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j. 1. E. Who are youth with disabilities and students with disabilities, including, as appropriate, their need for pre-employment transition services or other transition services.

Current Narrative:

January 2019 data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows the following labor force participation and unemployment rate for youth:

Labor Force Participation for YouthUnemployment Rate for Youth:
Age 16-19 with Disability:  22.3%Age 16-19 with Disability: 33.2%
Age 16-19 with No Disability:  33.3%Age 16-19 with No Disability: 12.1%
Age 20-24 with Disability:  47.7%Age 20-24 with Disability: 12.1%
Age 20-24 with No Disability: 71.5%Age 20-24 with No Disability: 8.5%

The following is a summary of survey questions and responses in regard to youth and students with disabilities:

  • Are you aware of Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)? (Services for students with disabilities to help prepare for employment).
    • Two thirds of the respondents (76%) are aware of Pre-ETS.
  • Do you know how to get Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)?
    • Respondents were required to answer yes to the being aware of Pre-ETS to be able to answer this question.  77% of those aware of Pre-ETS knew how to obtain these services.
  • What are the biggest barriers students with disabilities have when making the transition from school to work?
    • Transportation (12.8%) again was noted as a major barrier for transitioning students.  This was closely followed by gaps in services (12.6%).  Concerns of the individual or family about the loss of benefits (10.5%), the lack of information or confusion about available services (10.5%) and employers’ willingness to hire individuals needing significant supports (10.4%) were the other significant barriers identified. The remainder of the responses ranked between 3% and 6%.
  • What are the needs of students with disabilities as they transition to employment and/or post-secondary education?
    • Respondents identified that students are in need of skills in order to get ready for work (27%), followed by a need for work experiences and/or internships (26%). They also indicated a need for self-advocacy skills (20%) and job exploration counseling (15%). The other two responses were below 7%.
  • What would improve VR services for students and youth with disabilities? 
    • Increased knowledge of resources and opportunities to support employment (17%) was identified as the primary way to improve VR services for students and youth.  This was followed by additional opportunities for work experiences (16.8%) and better coordination between schools and VR (15.9%).  Respondents noted that having Pre-ETS available in all schools (12.7%) and earlier access to these services (9.5%) is important.  The other choices were below 7%.
  • How can employers be more involved with helping students and youth with disabilities transition to work and/or post-secondary education?
    • Respondents indicated that having employers providing more work experiences and/or internships (24%) would be the most helpful in assisting students and youth as they transition.  They also responded that increased knowledge of support services in the hiring process (22%) and employers providing mentorship (17%) are other important strategies.  Also helpful are job fairs where employers would offer mock interviews and application practice (12%) and for employers to have additional knowledge of Employment Service Providers (11%). Other responses ranged from 4% to 6%.

According to the Indiana Department of Education “Memorandum to State Board of Education Regarding Child Counts” for December 1, 2018 there was a non-duplicated child count of 165,912 students in special education.  This is up from last year by 2,226 students (1.36%). The breakdown according to disability is shown in the chart below.

Primary Exceptionality Category12-1-17 Count11-30-18 CountIncrease/Decrease
Multiple Disability2,0552,020-35
Orthopedic Impairment1,4311,404-27
Blind or Low Vision92793811
Deaf or Hard of Hearing2,2772,268-9
Emotional Disability- Full Time6,5956,804209
Emotional Disability - All Other6,3346,107-227
Specific Learning Disability55,06854,739-329
Developmental Delay (Ages 5B-8}N/A2,1712,171
Language/Speech Impairment34,22533,443-782
Mild Cognitive Disability10,1029,773-329
Moderate Cognitive Disability3,5603,435-125
Severe Cognitive Disability381342-39
Deaf Blind26315
Autism Spectrum Disorder15,72116,057336
Traumatic Brain Injury4584591
Other Health Impairment24,52625,9211,395
Total Unduplicated Count163,686165,9122,226 {+1.36%)

The following is information as to Indiana’s progress in meeting the Federal Indicators for IDEA in 2016, (LEAD, n.d.):

  • 31.1% of youth who are no longer in secondary school had IEPs in effect at the time they left school and were enrolled in higher education within one year of leaving high school (Indicator 14a).
  • 70.4% of youth who are no longer in secondary school had IEPs in effect at the time they left school and were enrolled in higher education or competitively employed within one year of leaving high school (Indicator 14b).
  • 86% of youth who are no longer in secondary school had IEPs in effect at the time they left school and were enrolled in higher education or in some other postsecondary education or training program; or they were competitively employed or in some other employment within one year of leaving high school (Indicator 14c).
  • 39% of youth who are no longer in secondary school, had IEPs in effect at the time they left school and were competitively employed within one year of leaving high school (Subset of Indicator 14).