Effects of postsecondary education on employment outcomes of youth with specific learning disabilities: A propensity score matching approach

BACKGROUND: Helping young adults with specific learning disabilities (SLD) attend college increases their chances of joining the workforce, which helps protect them from the negative effects of unemployment. OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether receiving vocational rehabilitation (VR) services of four-year college or university training would lead to improved employment outcomes for young adults with SLD. METHODS: Using the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)-911 database, a propensity score matching technique was employed to create a comparison group of young adults with SLD who did not receive college or university training for a treatment group of those who did. The quasi-experimental design investigated differences in the employment outcomes between the two groups. RESULTS: Findings revealed that the group who received college or university training was more likely to obtain competitive employment upon exit from the VR program than the matched comparison group who did not receive the training; youth with SLD who received college or university training and had secured competitive employment at the time of exit also had significantly higher hourly wages and weekly working hours than their counterparts in the comparison group. CONCLUSION: College and university training is positively related to employment outcomes for young people with SLD. Implications for state VR counselors are also discussed.