The Way to Work: How to Facilitate Work Experiences for Youth in Transition

Employment is one of the biggest contributors to quality of life for people with disabilities—and that means well-planned work experiences should be an integral part of transition preparation for every secondary and postsecondary school aged youth. Make that happen with this practical guide, developed to help educators, transition specialists, and employment specialists facilitate individualized, person-centered work experiences and jobs for high school students and young adults with a wide range of disabilities.

Readers will get the specific, ready-to-use guidance they need to

• uncover students' strengths, needs, and interests through formal and informal assessments
• recruit and retain employer partners who gladly host youth in their workplaces
• help students decide when and how to disclose a disability to an employer
• guide students in advocating effectively for accommodations on the job
• support students and employers in making the most of work experiences
• involve families in supporting the work experience
• collaborate with other professionals to develop and sustain work experiences
• and much more

To help with every step of facilitating meaningful employment, readers will get examples of model programs, stories that illustrate what works and doesn't work, more than a dozen photocopiable tools and forms, and end-of-chapter "Learning Labs" with reflection questions and thought-provoking activities.

Teachers and transition specialists will rely on this strategy-filled guidebook to connect students with the early work experiences they really want—and make lifelong career satisfaction the rule, not the exception, for people with disabilities.

Includes helpful tools & forms!

• Positive Personal Profile
• Work Experience/Job Search Plan
• Inventory of Employer's Needs and Tasks
• Work Experience Proposal Template
• Youth Performance Feedback Form
• Satisfaction Questionnaire for Employers
• and more!

• Building Alliances: A How-to Manual to Support Transitioning Youth
• Preparing Students with Disabilities for College Success: A Practical Guide to Transition Planning
• Informal Assessments for Transition Planning
• Working Relationships: Creating Career Opportunities for Job Seekers with Disabilities Through Employer Partnerships
• Assess for Success: A Practitioner's Handbook on Transition Assessment (NULL)
• The Job Developer's Handbook: Practical Tactics for Customized Employment
• Your Complete Guide to Transition Planning and Services
• Self-Determination and Transition Planning
• Demystifying Transition Assessment
• Teaching Pre-Employment Skills to 14-17-Year-Olds