Considerations in Vocational Outcomes and Programming for Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Existing research on post-school outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) is clear: youth with EBD face daunting challenges. Obstacles faced include low rates of high school completion; increased feelings of social isolation; elevated incidents of criminal activity; and high rates of unemployment, underemployment, and job turn-over. Many complex factors lead to poor employment outcomes for youth with EBD, and the formal definition reflects the social, behavioral, and academic skill deficits that frequently hinder the ability of youth with EBD in gaining and maintaining meaningful employment. Despite these challenges, vocational training opportunities are imperative for students with EBD for a myriad of reasons because participation in vocational training programs may increase students’ motivation to strive toward job attainment. Advocates for youth with EBD support vocational programming in order to facilitate successful employment for youth with EBD. This paper discusses several strategies for improving employment outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders.