title: Exploring employment readiness through mock job interview and workplace role-play exercises: comparing youth with physical disabilities to their typically developing peers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess performance differences in a mock job interview and workplace role-play exercise for youth with disabilities compared to their typically developing peers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated a purposive sample of 31 youth (15 with a physical disability and 16 typically developing) on their performance (content and delivery) in employment readiness role-play exercises.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our findings show significant differences between youth with disabilities compared to typically developing peers in several areas of the mock interview content (i.e. responses to the questions: "tell me about yourself", "how would you provide feedback to someone not doing their share" and a problem-solving scenario question) and delivery (i.e. voice clarity and mean latency). We found no significant differences in the workplace role-play performances of youth with and without disabilities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Youth with physical disabilities performed poorer in some areas of a job interview compared to their typically developing peers. They could benefit from further targeted employment readiness training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians should: Coach youth with physical disability on how to "sell" their abilities to potential employers and encourage youth to get involved in volunteer activities and employment readiness training programs. Consider using mock job interviews and other employment role-play exercises as assessment and training tools for youth with physical disabilities. Involve speech pathologists in the development of employment readiness programs that address voice clarity as a potential delivery issue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada .
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lindsay
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McDougall
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanford
authors.forename: Dolly
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Menna-Dack
authors.forename: Shauna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kingsnorth
authors.forename: Tracey
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000193:education* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010560:Personnel Selection; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D012381:Role Playing; D014834:Voice Training; D017132:Workplace
keywords: Adolescent; disability; employment; job interview; vocational rehabilitation