Date of Award

Spring 5-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Amy Jane Griffiths

Second Advisor

Kelly Kennedy

Third Advisor

Cristina Giannantonio

Abstract

Individuals with disabilities, including neurodivergent individuals, are employed are significantly lower rates than individuals without disabilities (Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], 2023). Although secondary schools are responsible for engaging in transition planning for students with disabilities (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004), research indicates these plans are often lacking in efficacy (Greene, 2015) and in their alignment with students’ interests and needs (Hughes et al., 2023). Simultaneously, modern work and the skills students need succeed in today’s workforce are changing (Griffiths et al., 2020). The goal of the present study is to improve transition planning and interventions by better understanding the experiences of neurodivergent workers. Adopting a qualitative design informed by a phenomenological approach, the researcher interviewed 25 neurodivergent participants on their experiences at work. Analyses revealed participant experiences and perceptions of defining vocational success, required skills for the modern workplace, defining a diverse workplace, the role of education and learning at work, assets of neurodivergent workers, and facilitators of and barriers to the vocational success of neurodivergent workers. With these results, neurodivergent individuals, educators, and researchers can develop and improve existing programming designed to prepare neurodivergent adolescents for career opportunities.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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