Enhancing the job performance of employees with disabilities using the self-determined career development model.
Letting employees with moderate ID set and track their own work goals reliably pushes performance above supervisor expectations.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Devlin (2011) worked with four adults who have moderate intellectual disability. Each person had a real job in the community.
The coach taught them to use the Self-Determined Career Model. They picked their own work goals, tracked their own progress, and chose their own rewards.
What they found
Every worker beat the goal they set for themselves. Their final scores were higher than what the boss or job coach expected.
The gains showed up quickly and stayed through the whole study.
How this fits with other research
McConkey et al. (2010) tried personal goal setting one year earlier. They saw the same pattern: adults with ID who picked their own goals reached more of them, especially when staff gave steady support.
McDougall et al. (2017) pooled 29 school studies in a meta-analysis. The big picture: self-management gives moderate to strong gains for students with disabilities. Devlin (2011) extends that verdict to adults at work.
Feldman et al. (1999) also used a multiple-baseline design with people who have moderate ID. They cut problem behavior by letting students run their own auditory cues. Patricia flips the target: instead of removing a problem, she adds better work output.
Why it matters
You can hand the clipboard to the worker. Teach them to write a daily goal, count their own output, and pick a reinforcer. In Patricia's study this simple package beat supervisor expectations every time. Try it next week with one employee who has moderate ID: spend one lunch break showing the three-step model, then let them run it while you watch.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The impact of the Self-Determined Career Development Model (hereafter called the Self-Determined Career Model) on the job performance of four adults with moderate intellectual disability employed in competitive work settings was examined. Employees learned to set work-related goals, develop an action plan, implement the plan, and adjust their goals and plans as needed. A multiple baseline design across employees was implemented. All participants achieved their self-selected goal at levels that exceeded the expectations of their supervisor and job coach. Findings extend the current line of research utilizing the Self-Determined Career Model and support the use of this model by personnel providing support to individuals with disabilities in work settings.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1352/1934-9556-49.4.221