from listening sessions aimed at understanding the barriers and facilitators to employment and careers for young adults on the autism spectrum, with stakeholder groups that included young adults on the autism spectrum, advocates, policymakers, direct service providers, educators, employers, and researchers.
Disability and the Digital Divide: Internet Subscriptions, Internet Use and Employment Outcomes
(June 2022) The research brief examines the disability digital divide and how it may relate to disability employment. In addition, the brief observes associations of disability status, home internet subscription types and internet use with employment retention between 2019 and 2020. Further, it examines access rates to home internet subscriptions from 2015 to 2019 and online activity participation rates in November 2019 among people with and without disabilities.
2021
Access to Paid Leave for Family and Medical Reasons Among Workers with Disabilities
(December 2021) Most workers, including those with disabilities, will experience personal, medical and family caregiving events that demand time away from work. Access to paid leave for family and medical reasons could be especially important for both workers with disabilities and workers who are caregivers to family members with disabilities. This brief estimates the share of the workforce that has access to paid leave for certain family and medical reasons and highlights differences in access based on disability status.
Inclusive Apprenticeship
(May 2021) Inclusive apprenticeship programs — those that support and are designed to be inclusive of apprentices with disabilities — hold promise for improving long-term employment outcomes for participants. However, little is known about the prevalence and operations of inclusive apprenticeship programs. This report summarizes current information on experiences of people with disabilities in apprenticeship, drawing on the research literature, interviews with experts on inclusive apprenticeship, and administrative and survey data.
2020
Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work Models and Strategies
(September 2020) Improving the Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work outcomes of individuals who experience an injury or illness that inhibits their ability to work remains a key policy goal. Researchers found SAW/RTW programs available on a large scale may have the most impact on those workers likely to leave the labor force without such assistance. Developing effective SAW/RTW programs requires information about the current policy landscape and evidence about what kinds of SAW/RTW assistance is effective and for whom. The findings from this project also highlight a number of areas for future research and provide guidance on five strategies to expand evidence on effective SAW/RTW interventions. Click here to view our research and publications that preceded this project.
Findings in Brief
This report includes a summary of information about the study, the process, and findings from each report.
Synthesis of SAW/RTW Programs, Models, Efforts, & Definitions
This report and the accompanying summary describe SAW/RTW programs operating in the U.S. at the time of publication.
Synthesis of Evidence about SAW/RTW and Related Programs
This report and the companion summary provide a synthesis of evidence published between 2008 and 2018 on the effects of SAW/RTW or related programs on employment and the receipt of federal disability benefits.
Early Intervention Pathway Map and Population Profiles
This report and the companion summary provide a synthesis of evidence published between 2008 and 2018 on the effects of SAW/RTW or related programs on employment and the receipt of federal disability benefits.
Evaluation Design Options Report
This report and the accompanying summary offer five options for new research to build evidence about the target populations for SAW/RTW and to test the effects of interventions on employment outcomes.
Community College Interventions for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities - Evaluation
(December 2020) The Community College Interventions for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Demonstration and Evaluation contributes to the growing evidence base on ways to best serve students with disabilities in higher education. Findings help enhance the policies and services designed to increase the enrollment and completion of community college programs among students with disabilities.
Demonstration and Evaluation of Community College Interventions for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities
Building Accessible and Inclusive Community College Environments for Students with Disabilities
Survey of Employer Policies on the Employment of People with Disabilities
(April 2020) To survey collected information from employers about organizational policies, practices, successes and challenges as well as attitudes and beliefs in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of people with disabilities. ODEP sponsored a similar effort in 2008.