American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2016
Amidst decades of attention directed toward improving employment outcomes for people with intelle... more Amidst decades of attention directed toward improving employment outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), few efforts have been made to engage communities in identifying local solutions for expanding integrated employment opportunities. We examined the implementation and outcomes of "community conversation" events held in 6 geographically and economically diverse locales. Each event used an asset-based dialogue approach called the World Café ( Brown & Isaacs, 2005 ) to solicit ideas from a broad cross-section of community members on improving integrated employment that reflect local priorities and possibilities. Six key themes encapsulated the 1,556 strategies generated by the almost 400 attendees. Although considerable consistency was found among the categories of strategies raised across events, the manner in which those individual strategies would be implemented locally reflected the unique accent of each community. Attendees also view...
Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 2012
ABSTRACT Although inclusive postsecondary education programs are increasingly available, little i... more ABSTRACT Although inclusive postsecondary education programs are increasingly available, little is known about the attitudes of matriculating college students toward the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in their classes. To assess these attitudes, the authors surveyed 256 college students about their attitudes toward students with intellectual disabilities and their inclusion in college classes. Overall, the college students reported positive attitudes. They noted that female students and those with higher comfort levels perceived the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities as higher, thought more benefits were associated with their inclusion, and were more willing to interact with them on campus. The authors concluded that these findings offer evidence of the social acceptability of inclusive postsecondary education programs among the general population of college students and the viability of such programs as an inclusive transition option for students with intellectual disabilities.
Family Perspectives on Post-Secondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities Megan... more Family Perspectives on Post-Secondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities Megan M. Griffin, Elise D. McMillan, and Robert M. Hodapp Vanderbilt University Abstract: This study investigated the issues that families consider when making decisions regarding post- ...
The expectations of parents can shape the post-school pathways of young people with intellectual ... more The expectations of parents can shape the post-school pathways of young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Yet little is known about how parents view the employment prospects and priorities of their sons and daughters after high school. We examined expectations, preferences, and concerns of 1,065 parents of children and youth with IDD (below age 22) related to outcomes after leaving high school. We found parents prioritized paid community employment over sheltered options, valued qualitative aspects of the workplace (e.g., personal fit and interaction opportunities) over common employment outcome metrics (e.g., pay and hours), and held substantial concerns about their child’s future employment success. We found that multiple factors shaped parental expectations and the extent to which their daughters or sons accessed early career development experiences. We offer recommendations for research and practice aimed at raising expectations for and access to community employment for young people with IDD.
American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2016
Amidst decades of attention directed toward improving employment outcomes for people with intelle... more Amidst decades of attention directed toward improving employment outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), few efforts have been made to engage communities in identifying local solutions for expanding integrated employment opportunities. We examined the implementation and outcomes of "community conversation" events held in 6 geographically and economically diverse locales. Each event used an asset-based dialogue approach called the World Café ( Brown & Isaacs, 2005 ) to solicit ideas from a broad cross-section of community members on improving integrated employment that reflect local priorities and possibilities. Six key themes encapsulated the 1,556 strategies generated by the almost 400 attendees. Although considerable consistency was found among the categories of strategies raised across events, the manner in which those individual strategies would be implemented locally reflected the unique accent of each community. Attendees also view...
Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 2012
ABSTRACT Although inclusive postsecondary education programs are increasingly available, little i... more ABSTRACT Although inclusive postsecondary education programs are increasingly available, little is known about the attitudes of matriculating college students toward the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in their classes. To assess these attitudes, the authors surveyed 256 college students about their attitudes toward students with intellectual disabilities and their inclusion in college classes. Overall, the college students reported positive attitudes. They noted that female students and those with higher comfort levels perceived the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities as higher, thought more benefits were associated with their inclusion, and were more willing to interact with them on campus. The authors concluded that these findings offer evidence of the social acceptability of inclusive postsecondary education programs among the general population of college students and the viability of such programs as an inclusive transition option for students with intellectual disabilities.
Family Perspectives on Post-Secondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities Megan... more Family Perspectives on Post-Secondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities Megan M. Griffin, Elise D. McMillan, and Robert M. Hodapp Vanderbilt University Abstract: This study investigated the issues that families consider when making decisions regarding post- ...
The expectations of parents can shape the post-school pathways of young people with intellectual ... more The expectations of parents can shape the post-school pathways of young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Yet little is known about how parents view the employment prospects and priorities of their sons and daughters after high school. We examined expectations, preferences, and concerns of 1,065 parents of children and youth with IDD (below age 22) related to outcomes after leaving high school. We found parents prioritized paid community employment over sheltered options, valued qualitative aspects of the workplace (e.g., personal fit and interaction opportunities) over common employment outcome metrics (e.g., pay and hours), and held substantial concerns about their child’s future employment success. We found that multiple factors shaped parental expectations and the extent to which their daughters or sons accessed early career development experiences. We offer recommendations for research and practice aimed at raising expectations for and access to community employment for young people with IDD.
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Papers by Elise McMillan