ENGAGEMENT AND INTERACTION - A COMPARISON BETWEEN SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT AND ATCS

The interaction and engagement patterns of 13 supported employees and 38 regular Adult Training Centre (ATC) attenders were compared. Data w ere obtained through direct observation within 13 employment sites and a representative sample of ATC organised activities. Results indicate d that individual involvement was significantly higher in employment, compared to ATCs, but that the ATC group experienced significantly mor e social interaction, mainly due to higher levels of task specific dia logue between individuals and the service staff within ATCs. A breakdo wn of with whom interactions occurred revealed that individuals in ATC s tended to interact more often with care staff than anyone else. Indi viduals tended to interact more often during work with their non-disab led co-workers and a substantial proportion of time was spent interact ing with the public. These findings suggest that the supported employm ent option yields advantages for individuals in some key aspects of co mmunity integration, compared to ATCs.