School-to-work barriers as identified by special educators, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and community rehabilitation professionals

Abstract

This article describes a study examining school-to-work barriers for students with disabilities. Specifically, an iterative, three-round Delphi process was implemented to determine what secondary special educators, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and community rehabilitation programs report to be moderate to high impact barriers on transition from school to work. Panel members identified eighty-four moderate to high impact barriers across 12 domains. The highest-rated domains included lack of student involvement/skills, parent/family involvement, and interagency collaboration. The highest-impact barriers included transition students lack of employment skills, long-term supports, and student's and parent's unrealistic expectations for outcomes. Results are discussed in regards to improving collaboration among key stakeholders.