Transition Programs for Adults with Mild Cognitive Disabilities: A Proposal

Transition Programs for Adults with Mild Cognitive Disabilities: A Proposal

Mild cognitive disability is the most restraining disability for professional inclusion, mainly due to inadequate or lack of adaptive skills observed in individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID) that are focused on the work environment. One of the main goals for developing a transition program for adults with ID is to prepare them for independence as adults and have valued roles in their community. Employability is considered to offer productive occupations to adults with ID since employment is a vital part of adult life. Social inclusion of people with a mild cognitive disability is much motivated by unpaid work. Obstacles such as lack of access to the social environment, difficulties in learning, and stigmas act as additional barriers that predispose this part of the population to be more dependent on government programs or their families with limited possibility of financial and social development (Lerner, Johns & Lerner, 2008). According to Blanck (2015), the inclusion of people with cognitive disabilities into the work environment allows them to develop adult gestures and attitudes, thus contributes to the assimilation of the rules of coexistence through interactions in training and exercising of their profession.

Blanck (2015) argues that vocational training programs for people with ID are one of the determining factors that enable this section of the population to be inclusive in the labor market, thus preventing confinement at home and isolation. The adaptive process is the key to vocational training in which the observation of the participant’s performance in identifying and refining skills he/she needs to develop and achieve professional inclusion, hence resulting in successful (Breilid & Dyrnes, 2017).  Relationships that exist between adults with cognitive disabilities and their social context is modulated by adaptive behavior. The vocational training programs focus on the development of skills such as self-determination; that is understood as the ability to make decisions and act based on the choices made. (Blanck, 2015). The goals of transition planning programs with disabilities involves entering into post-secondary education, competitive employment and supported employment programs as a bridge from school to work. Persons with Intellectual Disabilities enter into training centers, sheltered or supported employment run by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) before joining competitive employment.

Due to low employment rates among disabled adults, Emphasis must be placed on improving transitional services in education sectors such as vocational training centers to foster more productive outcomes for individuals with disabilities. By doing this, we will create a national framework that will help communities and states to develop a comprehensive system for students to apply learning outcomes to high-wage and skilled jobs. Therefore, this proposal will focus on the purpose, aims/significance, and timeline and research design for the research that I will conduct in examining the effects of transition programs for adults with mild cognitive disabilities.

Purpose of the Research

To identify and create transition programs/groups for adults with a developmental disability that will help them and their families acquire adequate knowledge for independence and have valued roles in their community.

Research Goals

To form support groups or programs for the provision of appropriate transition services for adults with ID.

Identify types of transition required by individuals such as employment and social or behavior change.

To address factors that make transitional plan or programs meet the individual’s interim needs of persons with Intellectual Disabilities and aim to come up with an essential transitional plan

Assessing people with disabilities in terms of resources available that provides a route to successful outcomes such as better quality of life, economic empowerment, and community participation.

Design questions that will ensure the overall coverage of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Collaboration with various stakeholders, for example, non-governmental organizations, parents, government, and the schools, to establish effective transition services for individuals with ID or special needs to receive adequate services that will improve their life.

To develop an insight into the curricular, organizational, and instructional factors that enhances employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Prepare individuals with disabilities for independence as adults.

Objectives

Identifying the requirements or legibility for one to join the program for people with ID

Identify the available transition programs within the communities.

Identify ways and measures of recruiting individuals with disabilities to the program.

Identify obstacles and challenges that people with disabilities face in their day-to-day lives in their personal economic or employment situation that will help inform government policy.

To identify and create legislation that ensures transition planning is carried out.

The rationale of the study

The groups will be addressing employment issues facing individuals with a disability such as; how to search for jobs through the internet, writing resumes, letters, and proper dressing code for interviews. According to findings from the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, it is estimated that one or five Canadians aged fifteen years and over had one or more disabilities, thus act as an obstacle in conducting their daily activities, hence the need to identify these challenges since employment for persons with disabilities.

Method

Research design

Given that the transition plan is a complex and multidimensional process, it is vital to use a qualitative approach that will provide in-depth research factors for the success and development of an effective transitional plan for adults in employment sectors.

Sample and Sampling Method

Participants will be selected through the sampling method in gathering specific information by conducting interviews from the most knowledgeable source for the topic of research. Meriam (1998) argues that non-probability sampling is purposive sampling considered as a method of choice in qualitative research. The reason being, the investigator’s goal is to understand, gain insight, thus select enough sample from which a lot can be learned.

Participants will be selected in terms of their first-hand experience, where most of them will be considered to provide transition services for individuals with mild intellectual or developmental disabilities aged between 20-35 years old. Participants will include parents/guardians with persons who are employees with disabilities irrespective of their sex, two individual education teachers, professional leaders, and community stakeholders. Participants will also be selected in terms of their involvement in the provision of special education and transition as the key stakeholders of the research.

Timeline

The research will be conducted by the group formed within three weeks in interviewing the identified clients. The proposed group will be permanent in carrying out transitional plans in helping in generating more ideas to solve the challenges that will be recognized during the study. They will also monitor and evaluate the client’s progress/improvement through communication via phone calls, emailing, and interviews. They also compile different reports to determine the success rate of the client in adaptation in the working environment or employment sectors.

References

Blanck, P. (2015). eQuality: Web Accessibility by People With Cognitive   Disabilities. Inclusion, 3(2), 75-91. doi: 10.1352/2326-6988-3.2.75

Breilid, N., & Dyrnes, E. (2017). Identifying significant factors which can contribute to successful transitions from school to lasting employment affiliation for pupils in            vocational training programs. Scandinavian Journal Of Vocations In Development      (Skandinavisk Tidsskrift For Yrker Og Profesjoner I Utvikling), 2. doi:             10.7577/sjvd.2179

Lerner, J., Johns, B., & Lerner, J. (2008). Learning disabilities and related mild disabilities. B        Boston, MA:             Houghton Mifflin Co.