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SSI and employment opportunities for young adults with retardation: safety net or bungee cord? (research reflections).

Article Excerpt
April seems like an appropriate month to write about "income." My grandfather always used to exclaim, "Be happy you have to pay taxes! That means you're making money!" However, there aren't many individuals with disabilities who make enough to worry about paying income tax. In fact, the economic outlook for people with disabilities is not particularly promising, especially after they leave high school. Technological advances have provided tremendous employment opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities, but for those with cognitive disabilities, successful employment outcomes have been far fewer.

There is some good news here, though. "Disability Determination for Mental Retardation," a report released recently from the National Research Council, focuses on the scientific base and current clinical practices in diagnosing mental retardation for the purpose of awarding disability benefits. Individuals with mental retardation comprise the largest diagnostic category of children receiving supplemental security income (SSI), 26.4 percent of the total, and thus are the focus of this report. Many parents and service providers don't realize that receipt of benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) programs can provide a "critical gateway" to other federal and state benefits.

While the report from the National Research Council has most relevance for individuals who have IQ scores at or around 60 to 70 (known as having "mild mental retardation"), it has implications for other disability recipients, their parents or careproviders, and professionals who provide services to this population. The report is based...