ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter will be to highlight and discuss the importance of employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Research increasingly shows that employment for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities while in school correlates with employment after graduation (Carter, Austin, & Trainor, 2011, 2012; Siperstein, Heyman, & Stokes, 2014; Wehman, Sima, et al., 2015). In this chapter, while the focus is predominantly on youth and adults with intellectual disability, we know many persons with other developmental disabilities are struggling with similar issues and also may have intellectual impairments. We will therefore draw on this literature as we present an initial introduction on employment issues and then discuss different pathways to employment that teachers can encourage.
