Transitioning to the Workplace: Resources for AAC Learners with Significant Disabilities

If we do our jobs well, students with AAC needs will leave school with a solid plan for post-secondary learning and/or the workplace. In most places, it can be challenging to identify meaningful work and learning experiences for young adults with AAC needs as they exit public education. While employment and educational opportunities for these young adults are slowly increasing, it is nonetheless a struggle to help young adults get prepared for their post-school lives. In this post, we share some resources that can help teams guide students and their families.

1. QuickBook Of Transition Assessments (Cline, Halverson, Petersen, & Rohrbach, 2005) 
2. Reading-Free Vocational Interest Inventory–Second Edition (R-FVII:2) (Becker, 2000) 
3. Choose and Take Action Vocational Assessment Software (Martin, Marshall, Wray, Wells, O’Brien, Olvey, & Johnson, 2004) 
4. Self-Directed Employment: A Handbook for Transition Teachers and Employment Specialists, (Martin, Mithaug, Oliphint, Husch, & Frazier, 2002): May be out of print but available in libraries. Pictures can be downloaded here.
5. Picture Interest Career Survey, Second Edition (Brady, 2011)
6. COPS-PIC: Picture Inventory of Careers (Knapp-Lee, 2007)
7. Your Employment Selection (YES) 

Have you found effective ways to help students and their families identify and prepare for meaningful post-school learning or work experiences? We’d love to hear about them.