Giving Compass' Take:

· Students with disabilities are eight times less likely to be gainfully employed as compared to those without disabilities. Getting Smart proposes 7 ways to engage these students in activities that will introduce them to career options and prepare them for their future. 

· What types of career-prep programs can schools provide for students with disabilities? 

· Read about various initiatives across the country working to give more individuals with disabilities employment opportunities. 

Career and life skills are crucial for students with disabilities because their post-school outcomes are not promising—individuals with disabilities are eight times less likely to be gainfully employed than those without disabilities. Individuals with autism are the least likely to become employed as adults.

Research has shown that participation in vocational training or job-related activities in high school can lead to better post-school outcomes for individuals with autism and other disabilities. Here are seven steps to creating positive school-based employment opportunities for adolescents with disabilities:

  1. Align your program to established standards
  2. Connect activities to real-life experiences
  3. Use evidence-based practices when teaching job skills
  4. Integrate activities into the school community
  5. Take a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach
  6. Natural reinforcement
  7. Identify supporting resources

If you follow these seven steps, students with disabilities can learn about their career interests and passions in a realistic and meaningful way, and have the opportunity to practice those skills in the classroom to gain entry-level job skills. Doing so will lead to a better placement in the community and a provide the best chance for success beyond school.

Read the full article about preparing students with disabilities for success by Dr. Amy Spriggs at Getting Smart.