Over the past 35 years, there has been a significant improvement in the situation of individuals with intellectual disabilities in Greece, and the relevant legislation particularly emphasizes the importance of education, training, and employment inclusion. However, accessibility to vocational training and the subsequent support for entering the labor market still remain very limited. Work, however, is one of the most important ways to combat social exclusion and promote independent living, dignity, and lifelong development.

The present book will enable general education teachers, special educators, career counselors, specialists, and therapists in the field of education, as well as parents/guardians, caregivers, and social partners, to more effectively address the specific needs of individuals with disabilities. It extensively portrays the educational and professional prospects for individuals with intellectual disabilities in Greece and also presents international evidence-based practices and predictive factors for their successful transition into the labor market.

It highlights issues of transition, career preparation, and lifelong development for individuals with intellectual disabilities, as well as family counseling. These issues are, if not nonexistent, very rarely found in recent Greek literature, and we believe that this work comes to fill a significant gap in the field of Special Vocational Education and Training in 21st-century Greece.

Contents

Forewords Margo Izzo, vii

Els Siakos Hanappe, ix

Anastasia Alevriadou, xi

Foreword by the editors of the edition, xiii

Part A: Vocational Education and Training for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

1. New challenges and dilemmas for individuals with intellectual disabilities: From the philosophy of care to the philosophy of inclusion, 3

2. Vocational Education and Training for individuals with intellectual disabilities: Greek and international systems, 21

3. The road to adulthood: Evidence-based practices and predictive factors for the successful transition of individuals with intellectual disabilities into the labor market, 49

Part B. Transition to Employment for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

4. Career development and vocational counseling for individuals with intellectual disabilities, 85

5. Parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities and employment inclusion: Training and counseling for parents, 113

6. Key concepts and principles for removing barriers to the employment and social inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities, 123

7. Designing transitions for individuals with intellectual disabilities from education to the labor market: Individual career preparation portfolio and assessment of vocational skills, 149

Brief biographies of the editors of the edition, 175