Limited rigorous research has been conducted to evaluate the impact of interventions designed to promote the successful transitions of young people exiting foster care. The current study builds on previous experimental evaluations of the My Life Model (MLM) for self-determination enhancement, which demonstrated effectiveness in improving educational and transition-to-adulthood outcomes for youth in foster care with disabilities, including those with mental health challenges. The model features one-on-one youth-directed coaching and near-peer mentoring to increase self-determination and goal achievement. The current study was the first to test the impact of the model with a diverse population-based cohort of youth aged 16.5-18.5 in foster care (N=293), including those with and without disabilities, on key model outcome indicators of self-determination and self-efficacy. This study also explored potential moderation by disability status, trauma symptoms, placement stability, and placement restrictiveness. Findings show that, compared to the randomized control group, the treatment group had greater post-intervention and one-year follow-up gains on several indicators of self-determination. Moderation analysis demonstrated no difference in intervention effectiveness for youth with or without disabilities, suggesting the universality of this approach. Findings also suggest that foster youth participants with low-to-average risks in terms of placement stability, placement restrictiveness, and traumatic stress levels seem to benefit most from the intervention, although youth who are at higher risk due to low placement stability, high placement restriction, and high traumatic stress still showed some benefit of participating in the intervention on some measures. My Life is one of only a few intervention models with experimental evidence of effectiveness with older youth in foster care. This validation study establishes that the approach has benefits for both youth with and without disabilities, as well as providing the first information available on the influence of critical barriers facing many youth in care.

BACKGROUND:People with developmental disabilities are at disproportionately high risk of abuse. Although considerable evidence exists on the health-related consequences of abuse in the general population, little is known about those consequences in people with developmental disabilities. OBJECTIVE:To examine the relation of abuse with psychological and physical health outcomes in adults with developmental disabilities. METHODS:We used an accessible audio computer-assisted self-interview to collect anonymous data on demographic and disability characteristics, childhood and adult abuse experiences, and physical and psychological health from 350 women and men with developmental disabilities. Abuse experience was reflected by five factor scores consisting of three child abuse factors (childhood sexual abuse, childhood physical abuse, childhood disability-related abuse) and two adult abuse factors (adult sexual abuse, adult mixed abuse). We examined each of four health outcomes (depression, post trraumatic stress disorder, physical health symptoms, secondary health conditions) separately to determine the extent to which childhood and adult abuse experiences uniquely predicted psychological and physical health outcomes above and beyond demographic and disability-related characteristics. RESULTS:All five abuse factor scores were significantly related to all four health outcomes. When examined simultaneously, childhood disability-related abuse and adult mixed abuse accounted for unique variance in outcomes. Exploratory analyses revealed no difference in the impact of abuse by gender. CONCLUSIONS:In this study, childhood disability-related abuse and adult mixed abuse significantly predicted lower levels of psychological and physical health in a sample of adults with developmental disabilities. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing abuse and its sequalae in the developmental disabilities community.

Background: The mental health outcomes among youth in foster care with disabilities are under studied. Increasing our understanding of mental health risk and protective factors is essential for improving the mental health and quality of life of this population. This study tests the associations of risk and protective factors on mental health outcome variables of youth in foster care with disabilities. Methods: All Oregon youth in foster care who were ages 16.6-18.5 and attending study school districts were invited to participate in a federally-funded longitudinal RCT evaluation, which sought to assess the effectiveness of self-determination enhancement on outcomes of youth transitioning from foster care to adult life. Only baseline data was used with a final sample of 305. Receipt of special education services was used as the proxy for disability status. The risk factors included trauma exposure, hopelessness, placement type, perceived placement restrictiveness. The protective factors included social support and self-determination. The outcome variables included internalizing and externalizing mental health symptoms, quality of life. Preliminary analyses organized by special education (SPED) involvement vs. study variables were conducted, and stepwise regressions were followed. Results: Findings revealed SPED was associated with being in a restrictive foster placement. Youth involved in SPED reported higher perceived placement restrictiveness and hopelessness, but lower quality of life (QoL). Self-determination was a consistent protective factor. Post-traumatic symptomology was a consistent and strongest risk factor for all outcome variables. Conclusions: Although it is not possible to change previous adverse childhood experiences that result in currently experienced trauma, well-designed self-determination enhancement interventions and the support of caring adults may reduce negative mental health outcomes and improve QoL

Research clearly documents the serious challenges and poor outcomes experienced by many young people exiting foster care, as well as compounded disparities for the high percentage of youth in care who are identified with disabilities and/or mental health challenges. However, very little research has been conducted to specify or validate effective models for improving the transition trajectories of youth exiting care. Evidence suggests the My Life self-determination enhancement model offers a promising approach for supporting youths' self-determined and positive transition to adulthood. The model includes youth-directed, experientially oriented coaching in the application of self-determination skills to achieve youth-identified transition goals, coupled with peer mentoring workshops that provide opportunities for learning, networking and fun. This in depth qualitative study of 10 youth who completed the My Life intervention focused on investigating coaching and mentoring elements and processes that youth participants identify as most important to their success, with the intention of informing the further development of youth-directed approaches to supporting young people who are transitioning to adulthood. Themes emerged around the centrality of youth self-direction, important processes in the coaching relationship, the essential value of experiential activities and self-determination skill development, and peer mentoring experiences that youth identified as fostering their success. Implications are discussed for research and practice in supporting youth exiting foster care.

African American children are disproportionately overrepresented in the child welfare system. Many of these children linger in the system and experience disconnection from their biological families, communities, cultural beliefs, values and practices. Familial socialization and cultural exposure are essential to developing a positive ethnic identity and self-concept. For African American female adolescents, hair and hair care are critical areas for such socialization and support. This exploratory qualitative study examined the hair and hair care experiences and perceptions of African American female adolescents in foster care. The goal was to examine hair and hair's connection to, and influence on, sense of self and self-esteem for African American female adolescents in foster care. Eleven African American female adolescents participated in individual interviews, and grounded theory was used to analyze the data. Four major themes emerged: perceptions of hair and identity as an African American female; hair care experiences/support and perspectives; societal influences on self-awareness; and influence of the foster care system. Results from the study indicated African American female adolescents in foster care identify hair as important. Participants noted hair was connected to appearance and shaped who they are and how they viewed themselves as African American females. Participants addressed the complexity of hair and politics associated with hair. The findings further emphasized the role of racial socialization and the importance of a supportive hair care environment. Participants also discussed their awareness of societal influences on their perception of African American women. They offered recommendations for improving the hair care experiences of African American children in foster care, for supporting positive development of identity and self-esteem, and for implementing standards of practice that will ensure these youths' cultural needs are addressed in the child welfare system.

Action research approaches reflecting power sharing by academic and community researchers, full engagement of community partners across all study phases, and ongoing commitment to partnership and capacity building have been increasingly embraced, particularly in research affecting marginalized populations. Findings suggest action research approaches have value in promoting the relevance, effectiveness, and translation of research, including experimental and other rigorous quantitative study. A relatively small proportion of action research has focused on individuals with developmental disabilities, and most studies have been qualitative. Strategies to address four major challenges in quantitatively focused action research in developmental disabilities are discussed: establishing connections between academic and community researchers, building understanding and trust, involving community researchers in technical aspects of research, and providing accommodations for community researchers and research participants. Implications and future research needs are discussed.

Individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The purpose of this study was to experimentally evaluate the impact of a STEM mentor intervention and differences between students matched with mentors with or without disabilities on career planning outcomes. An independent groups × repeated measures design was used. Significant differences were found between mentored and nonmentored students for measures of STEM-related knowledge, engagement, confidence, and general career planning confidence, but not for STEM-related and disability-related self-efficacy. Significant differences were not found between students assigned to mentors with or without disabilities. This study contributes to research that demonstrates the positive impact of mentoring on career planning for students with disabilities, including those related to STEM.

Violence against people with developmental disabilities is a highly prevalent yet understudied phenomenon. In particular, there is a paucity of literature surrounding the role of gender and the experiences of men. Using a cross-sectional study design, we surveyed 350 people with diverse developmental disabilities about experiences of abuse, perpetrators of abuse, and their physical and mental health status. These data were analyzed to determine whether gender influenced these domains. Statistical methods included chi-square, independent t tests, logistic regression, and hierarchical multiple regressions. Male and female participants reported abuse at high rates, with 61.9% of men and 58.2% of women reporting abuse as children and 63.7% of men and 68.2% of women reporting abuse as adults. More women than men reported adult sexual abuse, but there was no gender difference in the prevalence of any other form of abuse. Women were more likely than men to identify an intimate partner as their abuser, although intimate partners represented the minority of abusers for both men and women. Violence was associated with worse health status regardless of participant gender. These findings confirm that violence is an important issue for both men and women with developmental disabilities. Although some expected gender differences arose, such as higher rates of adult sexual abuse and intimate partner violence against women, these differences were less pronounced than they are in the general population, and the overall picture of abuse was one of gender similarities rather than differences.

While it has been well documented that racial and ethnic disparities exist for children of color in child welfare, the accuracy of the race and ethnicity information collected by agencies has not been examined, nor has the concordance of this information with youth self-report. This article addresses a major gap in the literature by examining 1) the racial and ethnic self-identification of youth in foster care, and the rate of agreement with child welfare and school categorizations; 2) the level of concordance between different agencies (school and child welfare); and 3) the stability of racial and ethnic self-identification among youth in foster care over time. Results reveal that almost 1 in 5 youth change their racial identification over a one-year period, high rates of discordance exist between the youth self-report of Native American, Hispanic and multiracial youth and how agencies categorize them, and a greater tendency for the child welfare system to classify a youth as White, as compared to school and youth themselves. Information from the study could be used to guide agencies towards a more youth-centered and flexible approach in regard to identifying, reporting and affirming youth's evolving racial and ethnic identity.

Background : People with developmental disabilities (DD) are often not included as participants in research owing to a variety of ethical and practical challenges. One major challenge is that traditional measurement instruments may not be accessible to people with DD. Participatory research approaches promise to increase the participation of marginalized communities in research, but few partnerships have successfully used such approaches to conduct quantitative studies people with DD. Objective : To use a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to create an accessible, computer-assisted survey about violence and health in people with DD, and to psychometrically test adapted health instruments. Methods : Our academic–community partnership, composed of academic researchers, people with DD, and supporters, collaboratively selected and modified data collection instruments, conducted cognitive interviews and pilot tests, and then administered the full survey to 350 people with DD. Results : Although team members sometimes had opposing accommodation needs and adaptation recommendations, academic and community partners were able to work together successfully to adapt instruments to be accessible to participants with a wide range of DD. Results suggest the adapted health instruments had strong content validity and all but one had good to excellent internal consistency reliability (alpha, 0.81–0.94). The majority of participants (75%) responded that all or most of the questions were easy to understand. Conclusions : Researchers should consider using participatory approaches to adapting instruments so people with DD can be validly included in research.

Higher education participation rates of young people in foster care are dramatically lower than their level of postsecondary education aspiration. Increasing attention to this disparity has stimulated policy and practice enhancements, however rigorously validated models for promoting postsecondary preparation and participation have not existed for young people in foster care, including those with mental health conditions. This article describes Better Futures, which is the first such model to be experimentally validated as effective for increasing the higher education participation and other related outcomes of young people in foster care with mental health challenges. Better Futures features a four day on-campus Summer Institute, coaching provided to youth by older peers who are in college and have shared experiences around foster care and/or mental health, and workshops that bring together youth, coaches and guest speakers for information sharing and mutual support. This article includes the theoretical and component features of the Better Futures model, findings related to intervention fidelity, participants' evaluation of the program, and discussion of implications for future model refinement and research.

Interpersonal violence (IPV) is a serious and often unrecognized problem for men with disabilities (MWD). However, abuse awareness programs and outcome measures have not been systematically evaluated in MWD. This article reports findings from an exploratory study (n = 31) of the Safer and Stronger Program for Men with Disabilities (Men's SSP), an audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) abuse awareness program. Preliminary findings suggest it is sensitive toward detecting abuse and it allows MWD to privately and independently self-identify IPV experiences. Preliminary psychometric data on a battery of abuse and safety awareness outcome measures suggest that they are reliable in this population.

Very little systematic research has been conducted on mentoring of youth with disabilities, especially science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) mentoring. This article describes findings from a qualitative study, conducted as a component of an explanatory, sequential mixed-methods investigation of the outcomes and processes of a STEM mentoring intervention for high school-aged youth with disabilities, provided by mentors with and without disabilities. Focus groups were conducted with 30 youth, 30 parents, and 28 mentors following their participation in a randomized trial of a mentoring intervention. Key themes include the benefits of mentoring for STEM career development, especially for older youth; the importance of relationship development, encouraging guidance, and participation in experiential activities; and personality and interest compatibility in successful mentor-mentee matching.

Background: Audio computer-assisted self-interviews (ACASIs) have safely and effectively obtained sensitive research data from the general public and have been recommended for use with people with disabilities. However, few studies have used ACASIs with people with disabilities and ACASIs have not been used to investigate the relationship between disability, interpersonal violence (IPV), and physical and psychological health among people with developmental disabilities (PWDD).Objective: We developed an accessible ACASI specifically designed to allow PWDD to answer questions independently, while privately and securely collecting anonymous data related to their disability, IPV experiences, and physical and psychological health.Methods: We used a safety protocol to apply community based participatory research (CBPR) principles and an iterative process to create, test, and administer a cross-sectional ACASI survey to 350 adults with developmental disabilities in urban and rural locales.Results: Most participants completed the ACASI independently and reported that its accessibility features allowed them to do so. Most also agreed that the ACASI was easy to use, its questions were easy to understand, and that they would prefer using an ACASI to answer IPV and health-related questions rather than in a face-to-face interview. The majority agreed that health and safety were critical issues to address.Conclusions: ACASI technology has the potential to maximize the independent and private participation of PWDD in research on sensitive topics. We recommend further exploration into accessibility options for ACASI technology, including hardware and Internet applications. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.