ODEP and our grantees, contractors and other partners undertake a variety of research, analysis and evaluation efforts to help us achieve our mission. This page contains information and links to work currently underway as well as work published in the past year. For earlier work, please visit our Past Research page. For tools and other resources related to research highlighted in this section, please visit project-specific pages.
2022
Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum (REYAAS) Project
(November 2022) REYAAS is seeking to identify promising practices and policies to support employment of young adults (ages 16 through 28) on the autism spectrum. Recent estimates suggest that annually about 100,000 youth on the autism spectrum turn 18-years old in the United States. A majority of young adults on the autism spectrum have one or more co-occurring health or mental health conditions, and young adults on the autism spectrum are more likely than young adults without disabilities to be living in households with income below the federal poverty level. Young adults on the autism spectrum can face challenges to entering the labor force, including a sudden drop in services when exiting high school (the “services cliff”). After leaving high school, they are less likely to participate in vocational or technical education and employment than young adults with other disabilities.
2020
Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work Models and Strategies
(September 2020) Improving the Stay-at-Work/Return-to-Work outcomes of individuals who experience an injury or illness that inhibits their ability to work remains a key policy goal. Researchers found SAW/RTW programs available on a large scale may have the most impact on those workers likely to leave the labor force without such assistance. Developing effective SAW/RTW programs requires information about the current policy landscape and evidence about what kinds of SAW/RTW assistance is effective and for whom. The findings from this project also highlight a number of areas for future research and provide guidance on five strategies to expand evidence on effective SAW/RTW interventions.
Findings in Brief
This report includes a summary of information about the study, the process, and findings from each report.
Synthesis of Evidence about SAW/RTW and Related Programs
This report and the companion summary provide a synthesis of evidence published between 2008 and 2018 on the effects of SAW/RTW or related programs on employment and the receipt of federal disability benefits.