Related to general financial status were several items on the Impact Survey that asked individuals to indicate whether they had used any of the following employment related services. Table XI presents data from participant responses, indicating for each factor whether the service usage occurred before attending the ABLE program, while they were enrolled or after they completed their ABLE program.

TABLE XI

Level of Usage of Employment Related Services

Change in Key Economic Factors Across Time: A Significant Difference

The view of participant economic status presented in Table XI can be analyzed from two perspectives: 1) which services were used; and 2) change in usage over time. SSI/SSD usage was reported in about 10 percent of the cases. The services most used were Public Assistance and Food Stamps, although there is a clear decrease in usage reported (from 30 percent to three percent) during and after ABLE program enrollment. At the same time salaried employment grows slightly from 44 percent to 56 percent.

Much of the data presented up to this point has been of the nature of a “snapshot,” or description of status of the individual at a particular point in time. With the introduction of Table XI we arrive at a pattern of marked shift across time in the usage of employment related services. This shift is particularly evident in the sharp reduction in the percentage of usage of Public Assistance and Food Stamps. The extent of the change is striking, dropping from about 30 percent during the “pre ABLE enrollment period” to about a five percent usage levels following completion of ABLE instruction.

At the same time as the decrease in social service usage occurs, there is a corresponding increase in the percentage of individuals who report salaried employment. While the two phenomena are likely related, the concurrent increase in employment and decrease in social service usage reinforces the probable validity of the information.