Self-management of vocational skills for people with significant intellectual disabilities: A systematic review

Access to employment opportunities is associated with increased quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; however, many adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities struggle to find employment. One reason they may have difficulty achieving employment is an inability to work independently. Self-management interventions have been used to promote independence in the workplace for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by involving them in changing their own behavior. In this literature review, we identified 47 peer-reviewed, single-case design studies in which researchers investigated the use of self-management interventions as an intervention component to improve the vocational skills for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Visual analysis of the data indicated that most participants were successful at improving skills related to on-task behavior, task completion, independent transitions, and self-initiations. Potential directions for future research and implications for practice are discussed.