Work experience in adolescents with spinal cord injuries.

The purpose of this study is to compare the work experiences of adolescents with spinal cord injuries (SCI) to peers without disabilities. Twenty-eight adolescents with SCI and 25 age-matched individuals without disabilities (controls) took part in the study.A structured telephone questionnaire was used to assess their experience of household chores, volunteer jobs, and paid work. The mean age at interview was 16.2 years for those with SCI and 16.0 years for control participants. There was no significant difference between the individuals with SCI and the control participants in chores or volunteer work experiences, but the individuals with SCI were significantly less likely to have paid work experience than control participants (chi2 = 13.670, p<0.001). Of the older adolescents, aged >15 to 19 years, five of 15 individuals with SCI and 16 of 16 control participants had paid work (Fisher exact test p<0.001). Of individuals with SCI, those with milder injuries and those injured at a younger age were more likely to have work experience.