Transitions Program

Careers and College

The careers and college course is designed to help students assess and improve their level of preparation for independence and life “post-Orion”.    Our goal is to get students out of the passenger and into the driver’s seat of their own lives.   Our curriculum is based on seven years experience and extensive research into the factors that are predictive of success for students with NLD/AS as young adults.   We focus on four key areas :

Preparation for the demands of everyday life (social skills and support, legal rights and responsibilities as a young adult,  reinforcing money  and time management skills, assessing readiness for independent living,  working on self advocacy, taking over health and psychological care and issues of when it is appropriate to disclose a disability, when to ask for help, and other issues related to living as independent life with realistic expectations of the bumps in the road that are inevitable.

Disability awareness:  The shift from 504 and special education “rights” to an understanding of their rights, responsibilities and obligations under the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) as this relates to job training, services through the Department of Rehabilitation where appropriate, typical (and atypical but necessary) college accommodations for AS/NLD students, working with the Disabled Students Programs (DSP) at colleges, coming to terms with the need for and process of how to access services.

Employment readiness:  This includes learning how to search for jobs, apply for them, prepare a resume, participate in mock interviews, and determine what areas of their preparation need further skills development.  We will work with the social skills curriculum to facilitate taped mock interviews for students as a learning tool.

Post secondary school preparation:  This includes learning about types of colleges and training programs,  doing online searches based on student interests and type of support needed, types of financial aid, taking tours of local colleges, etc.  It will also include reading about the experiences of young adults with AS/NLD in college, as well as feature several student speakers.

 

A key outcome of the year long course is the development of a portfolio which will include a working resume, results of individual assessments over the year (learning style, independence readiness, Holland inventory type, etc),  a model “letter to my instructor and employer” requesting specific accommodations to support the student in education and work,  an electronic calendar for the coming year with all known dates filled in, a sample job application tailored to their interests/needs, and a statement of personal goals for the following year, and supplementary materials related to the student’s own specific situation that we have developed over the year.

 

Health and Transitions

This required junior level course explores the connection between personal choices and good health. Topics include: decision making and establishing goals, physical hygiene, the importance of physical activity and nutrition, the complex issues surrounding adolescence and sex, drug and alcohol awareness, diseases, first aid, and environmental health. In addition, this course begins to explore the important skills and responsibilities that are inherent to life after high school. These include time management and study skills, SAT/standardized test preparation, college planning, career exploration, and independent living skills such as budgeting, cooking, and household maintenance.

 

Text:          Health & Wellness, Glencoe McGraw Hill