Demographic and service-related correlates of competitive employment outcomes among state-federal vocational rehabilitation clients with learning disabilities: A purposeful selection logistic regression analysis

BACKGROUND: People with learning disabilities (LD) face challenges with labor force participation and postsecondary education. Research is limited on the success of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services for those with LD. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the extent to which demographic characteristics, Social Security benefits, and VR services influence competitive employment outcomes for people with LD. METHODS: The Rehabilitation Services Administration's Case Service Report (RSA-911) database for Fiscal Year 2013 was examined using a purposeful selection multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Results indicated that participants who received on-the-job support, technical assistance, job placement, occupational/vocational training, maintenance, college or university tuition assistance, readers, other services, on-the-job training, information and referral, counseling and guidance, transportation, job search assistance, job readiness training, supported employment, and diagnostic and treatment services from the state-federal VR program were significantly more likely to achieve competitive employment than were participants who did not receive those services. In addition, higher levels of educational attainment, being male, being Caucasian, receiving a greater number of VR services over a shorter period of time at a higher level of case expenditure, and not receiving Social Security disability benefits were positively associated with competitive employment outcomes. CONCLUSION: Overall, the number and type of VR services had more influence on competitive employment than did demographic variables or Social Security disability benefits.