pre-vocational and vocational training

Job training is a very important part of education for people with disabilities. Starting young, with pre-vocational skills, can lead to vocational skills and job placement. The following are websites for teachers and families that provide information on pre-vocational and vocational training.

http://www.ilresources.com/articles/Pre-VocTales.htm
This article explains the importance of pre-vocational training—as early as possible—for students with disabilities.


http://hot-ideas.org/
This website gives ideas for Basic Skills Tasks, Vocational Tasks, Transitional Tasks,& Job Training skills activities for Special Needs,e.g. Autism related disorders, Self-Contained classrooms,Life Skills classrooms, Occupational Therapy, and Resource settings. It also offers boxes for purchase.

http://www.launchwoburnpublicschools.com/vocationaltraining.htm
A great site prepared by Woburn Public Schools (I believe they are located in Mass.) describing their vocational education program. Also included are links to functional academic skills and their pre-vocational program.

housing

Finding housing is very important for transitioning to an independent adult life. The following are websites that offer information on fair housing and housing rights for people with disabilities.

http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=113
This section of DisabilityInfo.gov provides information on housing laws, design and technical advice for people with disabilities, their family members, public housing organizations and the nation's builders.

http://disabilityhousingnetwork.org/Default2.aspx
Disability Housing Network (DHN) was established to promote and support education and best practices in the development and management of rental housing for individuals with mental retardation and developmental disabilities by member nonprofit housing development corporations.

http://www.hud.gov/groups/disabilities.cfm
Learn about renting, buying and making your home accessible, and about your Fair Housing rights.

Finances

Finances can be a major problem for people with disabilities. The following are some websites which include some useful information for people with disabilities and their families as they plan for the future.

http://www.allsup.com/Personal-Finance/financial-matters-overview.aspx
Allsup is committed to creating opportunities for those with disabilities to lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible. We call this approach Disability Life Planning – taking a thorough look at the big picture, understanding the financial impact of a disability, understanding your options and resources available to you and, most importantly, doing it as soon as possible


http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content4/estate.dis.all.3.3.html.
The only reliable method of making sure that the inheritance actually has a chance of reaching a person with a disability when he or she needs it is through the legal device known as a Special Needs Trust (SNT). The SNT is developed to manage resources while maintaining the individual's eligibility for public assistance benefits. How is this done? Simply put, the family leaves whatever resources it deems appropriate to the trust. The trust is managed by a trustee on behalf of the person with the disability.


http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/mfh/progdesc/disab811.cfm
HUD provides funding to nonprofit organizations to develop rental housing with the availability of supportive services for very low-income adults with disabilities, and provides rent subsidies for the projects to help make them affordable


http://www.cdfa.net/cdfa/cdfaweb.nsf/pages/jun2005tlc.html
This article covers the status of Alternative Finance Programs (AFPs) for persons with disabilities. AFPs help people with disabilities finance the purchase assistive technology

transportation

Living an independent life requires access to transportation. Running errands, attending school, going to work all require transportation, not to mention taking the occaisional vacation.

The following are links to websites to help people with disabilities learn about their rights to access transportation.



http://www.hhs.gov/od/topics/transportation/transportation.html
Traveling by air or train can be very difficult for people with physical disabilities. This website offers information for people with disabilities on accomodations required by law.


http://www.fta.dot.gov/civilrights/civil_rights_2360.html
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity and access for persons with disabilities. This website has information on civil rights workshops and disability law guidance.


http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=126
This section of DisabilityInfo.gov offers a wide range of information on accessible transportation systems, community transportation initiatives and federal laws and regulations to improve access and availability of bus, rail and air travel.

more on employment (for teachers, students and their families)

Employment is a very big issue for persons with disabilities, and should be addressed frequently.
The following are some websites that contain some valuable information for teachers, students and families.

http://www.dol.gov/odep/
The Office of Disability Employment Policy
This site includes a just released data base of more than 1900 job candidates with disabilities


https://wrp.gov/
The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities
WRP has provided employment opportunities for nearly 5000 students with disabilities since 1995

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/products/employmentguide/index.html
This is a link to a brochure "Disability Employment 101" which provides information regarding vocational rehabilitation agencies, disability and business technical assistance centers (DBTA's) and Centers for Independent Living. There is also a companion brochure available titled "Disability Employment 101 for Your Business"

social relationships

Social relationships could be very difficult for people with emotional and cognitive disabilities. Social skills training is very important for transitioning to adulthood and independence. Many different methods can be used to teach social skills. The following are some websites that might be helpful.

www.socialskillstrainingproject.com
This website offers a cognitive-behavioral approach to teach social skills


www.ramapoforchildren.org
Three summer camps, divided by age, are offered for children with emotional and learning disabilities. These summer camps can be the key for developing friendships.



www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/archives/005663.html
Adults with schizophrenia often have trouble making friends and sustaining relationships. This article describes ways to teach adults with schizophrenia social skills

Independent Living

Transitioning to independent living is an important part of life. It can be particularly difficult for persons with disabilities. The following are websites that can assist persons with disabilities and their families through this transition.

https://www.disabilityscoop.com

Disability Scoop is a newsletter offering vital information for persons with disabilities and their families. It contains the latest information on issues pertaining to education, health, law, life and money. Disability Scoop recently published an article on the grim outlook for employment of persons with disabilities in today's economic times.

http://www.apd.myflorida.com

The Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities has a website with important information for persons with disabilities and their families. This websites includes links regarding employment and how to find resources. They also have a link to a monthly newsletter.

http://www.hud.gov/groups/disabilities.cfm

Appropriate housing can be a problem for persons with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers important information regarding housing including information on renting and buying a home. There are links regarding home accessibility and fair housing rights. There is also a link with information on independent living centers.

Preparing students for adult life

It is very important for teachers to teach social skills, independent functioning skills and functional academics in order to prepare our students for adult life. Learning how to get along with others does not always come easy for students with ASD and other developmental disorders. Learning the concepts of telling time and counting money are very important skills that may not get the attention needed as our students get older.

http://www.linguisystems.com/
Linguisystems offers a vareity of language and communication based materials that can be used to assist our students with transition. Some titles include:
Autism & PDD adolescent social skills lessons (Reese & Challenner, 2001)--a series of books that include social stories on health and hygiene, secondary schools, interacting and vocational skills.
Autism & PDD safety (Reese & Challenner, 2002)-- a book that includes social stories regarding safety.
That's life! Reading comprehension (Whiskeyman, Truman, Johnson, Bowers, LoGiudice, Stonz & Conger, 1998)--includes high interest, low reading level stories appropriate for our older students.

http://www.mayerjohnson.com/
Mayer-Johnson publishes books and materials which can be used for our non-readers. They use "Boardmaker" symbols, picture icons that correspond to words to assist our students. These icons can be used with augmented and/or assistive technology or used as a low tech device to help our students communicate.
More social skills stories: Very personal picture stories for readers and nonreaders K-12 (Johnson, 1996)--a book that includes social stories and work sheets regarding personal hygiene and inappropriate behaviors.
From the classroom to the workplace volume 1 (Pritchard & Stone, 1997)-- This book includes lessons and worksheets on employment at grocery stores, retail stores and housekeeping.
From the classroom to the workplace volume 2 (Pritchard & Stone, 1997)-- A continuation of volume 1 that includes lessons on restaurant and office/clerical employment.

Bruinicks, R.H., Guilman, C.J., Anderson, J.L. & Morreau, L.E. (1991). Adaptive living skills curriculum: Personal living skills. Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing
Bruinicks, Guilman, Anderson and Morreau's book on living skills provides special educators with lesson plans on social manners, eating skills and basic personal hygiene, just to name a few. This book is an invaluable source for teachers involved in the transition process.

Vocational Education and Training

Vocational education and training is an important part of transitioning to adulthood, as it offers an alternative for those young adults who are not college bound. It also offers opportunities for adults who have sustained injuries to be retrained for employment.
Although Vocational Rehabilitation is mandated by the federal government (ADA), each state runs their own department of vocational rehabilitaion, education and training.
The following are links to websites that young adults with disabilities, their families and support staff may find useful.


http://www.disabilitytraining.com/index.html
Program Development Associates offers materials for students, families and service providers to help young adults with disabilities acquire appropriate training and job skills


http://www.rehabworks.org/
This link is an employment resource for businesses and people with disabilities in Florida.


http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=500
DisabilityInfo.gov provides quick and easy access to comprehensive information about disability programs, services, laws and benefits. It includes important information on vocational education and training.


http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/afi/afi360/455095_v1_-_Tab_3_VR_Fact_Sheet_Revised.html
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (PL 93-112), as amended, provides funding to states to provide comprehensive Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs for individuals with disabilities. Every state has a VR system and the goal of services delivered through this system is to assist individuals with disabilities to obtain and/or maintain employment. This link offers adults with disabilities and their families information on the services each state is required to deliver.


http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/rsa/index.html
The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) oversees grant programs that help individuals with physical or mental disabilities to obtain employment and live more independently through the provision of such supports as counseling, medical and psychological services, job training and other individualized services.

transition and employment

Transitioning from school to employment is a very difficult hurdle for adults with disabilities and their families. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates the need for employers to provide accomodations and modifications at the workplace. Voc Rehab provides job coaches to assist adults with disabilities find employment and job training.
The following are links to websites that address the issue of transitioning to employment:

http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/
Cornell University houses an Employees and Disabilities Institute. Their website includes important links to federal publications on housing, SSI and other topics important to transition.

http://www.opm.gov/disability/
This site helps users with or without disabilities, better understand how to hire and retain persons with disabilities.

http://dol.gov/odep
This is a link to the Office of Disability Employment Policy

http://www.fyitransition.org/
The University of South Florida hosts this website giving students with disabilities and their families information about transitioning to employment