A vocational rehabilitation partnership to provide transition services to young adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities: The cognitive skills enhancement program

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kulzer, Jamie^{a; 1; *} | Beck, Kelly B.^{a; 1} | Trabert, Caitlin^a | Meyer, Eric C.^a | Colacci, Jenna^b | Pramuka, Michael^a | McCue, Michael^a

Affiliations: [a] School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA | [b] Monte Nido & Affiliates, The Clementine Program, New York, NY, USA

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Jamie Kulzer, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 5040 Forbes Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA. E-mail: j.kulzer@pitt.edu.

Note: [1] Joint first authors that contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:There is an urgent need for services that support a successful transition to postsecondary education and employment for young adults with neurodevelopmental and cognitive disabilities (e.g. autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, traumatic brain injury). OBJECTIVE:The purpose of this expository article is to describe the Cognitive Skills Enhancement Program (CSEP), a comprehensive clinical program designed for young adults with neurodevelopmental and cognitive disabilities transitioning to postsecondary education. METHODS:CSEP was developed through a community-academic partnership between a university and a state vocational rehabilitation program. Young adult participants complete programming that addresses four primary clinical targets: (1) emotion regulation, (2) social skills, (3) work readiness, and (4) community participation with the overall goal to increase awareness and promote successful employment outcomes while they transition to post-secondary education. RESULTS:To date, CSEP has supported 18 years of sustained programming and clinical services to 621 young adults with neurodevelopmental and cognitive disabilities. CONCLUSION:This partnership model allows for flexible responses to participant needs, implementation barriers, and advances in evidence-based practices. CSEP meets the needs of diverse stakeholders (e.g. state vocational rehabilitation, post-secondary training facilities, participants, universities) while providing high-quality and sustainable programming. Future directions include examining the clinical efficacy of current CSEP programming.

Keywords: Neurodevelopmental disorders, vocational rehabilitation, community partnerships, transition program, adults, autism spectrum disorder

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-230005

Journal: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 155-164, 2023