California Special Education Alert, June 1, 2011, Wednesday

Copyright 2011 LRP Publications
All Rights Reserved
California Special Education Alert

June 1, 2011, Wednesday

Support students with autism as they gain work experience

PHOENIX - Preparing students with autism for postsecondary transition requires more than teaching them social skills in a classroom. They need authentic work experiences to figure out what they do well and to generalize what they learn in school.

Take these steps to offer students with autism valuable work experiences:

* Assess students' needs, interests. Look at a student's strengths and weaknesses to narrow down career options, said Nancy A. Edminster Hinkley, a transition specialist at Cornell University's Employment and Disability Institute. Does he have behavioral problems, communication difficulties, or social skills deficits?

* Offer school-based job shadowing and experience. There are several opportunities on school grounds for students to practice working, Hinkley said. Food services, clerical, child care, transportation, and other personnel can mentor the student. These staff members also can talk with the student about other jobs they have had, such as camp counseling, she said. On-campus experiences also allow the student to build up stamina for longer hours in the future. "If a student can only tolerate standing in one place for a minute or two, we have to build a system of tolerance and rewards and shape his work hardiness," Hinkley said.

* Arrange for community work experience. Structure the student's school day so he can attend classes and work part-time in the community, Hinkley said. For example, a student who has meltdowns in the afternoon may succeed by working in the morning. The student may need a coach to ensure he uses a variety of job skills and remains safe, said Kristi Sakai, an author and parent of three students with autism spectrum disorders in Eugene, Ore. "Students need supervision if they have not mastered social rules," she said.

* Set up a reward system to spur motivation. The student may not be motivated by money, so you have to find out ahead of time what will encourage him to stay on task, Sakai said. Also make sure the student has strategies for maintaining his own positive behavior and motivation, Hinkley said. "A cell phone earpiece can provide coaching to a student and it will just look like he's on the phone," she said. Or the student may want to carry cue cards with reminders and prompts.

* Discuss potential for growth. Don't just give students the skills to get a job, Hinkley said. Teach them what they may need to expand their career as they gain more experience so they can support themselves later in life. "Students need direct instruction on how to navigate work systems and ask, 'Is there potential for me to become a manager?' and 'Can I segue into another job that pays more money?'" she said.

Hinkley and Sakai copresented on this topic May 1 at LRP's 32nd National Institute on Legal Issues of Educating Individuals with Disabilities. For full conference coverage, visit Special Ed Connection(r). For a free trial, call (800) 341-7874.

LOAD-DATE: June 3, 2011

Source: SpecialEdConnection®. Copyright 2011 by LRP Publications, P.O. Box 24668, West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4668. All rights reserved. For more information on this or other products published by LRP Publications, please call 1-800-341-7874 or visit our website at www.specialedconnection.com.