This episode of On the Evidence focuses on transition-age youth (ages 14 to 24) who have disabilities and must navigate a complex and fragmented system to access benefits and support services.
Recent research suggests that it is possible to intervene with youth with disabilities and smooth the transition to adulthood, especially by providing well-designed, customized supports to specific populations. However, participation in those types of customized programs after high school tends to be low. The episode discusses findings from past studies on transition-age youth with disabilities and explores the potential for developing services at a community level to get buy-in, enhance participation, and improve outcomes.
The guests for this episode are Kim D. Kaiser and David Wittenburg. Kaiser is an autism advocate, a certified peer support specialist, and the parent of a teenage son on the spectrum. She is also a parent advisor for the nonprofit, Families Together in New York State, a family-run organization that represents families and youth with social, emotional, behavioral, and cross-systems challenges. In addition, Kaiser is a program director for the Color of Autism, a foundation committed to serving African Americans who are affected by autism spectrum disorders. Wittenburg, who is the disability area director at Mathematica, has expertise in interventions to promote employment for people with disabilities, particularly interventions that serve youth as they transition into adulthood. (author abstract)