Activity Status, Life Satisfaction and Perceived Productivity for Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities

摘要: As young adults with disabilities age out of public school and related service programs, their transition to a developmentally appropriate activity status, such as employment or further schooling, may be difficult achieve (White, 1997). Population data on drop-out rates special education students versus other students, without disabilities, consistently show large disparities that document the difficulty process (Ireys, Salkever, Kolodner, & Bijur, 1996; Wagner Blackorby, 1996;). A variety status outcomes are possible. Paid vary widely in hours work, level community integration, job content, these variations have implications for continued personal development. Young often report combinations activities, schooling volunteer paid housework. Thus simple dichotomy employed vs. not is very incomplete description this outcomes, number writers emphasized value broader range outcome measures (Fairweather Shaver, 1990; Halpern, 1985; Yovanoff, Doren Benz, 1995). There also growing emphasis, literatures program evaluation, importance assessing relate quality life (Borthwick-Duffy, Chubon, 1987; Dennis, Williams, Giangreco Cloninger, 1993; Landesman, 1986; Vandergriff 1994). Three broad perspectives been identified (Dennis, Schalock, 1996), based psychological indicators, social goodness-of-fit indicators. Comprehensive quality-of-life measures, which combine several all three perspectives, applied empirical research (e.g., Keith, Hoffman, Karan, 1989). Psychological indicators (i.e., subjective feelings perceptions) particularly interesting reasons. First, use emphasizes individual's own evaluation situation thus reinforces priority self-determination societal goal. Second, strong relationships between perceived self-worth, problems depression recognized studies (Lehman, 1983; Yesavage, et al., Link Pyne 1997; Skinner 1999). Third, unlike social-indicator simply add one component an overall score, necessarily any particular result arithmetic. The previous literature relating life, however, sparse. (For recent contribution references studies, see Clayton Chubon (1994).) Additional evidence relationship can inform future efforts assess evaluate programs impact outcomes. present study uses from national survey persons developmental derive links measures. It focuses specifically respondents 16 27. include employment, housework, idleness (defined absence activities just noted). Quality describe respondents' perceptions about satisfaction productivity. specific questions addressed following: 1. Are differences significant self-perceived productivity? …