Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Family Employment Awareness Training Program: Expectations, Knowledge, Barriers, and Employment for People with Disabilities who have Individualized Support Needs

Abstract

This dissertation consists of four individual, but related chapters. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to competitive employment for people with disabilities who have individualized support needs and the Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT). This chapter also provides a general overview of the other chapters in this dissertation. Chapter 2 is a research study that examined the expectations and knowledge of participants who attended FEAT in 2010-2011. This study also explored families' perceptions of FEAT. Chapter 3 is a second research study that evaluated participants' behavior, employment outcomes, and perceptions of FEAT's influence. Chapter 4 is a third research study that explored families' perceptions of barriers to competitive employment.