Predictors of employment outcomes for transition-age state-federal vocational rehabilitation consumers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND: Relationships among consumer demographic variables, services, and employment outcomes for 7,776 16 to 19 year old and 2,183 20 to 24 year old consumers with ADHD were examined. OBJECTIVE: To examine employment outcomes, relationships among demographic and case service variables, and weekly earnings for African American, White, and Hispanic consumers with ADHD ages 16–19 and 20–24. METHODS: For research question one the criterion variable was successful employment or not employed. The predictor variables included consumer demographic and vocational rehabilitation service variables. Participants in both the 16–19 and 20–24 age groups were randomly split for cross validation. RESULTS: Demographic variables of Hispanic and African American, high school graduation and postsecondary education, public support at application, and case service variables of college training, on the job training, job search assistance, and job placement were related to successful employment. White consumers earned significantly more than African American and Hispanic consumers in the 16–19 group, and significantly more than African American consumers in the 20–24 group. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for practice include: characteristics identified by ethnically diverse parents of professionals who made a positive difference in the life of their child and guidelines for collaboration identified by ethnically diverse parents.