Supported employment (IPS and individual supported employment)
Help finding, getting and keeping a real job—matched to the person, with ongoing support.
Established: Schizophrenia & PsychosisEstablished: Autism
CONDITION GUIDE · REVIEWED OCTOBER 5, 2026
Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
Intellectual and developmental disabilities affect learning, communication and daily living to different degrees. Much of what improves life is practical: communication supports, skills for daily living, meaningful daytime activity or work, friendships, housing, transportation, benefits and sustainable caregiving.
START WITH YOUR GOALS
What would make life better?
CommunicationDaily livingEmploymentDay programsFriends & recreationHousingTransportationBenefitsCaregiver supportFuture planning
GOOD FIRST STEPS
- Apply to Florida APD (and understand the waitlist).
- Ask the school about transition planning from age 14.
- Look at supported employment, day programs and recreation together, not one at a time.
CARE TO LEARN ABOUT
Established and guideline-supported options
Labels show the evidence for Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities specifically. Whether any option is right for a person is a decision to make with a qualified clinician.
Speech-language therapy & AAC
Support for communication—including augmentative and alternative communication for people with limited speech.
Practical support: Autism
Occupational therapy (OT)
Practical help with daily living, sensory needs, motor skills and participation at home, school and work.
Practical support: Autism
Structured social & leisure programs
Regular, organized activities with support built in—for friendship, confidence and somewhere to belong.
Promising: Autism
PRACTICAL SUPPORTS
Supports that often help day to day
Respite, companion & supported-living services
Paid help that gives caregivers a break and helps the person build a more independent life.
Practical support: Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities
OFTEN OCCURS WITH
Co-occurring conditions worth discussing
Treating a co-occurring condition can change daily life more than anything else.
BRING TO YOUR NEXT APPOINTMENT
Questions to ask
- What does our APD waiver cover, and what’s on the waitlist?
- What transition services are in the IEP?
- Who will help plan for guardianship alternatives and the future?
FIND SPECIALIZED HELP
Where to look
Palm Beach programs by age
Local programs, sports, social groups and job training, sorted by age.
OpenEducational, not medical advice. NeuroCoach is an educational and care-navigation resource, not a medical provider. Information about medications, supplements, therapies, devices, clinical trials and community experiences is provided for education and exploration and is not a recommendation, diagnosis or treatment plan. Evidence varies substantially among interventions. Decisions about medical or mental-health treatment should be made with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. Do not start, stop or change medication, supplements or treatment based solely on information found here.
Sources
Sources checked October 5, 2026. Links support this page; they don’t imply endorsement of NeuroCoach.
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities NICHD
- iBudget waiver services Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities