Changing the Lens to See the Potential in All Students

Case study from 2015 

Sam, a very likable young man who is physically fit and nonverbal but makes loud vocalizations as if he is trying to talk, graduates at age 21 from a Pre-Employment Transition program.  He also has some cognitive delays; however, he left school with a job that employed him only one hour a day. After six months his family contacted the funding authority requesting additional services. In redefining Sam’s positive contributions, in addition to what Sam needed in place to be successful in a CIE environment, a new plan was designed. Working with a local employer, as well as obtaining funds through Public Rehabilitation for an augmented communication device, the team was able to place Sam in a CIE work environment. 

Currently, Sam is working 20 hours a week at a local spa and tub factory for $10.00 an hour. He delivers information packets to each person on the factory line who attaches the packets to the spa or tub.  Sam’s job is to compile the information packets and then deliver them to the line workers. His position saves the company time in lost productivity of having operators leave their machine to make the information packets.  Additionally, his communication device allows him to establish relationships with his co-workers. He no longer sits on the couch at home waiting for a school bus that will never come.

Having a New Vision Opens New Options

Starting from a positive advantage point creates possibilities, and creating possibilities is exciting. 

When the IEP team considers the strengths and contributions of each student, which can be built upon during the job training transition process and not just what needs to be improved, the potential for success skyrockets.

Naturally, both aspects are important; however, too frequently more time is spent on what a student cannot do, leaving the student and parent feeling discouraged.  If expectations are to change to imagine competitive integrated employment (CIE) services to work, then different questions need to be asked. 

1. What would it take to jump-start a new vision?  
2. What baseline strengths can be built on for sustained growth?  
3. What kind of support needs to be in place for success?

Most teachers pursued a career in education to provide information that lays the foundation for students to create opportunities for their futures. By supporting teachers that work with students with disabilities to seek assistance beyond the classroom walls and connect with work-based learning experiences, job exploration, and workplace readiness, not only involves the community, but it also provides teachers with additional external and professional resources to support their students. In our current economy, the workforce and the demands associated with it are always changing.  By developing partnership connections with employers and the community, teachers can be more knowledgeable about these changes in the workplace and modify what they are teaching to secure that students can gain the dignity of economic self-sufficiency within their community. 

Focus on the Tasks

Many teachers struggle with how they can meet these additional demands in an already strained schedule, coupled with the fact some cannot foresee students with significant disabilities being productive in a CIE setting. Figuring out how students with significant disabilities can be employable is a complex issue. Most teachers did not receive specialized training in the area of preparing students with the skills they need to achieve CIE upon graduation.  As much of the burden is placed on the teachers, in actuality, it requires the support of the IEP team, family, community, and a willingness to challenge assumptions about what expectations are held pertaining to employment. Frequently, employment is viewed, as the whole deal, not an entity that can be broken down into tasks. 

Employers may hire for the whole job but they pay for tasks. Thinking in terms of tasks provides the opportunity to see components of a job that a student can do. Learning the specific tasks i.e. folding boxes, sealing and labeling packages for shipping, bussing tables, washing dishes, etc. during transition settings allows a student with significant disabilities to be better prepared for the growing possibilities his/her future holds.  Starting with specific and manageable tasks can blossom into positions with greater responsibility. 

Success stories like Sam’s only happen when teachers adjust the IEP to meet the student’s needs, when families and communities work collaboratively to identify the student’s strengths, and when employers are willing to take a risk to hire a student with potential not previously recognized.  Working together to make the whens happen, which is the ultimate goal of providing opportunity for a person with an impairment or health-related disability.

Abby LindmanCooper’s experience covers a wide gamut of local, state, and federal services to expand employment options for individuals with significant disabilities. She has designed and administrated employment programs for individuals with chronic mental illness and those with multiple physical and cognitive disabilities. In addition, she has trained parents and teachers of transitional aged students on how to assist students in obtaining competitive integrated employment (CIE) upon graduation.  Another focus of her job is providing technical assistance to school districts and Vocational Rehabilitation Centers on implementing Pre-Employment Transition Services. LindmanCooper has published numerous articles and presents both nationally and internationally.