Principal Investigator: Robert M. Schacht, Ph.D. Co-investigator: Robin LaDue (Cowlitz), Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor, University of Washington Collaborators: John Butterworth, Ph.D., Research Director, RRTC on Promoting Employment | Sheila Fesko, Ph.D., RRTC on Promoting Employment | Chris Cunniff, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Obstetrics, and Gynecology; Chief, Section of Medical and Molecular Genetics, University of Arizona

About AIRRTC Project R-54

Project Description	Project Objectives
Questions to be answered	Quarterly Report
Project Purpose	Related IHD/AIRRTC Projects

The purpose of this project is to develop innovative approaches to screening, the development of Individualized Plans for Employment, and job placement to improve employment outcomes for American Indians and Alaska Natives with learning disabilities (LD), depression, Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), or alcohol-related Neurodevelopmental disorders (ARND).

In understanding what is needed to improve counselors’ ability to address the work related needs of American Indian adolescents and adults who have FAS/ARND, we must first find out what has been happening to these persons when they apply or are referred to counselors to find work. The term "counselors" is meant to include vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors, independent living counselors, school counselors, school psychologists, developmental disabilities case managers, job coaches and other interested professionals. One of the most important times for these individuals is the move from school to work.

The basic plan of this research is to identify American Indian adolescents and adults who have FAS/ARND, and to analyze their educational and vocational history, especially any experiences they may have had with high school counseling programs, skill centers, and VR. Our approach is an interdisciplinary one. That is, since FAS is a medical syndrome with consequences for behavioral and mental functioning, the research involves dialog among medical personnel, psychologists, special education personnel, and counselors with the objective of mutual understanding about how each contributes an important perspective to understanding the special needs of American Indians who have FAS/ARND. We are also seeking to interview counselors who have worked with these persons about their understanding of the needs and functional limitations of persons of FAS/ARND.

• Are counselors who work with American Indians familiar with the problems faced by people with FAS/ARND and the trouble caused by these problems?
• What do counselors do now while helping American Indian adolescents and adults who have FAS/ARND?
• What questions do counselors ask when they ask medical people for answers?
• Do counselors have enough answers to help American Indian adolescents and adults with FAS/ARND to make good educational and work plans?
• What is known about other "helpful" educational plans for American Indian adolescents who have been diagnosed with FAS/ARND?
• What is understood to be a "good" educational plan (e.g., high school diploma)?
• What is known about other "helpful" work plans for American Indian adolescents and adults who have been diagnosed as FAS/ARND?
• How often do the plans work for people with FAS/ARND compared with other people?

To examine the needs over time to ensure that individuals with disabilities are benefiting from AT after the initial diagnosis and setup, and to examine American Indian consumer satisfaction with assistive devices, with respect to their availability, ease of use, maintenance, and repair, as well as implications for employment outcome.

• 1.0 Build a national database of 150 case history summaries of American Indian and Alaska Native adolescents and adults with FAS/ARND and specific learning disabilities that includes diagnostic information, educational history, psychological assessments, and employment history (including VR services).
• 2.0 Interview 100 counselors who have worked with clients in the database about the details of their experiences working with these clients.
• 3.0 Analyze data on clients to compare successful employment outcomes with outcomes that were not successful, using analysis of variance and Chi-square analysis, identifying factors associated with higher wages, more hours worked, and successful employment.
• 4.0 Develop an effective brief screening instrument for VR and other counselors to use to identify clients at risk for undiagnosed FAS/ARND.
• 5.0 Pilot test an Assessment/Transition Planning/ Rehabilitation Planning interdisciplinary team based on the Clarren-Astley model with VR counselors such as those interviewed for Objective 3, and the multidisciplinary education teams for American Indian students with disabilities.
• 6.0 Analyze data on AI/AN VR clients, and students who need School to Work Transition assistance, with particular attention to how cultural issues involving family and tribal relationships are dealt with.
• 7.0 Write an AIRRTC Training manual for VR counselors who work with American Indian adolescents and adults with and/or learning disabilities, depression and FAS/ARND.
• 8.0 Provide training on American Indians with FAS/ARND and learning disabilities for at least six VR service units (state and tribal) that have high rates of these conditions and disabilities in their service area, using distance learning technologies such as NAU Online, teleconferencing, etc.
• 9.0 Develop FAQ sheets, handouts, and other resources regarding FAS on AIRRTC web pages.
• 10.0 Write a final report on project activities.

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