Federal Partners in Transition National Online Dialogue: Participation Metrics [PDF] summarizes the results of the May 13-27, 2013, Federal Partners in Transition National Online Dialogue. The dialogue was hosted by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration. Participants were invited to share their ideas and comments about barriers and opportunities to improve transition outcomes for youth with disabilities.

Translating Research into a Seamless Transition Model by Debra M. Luecking and Richard G. Luecking (Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 2013, online ahead of print) reports on how a model for delivering seamless transition services has been applied in Maryland for diverse special education populations.

Identifying Nonacademic Behaviors Associated with Post-School Employment and Education (A.E. McConnell, J.E. Martin, C.Y. Juan, M.N. Hennessey, R.A. Terry, N.A. el-Kazimi, T.C. Pannells, and D.M. Willis, Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, vol. 36, no. 3, 2013, pp. 174-187) presents constructs and lists of student non-academic behaviors associated with post-school education and employment, discusses the implications for their use, and describes next steps in building a new transition assessment using these constructs. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

Linking Youth Transition Support Services: Results from Two Demonstration Projects is now available on the Quality Mall website. This research article describes two projects designed to help older youth with disabilities access adult services and supports.

In his Transition from School to Work: Time to Move Out from Your Classroom Walls blog post, Dale DiLeo urges schools to move into their business communities, build flexible career development curricula that are customized for each student, and engage their local employers.

Project SEARCH with ASD Supports: A Randomized Clinical Trial to Explore Competitive Employment for 18- to 22-Year-Olds with Autism Spectrum Disorders reports the findings of a Virginia Commonwealth University study. According to the report, youth with autism between the ages of 18 to 22 achieved employment at 87% in Project SEARCH with Autism Supports, while a control group only achieved employment at 6%.

State Differences in the Vocational Rehabilitation Experiences of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities [PDF] examines outcome statistics of a cohort of youth who applied for VR services from 2004 through 2006. The study addressed the following questions:

• To what extent does each state's population of transition-age youth with disabilities apply for VR services?
• Among those who apply, how likely is it that a transition-age youth will receive services?
• What proportion of youth who receive VR services have their cases closed with an employment outcome, and how does that compare with the employment rate for the state's entire population of transition-age youth with disabilities?

Transitioning Youth with Intellectual and Other Developmental Disabilities: Predicting Community Employment Outcomes by M.L. Simonsen and D.A. Neubert (Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, vol. 36, no. 3, 2013, pp. 188-198), reports findings from a study that examined community employment outcomes for 338 transitioning youth with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in one state 18 months after exiting public school. The study found that race/ethnicity, family expressed preference for paid work in the community, paid work experience, and self-management and community mobility skills were predictors of community employment. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

A recent article in The Montreal Gazette describes a group of deaf police officers in Oaxaca, Mexico. These officers monitor the city's surveillance cameras to look for crimes being committed. Their ability to read lips and keen attention to visual details are invaluable assets on the job.

The September 2013 LEAD On! newsletter includes articles covering the LEAD Center's First Annual Policy Roundtable to Improve Employment and Economic Status of Individuals with Disabilities; recent changes to Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974; the Center's 2013 webinars; and more.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy's Disability Blog features a number of guest blogs, including:

7 Simple Tips for Identifying, Preparing and Interviewing for Jobs

Hidden Vocational Challenges: Focus on Strengths and Solutions! and

Breaking down Geographic Barriers - Join the Virtual Discussion!

Employment First is a downloadable manual that covers 40 key elements needed to support Employment First.  (Cost: $30)

Vocational Rehabilitation Service Models for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Guide to Effective Employment Programs discusses the results of a study that focused on effective practices implemented by vocational rehabilitation service providers for people with ASD. The guide also outlines effective practices of VR vendors.       

Facilitating Employment for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders [PDF] is a Research to Practice Brief that describes challenges people with ASD may have when entering the workforce and offers suggestions on how to address the challenges.

Developing Model Programs for Supporting Individuals with ASD in Public VR Program through Knowledge Translation of Evidence-based Research [PDF] is a Research to Practice Brief that provides an overview of studies piloting new VR service models for people with autism spectrum disorders.   

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) released a Just-in-Time training module called All About JAN: Resources in Spanish/Todo acerca de JAN para hispanohablantes [Video]. The training module provides an overview of JAN's services in Spanish.

Massachusetts has announced it will end new referrals to sheltered workshops as of January 1, 2014, and plans to end all sheltered work services in 2015, transitioning people in sheltered workshop programs to integrated and community-based services. Blueprint for Success: Employing Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities in Massachusetts [PDF] outlines the plan to implement these changes.

Barb Trader, TASH Executive Director, was this month's featured guest on the Griffin-Hammis Customized Employment Podcast, hosted by Cary Griffin.  Interview topics included current trends surrounding inclusion, transition from school to adulthood, and the upcoming TASH Conference.

The Employment Environment: Employer Perspectives, Policies, and Practices Regarding the Employment of Persons with Disabilities by W.A. Erickson, S. von Schrader, S.M. Bruyère, and S.A. VanLooy (Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, online ahead of print) examines employer characteristics, policies and practices as important workplace environmental factors. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

• Ratification of the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Economic Empowerment
• Health Care and Access to Medical Treatment
• Community Integration

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries will receive a 1.5 percent COLA for 2014. The SSI Federal Payment Standard will increase from $710 to $721 per month for individuals and from $1066 to $1082 per month for couples. The SSI Student Exclusion will increase from $1,730 to $1,750 per month; the annual limit will increase from $6,960 to $7,060.

The Ticket to Work website features Success Story videos telling how real people have used the Ticket to Work program to achieve their employment goals.

Use of Social Security Work Incentives to Promote Work-Based Learning in Youth Employment and Training Programs, a report from NCWD/Youth, examines the AmeriCorps income exclusion that allows youth with disabilities who receive Social Security benefits to participate in work-based learning experiences and receive a living allowance or stipend without it impacting their benefits.

Have you accessed your Portal today?

Visit the TACE Transition Services web site. In the "Login For" section on the left-hand side of your screen, select "Counselor" or "Coordinator." This will take you to the "Login to MyTACE Account" page. You will use your MyTACE Account to register for available events, seek applicable credit, and access your specialized portal - Transition Services Counselor or Coordinator. 

Attended a TACE Webinar? You may already have created a MyTACE Account. If you have a MyTACE Account, email tacesoutheast@law.syr.edu and request to join the TACE Transition Network. If you don't already have a MyTACE account, follow the instructions to "Create a New MyTACE Account" and also apply for Portal access.