Staff Member

Paul Wehman

Paul Wehman, Ph.D.

Director of the VCU Rehabilitation Research and Training Center

pwehman@vcu.org | 804-828-1852 | Curriculum vita: PDF  

Paul Wehman, Ph.D., has been a tenured faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University since 1976. He is Director of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (Director 1983-2023;  Director 2024-present). Dr. Wehman's career at VCU spans over five decades, making him one of the longest-tenured and most cited faculty members in the university's history regarding disability policy and vocational rehabilitation.

Originally affiliated with the VCU School of Education, he later held a joint appointment with the School of Education and the School of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, where he served as Vice-Chairman for Research. His work has focused on supported employment and services for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities, autism, intellectual disabilities, brain injury, spinal cord injury, and other neurodevelopmental disabilities.

He has written extensively on issues related to the transition from school to adulthood and special education as they relate to young adulthood and employment, and is the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation. Dr. Wehman has received numerous awards and served as Principal Investigator on more than $100 million in federal and state grants since joining VCU.

His areas of interest include employment of people with disabilities, autism, special education, and educational policy for at-risk youth, disability policy, assistive technology, supported employment, and related fields.

Full bio and CV

 

Publications

Articles:

Inge, K., Graham, C., McLaughlin, J., Erickson, D., Wehman, P. & Seward, H. (2017). Evaluating the effectiveness of Facebook to impact the knowledge of evidence-based employment practices by individuals with traumatic brain injury: A knowledge translation random control study. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 0, 0.

Dillard, C., Ditchman, N., Nersessova, K., Foster, N., Wehman, P., West, M. & Neblett, J. (2017). Post-concussion symptoms in mild traumatic brain injury: Findings from a pediatric outpatient clinic. Disability and Rehabilitation, 39(6), 544-550.

Wehman, P., Schall, C., McDonough, J., Graham, C., Brooke, V., Riehle, E., Brooke, A., Ham, W., Lau, S., Allen, J. & Avellone, L. (2017). Effects of an employer-based intervention on employment outcomes for youth with significant support needs due to autism. Autism, 21(3), 276–290.

Wehman, P., Brooke, V., Brooke, A., Ham, W., Schall, C., McDonough, J., Lau, S., Seward, H. & Avellone, L. (2016). Employment for adults with autism spectrum disorders: A retrospective review of a customized employment approach. Research in Developmental Disabilities, , 61-72.

Kaya, C., Chan, D., Rumrill, P., Hartman, E., Wehman, P., Iwanga, K., Pai, C. & Avellone, L. (2016). Vocational rehabilitation services and competitive employment for transition-age youth with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 45(1), 73-83.

Schall, C., Wehman, P., Brooke, V., Graham, C., McDonough, J., Brooke, A., Ham, W., Rounds, R., Lau, S. & Allen, J. (2015). Employment Interventions for Individuals with ASD: The Relative Efficacy of Supported Employment With or Without Prior Project SEARCH Training. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(12), 3990–4001.

Rumrill, P., Wehman, P., Cimera, R., Dillard, C. & Chan, D. (2015). Vocational rehabilitation services and outcomes for transition-age youth with traumatic brain injuries. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 31(4), 288-295.

West, M., Targett, P., Wehman, P., Cifu, G. & Davis, J. (2015). Separation from supported employment: a retrospective chart review study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 37(12), 1055-1059.

Wehman, P., Sima, A., Ketchum, J., West, M., Chan, F. & Luecking, R. (2015). Predictors of Successful Transition from School to Employment for Youth with Disabilities. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 25(2), 323-334.

Wehman, P., Chan, F., Ditchman, N. & Kang, H. (2014). Effect of supported employment on vocational rehabilitation outcomes of transition-age youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A case control study. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 52(4), 296-310.
https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-52.4.296

Wehman, P., Schall, C., McDonough, J., Kregel, J., Brooke, V., Brooke, A., Ham, W., Graham, C., Riehle, E., Collins, H. & Thiss, W. (2014). Competitive Employment for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Early Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(3), 487–500.

Wehman, P., Schall, C., Carr, S., Targett, P., West, M. & Cifu, G. (2014). Transition From School to Adulthood for Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 25(1), 30-40.

Wehman, P., Targett, P., Schall, C. & Carr, S. (2014). Meaningful employment for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. , 0, 237-264.

Wehman, P., Chen, C., West, M. & Cifu, D. (2014). Transition planning for youth with traumatic brain injury: Findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Survey-2. NeuroRehabilitation, 34(2), 365-372.
https://doi.org/10.3233/NRE-131029

Schall, C., Wehman, P. & Carr, S. (2014). Transition from high school to adulthood for young adults with ASD. , 0, 41-60.

Wehman, P., Lau, S., Molinelli, A., Brooke, V., Thompson, K., Moore, C. & West, M. (2012). Supported Employment for Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Preliminary Data. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 37(3), 1-10.
https://doi.org/10.2511/027494812804153606

Schall, C., Wehman, P. & McDonough, J. (2012). Transition from school to work for students with ASD; Understanding the process and achieving better outcomes. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 29(1), 189-202.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2011.10.009

Wehman, P., Gentry, T., West, M. & Arango-Lasprilla, J. (2009). Community integration: current issues in assistive technology and vocational rehabilitation for individuals with TBI. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 46(6), 1-10.

Arango-Lasprilla, J., Ketchum, J., Flores Stevens, L., Balcazar, F., Wehman, P., Forster, L. & Hsu, N. (2009). Ethnicity/Racial difference in employment outcomes following Spinal Cord Injury. NeuroRehabilitation, 24(1), 37 - 46.
https://doi.org/10.3233/NRE-2009-0452

Arango-Lasprilla, J., Ketchum, J., Williams, K., Kreutzer, J., Marquez de la Plata, C., O’Neil-Pirozzi, T. & Wehman, P. (2008). Racial differences in employment outcomes after traumatic brain injury. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 89(5), 988-995.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2008.02.012