Launching into Work: An Evidence-Informed Framework for Transition to Competitive Integrated Employment for Disabled Youth

Veda Collmer, JD, CIPP/US, OTR/L

 

Learner Outcomes:

Learning Outcome 1:
Participants will be able to identify evidence-based predictors of employment success (e.g., paid work experience, self-determination, vocational preparation) and explain how each informs occupational therapy intervention design.

Learning Outcome 2:
Participants will learn how to implement occupation-based strategies that strengthen job readiness including communication, workplace planning, and self-advocacy skills.

Learning Outcome 3:
Participants will gain practical tools to translate predictor research into transition plans and employment supports across education, VR, and community settings.

 

Abstract:

Launching into Work is an evidence-informed occupational therapy framework designed to prepare adolescents and young adults with disabilities for competitive integrated employment. The session integrates research-identified predictors of employment success, including paid work experience, vocational preparation, self-determination, and workplace communication skills. Participants will explore how to apply predictor-based strategies and occupation-centered practices to improve employment readiness and long-term job sustainability. Practical tools, real case examples, and actionable planning steps will be provided to support implementation across education, VR, and community settings.

 

Biography:

Veda Collmer, OTR/L, JD, is the founder of Autism Services for Teens and Young Adults, an occupational therapy practice focused on supporting adolescents and young adults across the transition to adulthood. Her work emphasizes functional independence, executive functioning, self-advocacy, and competitive integrated employment as key components of adult outcomes. With dual training in occupational therapy and law, she integrates clinical practice with knowledge of disability rights and ADA compliance to support individuals, families, and systems in building sustainable pathways to work and community participation.

 

References to support evidence-based practice

National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: The Collaborative. (2024, August 6). Predictors of post school success. TransitionTA. https://transitionta.org/effective-practices/all-predictors/ [transitionta]

Southward, J. D., & Kyzar, K. (2017). Predictors of Competitive Employment for Students with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 52(1),26–37. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26420373

Interagency Committee on Disability Research. (2021). *Employment: A toolkit for interagency collaboration (ICDR toolkit).* U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

https://pstrapiubntstorage.blob.core.windows.net/strapib/assets/EMP_Toolkit_3_9_21_508_3a65f8538f.pdf  [transitionta]

 (https://transitionta.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/Mazzotti-et-al-2021-Predictors.pdf) Interagency Committee on Disability Research. (2021). Employment: A toolkit for interagency collaboration (ICDR Toolkit). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://pstrapiubntstorage.blob.core.windows.net/strapib/assets/EMP_Toolkit_3_9_21_508_3a65f8538f.pdf [transitionta]

Kirby, A. V., Dell’Armo, K., & Persch, A. C. (2019). Differences in youth and parent postsecondary expectations for youth with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 51(1), 77–86.2 https://doi.org/10.3233/JVR-191027

Project E3. (2021, June 9). Do youth with disabilities and parents have the same expectations? https://projecte3.com/youth-parents-expectations/ [transitionta]