The cumulative effect of natural support strategies and social skills instruction on the integration of a worker in supported employment

Issue title: Systematic Instruction

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Storey, Keith^; | Garff, Jennifer T.

Affiliations: Chapman University, Concord Academic Center, 2600 Stanwell Drive, Suite 110, Concord, CA 94250, USA

Note: [] Corresponding author. tel.: + 1 510 6801407; Fax: + 1 510 6807186; E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: The effectiveness of a natural support strategy, co-worker instruction with social skills instruction, on increasing the integration of a worker with developmental disabilities in a supported employment setting was examined in this study. The intervention consisted of three phases: (1) teaching a non-disabled co-worker instructional skills and having the non-disabled co-worker then teach the worker with a disability a new job task; (2) having the non-disabled co-worker encourage other non-disabled co-workers to interact with the participant; and (3) teaching a series of appropriate conversational exchanges to the participant. Integration data were collected using direct observation, social validation and global measures. Results demonstrated that the intervention strategy increased the social integration of the participant.

Keywords: Natural supports, Social skills instruction, Integration

DOI: 10.3233/JVR-1997-9207

Journal: Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 143-152, 1997