EMPLOYMENT STATUS AND PERCEPTIONS OF CONTROL OF ADULTS WITH COGNITIVEAND DEVELOPMENTAL-DISABILITIES

Thus study was designed to examine the relationship between individual perceptions of control and employment status among adults with cognit ive and developmental disabilities. The literature implies that one fa ctor influencing perceptions of quality of life is the amount of contr ol the person experiences across various domains. It was hypothesized that individuals employed in competitive work situations would evidenc e more positive perceptions of control than would their peers currentl y unemployed or employed in sheltered settings. Surveys containing the Adult version of the Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External Scale and r equesting information about age, gender and employment status were mai led to self-advocacy groups. For the more than 200 respondents, there were significant differences in locus of control scores among individu als employed competitively, individuals employed full-time, respondent s in sheltered environments, individuals currently unemployed, and all other groups. Individuals unemployed and employed in sheltered settin gs perceived themselves as having less control than individuals employ ed competitively. These results are examined in light of quality of li fe findings, focusing on the need to include choice and control in pro gramming for people with cognitive and developmental disabilities.