Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


K. Bush Master's Thesis FINAL.pdf (1.01 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Employment Status and Choice-Making in Adults with Intellectual Disability with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down Syndrome

Bush, Kelsey
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1442935632

Abstract Details

2015, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Psychology.
This study provides an in-depth look at the current state of employment for adults with intellectual disability (ID) with or without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Down syndrome (DS), and each groups’ choice-making abilities as it pertains to short-term choices (i.e., choosing their daily schedule, choosing what to do in their free time, choosing what to do with their spending money), and long-term choices (i.e., choosing where they live, choosing their roommate, and choosing their service coordinator). This study conducted secondary data analyses using the National Core Indicator’s Adult Consumer Survey datasets from years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 on three populations of interest, adults with ASD and ID, adults with DS and ID, and adults with ID and no ASD or DS, to address the following research questions: Do age, ID severity level, behavior problems and/or number of mental health conditions for taking medication predict employment status in individuals with an ASD, DS, or other groups of ID? Do individuals with an ASD differ from those with DS or other groups of ID in their employment status when controlling for those variables that showed high correlations from the previous research question? Do individuals with an ASD differ from those with DS or other ID in regards to the extent to which they are involved in making short-term choices and long-term choices? Does the extent to which individuals make short-term and long-term choices correlate with employment status in people with an ASD, DS, or other ID? Of the individuals with jobs, does having been involved in the decision of where you work relate to employment status in individuals with ASD, DS or ID? Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to derive the latent variables of short-term and long-term choices from the choice making section of the Adult Consumer Survey. Median analyses were used to indicate group differences in demographic variables, as well as employment status and choice making, while correlations and regressions were used to determine factors related to employment status and choice making. Results indicated that each study group has different levels of employment, different factors associated with successful employment, and varying levels of choice making. As a group, adults with DS had the highest rates of paid community jobs, followed by adults with ID, and then adults with ASD. As a group, adults with ID made the most long-term and short-term choices, followed by adults with DS, and then adults with ASD. In regression analyses, short-term choices and ID severity level were significantly associated to level of employment for adults with ASD and DS. Choice-making as it relates to employment is discussed, along with overall trends in employment rates for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Marc Tasse, PhD (Advisor)
Susan Havercamp, PhD (Committee Member)
Luc Lecavalier, PhD (Committee Member)
83 p.
Psychology
employment; choice-making; autism; autism spectrum disorders; down syndrome; intellectual disability; adults with disabilities; NCI

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bush, K. (2015). Employment Status and Choice-Making in Adults with Intellectual Disability with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down Syndrome [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1442935632

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bush, Kelsey. Employment Status and Choice-Making in Adults with Intellectual Disability with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down Syndrome. 2015. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1442935632.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bush, Kelsey. "Employment Status and Choice-Making in Adults with Intellectual Disability with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down Syndrome." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1442935632

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1442935632
935
© 2015, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.