Target Population ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ ÃÂÃ For teenagers with disabilities, the world of work presents an exciting, yet scary opportunity for them. Having been segregated from other classmates and placed in special education classrooms, Whemeyer and Palmer (2003) note that these students often feel isolated and less-then their able bodied peers. As a career counselor for teens with disabilities, I have seen so many issues come up when attempting to transition a teenager with disabilities into the world of work. People with disabilities have dreams and goals just like everyone else, however, they need extra assistance in many areas to help achieve them. Many employment service agencies, such as my employer, The Marriott Foundation Bridges Program, offer resume writing and interview skills training and then puts the student directly into a job. While many students are successful in their jobs, our goal of helping all students with disabilities find success would increase if more attention was paid to the self esteem issues that inevitably come up.
While a lot of attention is paid to the pre-employment training, there is not enough attention paid to the on-the-job support. I propose a group where students with disabilities have an opportunity to meet others in the same situation as themselves, discuss issues/concerns they have with working, share success stories, and learn about the long term benefits of stable employment. Many adults with disabilities are left to rely on Social Security benefits to survive because they were not given the proper support and services when they were young in their transition into the workforce.
Type of Membership ÃÂà ÃÂà ÃÂà ÃÂà ÃÂà ÃÂà ÃÂà ÃÂà Because there are always new students seeking employment upon graduation, this group will be open. I will be relying on the studentâÃÂÃÂs teachers and parents to help encourage these students to attend our group. Students may be reluctant at first, so...