Southeast TACE and partners hosted the highly acclaimed national "Employment for Youth in Transition" conference in conjunction with the TASH National Conference, "No Excuses", Nov. 30 - Dec. 1 in Atlanta. This conference for disability community professionals and advocates from across the country was also attended by an unprecedented number of federal and state vocational rehabilitation (VR) leaders attracted by its strong content and field of highly respected presenters. TACE's team not only delivered a high caliber in-person event but also orchestrated live streaming to 250 participants who were unable to attend, underwriting free remote access for all VR partners from the southeast states.

Lynnae Ruttledge, commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, and Melody Musgrove, associate commissioner of the Office of Special Education Programs, kicked off a program that featured best practices in integrated employment for young people perceived to be the most challenging to serve. National experts, seasoned practitioners, and business community representatives presented on topics ranging from multi-agency funding strategies and asset development to employment-first strategies and employer perspectives. Southeast TACE sponsored presentations by Resource Network members Norciva Shumpert, Abby Cooper, and Amy Dwyre. The conference set a new standard in bringing the VR community together with practitioners, advocates, and employers to build a new and improved network serving youth with the most significant disabilities.

Visit the TACE website to view the archived live streaming video and download presentations.

Announcements: 

From the November 16, 2011, TACE Webinar Community Partnerships, Organization, & Employers, organized by Nila Benito and Brenda Clark from the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities, and featuring guest presenters Marci K. Delaney, Dianne Webber, Evon Porteus, Lorraine Jones, and Amir Lizarraga describing their experiences working with job seekers who have Autism.

Marci K. Delaney

Children's Board of Hillsborough County, Family Resource Center Manager/Librarian

Marci explained she was initially unsure of how a job seeker with Autism would handle an internship, but participated in a training session so she and the other staff could assist the new intern effectively. Through her experience with this individual, Marci said she learned people with Autism and Asperger Syndrome are more aware of what is going on than we might think and can do a lot more than we may think.

The young woman who interned at the Family Resource Center (she has continued to volunteer there one day a week since her internship ended) finds books that people have requested, checks in books and gets them to the right people, and helps with a variety of other library tasks. She doesn't need any workplace accommodations, though sometimes requires extra time to process information.  

Marci says, "Having this woman as an intern at our office has impacted us by getting some things done a lot sooner rather than later. It has also given staff time to work on other projects."

Dianne Webber

Sign Parrot.com, Owner

Brenda Clark from the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities met with Dianne first to explain Autism Spectrum Disorders and the internship program. Because it was Sign Parrot.com's first internship, Dianne said she wasn't sure what to expect regarding task assignments for the intern with Autism. Would he have limitations? Would he be able to interact with the other employees? His primary interest was graphic design - would they be able to provide him enough guidance and maintain his interest? He would only be there four hours per week - would that be enough time for the experience to make an impact on him?

Dianne did not make any accommodations for the intern, but did tell the other staff members he may not understand their jokes and bantering. She advised them not to treat him differently and to "knock off" the jokes if he seemed uncomfortable. (Over time, he became far more comfortable with the staff and could tell when sarcasm was being used...he even engaged in bantering with some of the male staff members.) There were tasks that were unfavorable to the intern but Dianne explained that was part of the overall job and the business's expectations of team work. He understood and complied. Dianne also provided verbal encouragement to help him calm down before undertaking a task because he would sometimes work himself into a nervous state.

Tips Dianne has for other employers working with someone who has Autism include:

·        Communicate and try to understand the things that make the person apprehensive

·        Help alleviate fears and instill confidence

·        Try not to treat them too differently as that may cause tension with existing staff (and can make the individual with Autism feel uncomfortable)

·        Use clear, concise, encouraging, frequent communication

Dianne told audience members that gaining perspective of a person with Autism/Asperger Syndrome changed the entire team's perception. "If we didn't know he had Autism, we would have thought he was just very shy. I think it helped our team members be more understanding of other's shortcomings, not just those with Autism/Asperger's, but with all team members. After all, we are all individuals with our own strengths and weaknesses."

Evon Porteus

Orient Road Child Development Center, Director

Because this internship would be the center's first time working with someone with Autism, Evon and the staff had to "learn as they went." Initially Evon was concerned about whether the intern would be able to understand the job duties, do the work, and interact with the children because she was unable to express herself well during the application process.

However, the children loved her and she interacted well with them. She knew how to contribute the help the children needed (like pushing each one in the swing, doing music and rhymes together, etc.). The intern also sterilized the nap mats and put them away, folded blankets, supervised hand washing time, prepared snacks, etc.

The co-workers also loved her even though she did not talk much with them. At first they looked at her as being a person with Autism; after she had been there a couple of times, everyone worked with her to make the job fun and successful and she became one of the staff. The parents grew to see her as one of the staff as well, and after her internship ended parents continued to ask about her.

The intern did not require accommodations, but Evon found it was important to be specific when giving her instructions for her work duties (for example, "Take the rag and wipe the table").

Evon advises that we be patient with anybody entering into the workforce for the first time and give them the chance to prove to themselves they are worthy of the job.

Lorraine Jones, M.A. CCC-SLP, Ph.D.

Kid Pro Therapy Services, Inc. President

Lorraine is working with a young woman who has severe disabilities to start her own t-shirt and greeting card business. She says it was difficult, initially, to imagine that the ability to type phrases and sentences could somehow turn into a business. However, the internet simplifies the process in that it is not necessary to have a storefront. "If you can type it, you can make a product available and talk about it."

This young woman and others like her with severe apraxia of speech must rely on the expertise of others to help identify the best device or method for communication. Devices must be portable and dynamic. "Too often it is assumed that nonverbal means not intelligent and simple devices are recommended that improve communication of basic wants and needs and little more." We need to help people creatively and more fully express themselves, and we must treat people with recognition of their intelligence - "Just because I can't talk doesn't mean I can't think."

Lorraine offers several tips that are especially applicable to individuals who do not use verbal communication:

·          Assume intelligence.

·          Communicate in ways that are respectful.

·          Talk to the person, not about them.

·          Think very creatively in terms of communication devices-the technology of today allows us to do that.

·          Take the time to learn to communicate effectively.

Amir Lizarraga

Liz Resources, Owner/Manager

Amir's background is in "putting people to work by matching employers with a need for specifically skilled laborers to laborers with a need to earn a living." He looks at each employer and job seeker individually and tries to make a good match to satisfy the needs of everyone involved.

When he began working with one of his first consumers with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, he did not even know what the individual's disability was. Amir was impressed with the job seeker's attention to detail and visual acuity, and thought these attributes were needed by some employer somewhere. The more time he spent with the individual, the more he learned about the importance of routine in this person's life and how his having an interest in something can mean the difference between all or nothing in terms of functioning and motivation. Amir said it is important to remember that people may share a diagnosis but all are unique individuals. One tool he has found to be particularly useful is the picture schedule and/or communication table; "Even with individuals who use verbal language it can be easier to point to a picture than to process all the steps it takes to form speech and can help alleviate anxiety."

Tips from Amir for working with individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder include:

·          Be patient

·          Be flexible

·          Think outside the box

·          Provide routine & structure

·          Be persistent, don't give up

·          Rely more on visual than audio prompts

In September 2011, the U.S. Dept. of Education provided revised guidance on secondary transition. Key clarifications include:

The IEP for a child with a disability must, no later than when the child turns 16 (younger if appropriate) include:

(1) measurable postsecondary goals based upon age-appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and, where appropriate, independent living skills; and
(2) the transition services needed in reaching those goals.

Because employment is a distinct activity from the areas related to training and education, each student's IEP must include a separate postsecondary goal in the area of employment.
 

(Source: U.S. Department of Education Q and A: Questions and Answers on Secondary Transition)

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