What constitutes effective support in obtaining and maintaining employment for individuals with intellectual disability? A scoping review

ABSTRACT

Background: Employment rates for Australians with an intellectual disability remain low. Effective evidence-based strategies are required to guide future interventions, to enable people with intellectual disability achieve better employment outcomes.

Methods: A literature search of peer-reviewed articles published between 2001 and 2015 was conducted using four electronic databases. Articles were reviewed and sorted according to employment setting and type of support provided.

Results: Twenty-two studies were identified. Four studies of open employment examined workplace level strategies and 17 investigated individual level strategies. A single study of supported employment examined individual level change. Results suggested potential strategies that can be utilised to support people with intellectual disability obtain and maintain employment.

Conclusions: Existing evidence regarding open employment for people with intellectual disabilities could be enhanced through the conduct of rigorous outcomes-focused studies that attend to specific strategies at both individual and organisation levels.

KEYWORDS:

• Intellectual disability
• paid employment
• open employment
• supported employment
• support
• Australia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Christine Bigby http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7001-8976