© NAPEEF

2012

Innovative Strategies for Meeting the Needs of Youth with Disabilities

Freda Walker

Consultant

NAPE

Curtis Richards

Director

Center for Workforce Development

Institute for Educational Leadership

© NAPEEF

2012

Sponsorship and Funding

The Minnesota Department of

Education and Minnesota State

Colleges & Universities

NAPE and the NSF

http://www.napequity.org/

© NAPEEF

2012

Poll

• How did you hear about this webinar?– Email from the STEM Equity Pipeline email list

– Email from another listserv (Chat)

– Email forwarded from a colleague

– Presentation at a conference (Chat)

– Announcement in the Pipeline Press

– Announcement in another newsletter (Chat)

– STEM Equity Pipeline website

– Another website (Chat)

– Search engine result

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2012

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Certificate of Completion

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2012

Resource Document

Download today

Lists links and resources

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2012

Chat Function

Questions after the

Presentation

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2012

Poll

• Who is participating in today’s

webinar?

1. School/College Administrator

2. Teacher/Faculty Member

3. Counselor/Student Services Staff

4. State Agency Staff

5. NAPE Organization Staff

6. Other (Chat)

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2012

Poll

• Is there anyone else watching this

webinar with you?– No I am watching by myself

– Yes, one other person

– Yes 2 other persons

– Yes, 3 other persons

– Yes, 4 other persons

– Yes, 5 other persons

– Yes, more than 5 persons (Please state the number

in the Chat box)

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2012

Poll

• I or the folks watching this webinar with

me, currently work directly with youth

with disabilities:– every work day

– most work days

– a few work days

– not at all

– work with programs providing services to youth with

disabilities

NAPE Minnesota

Webinar Series

March 19, 2014

Curtis RichardsInstitute for Educational Leadership, Center for Workforce Development

Innovative Strategies for Meeting the Needs of Youth with Disabilities

10

11

Webinar Agenda

• Understanding Youth with Disabilities

• Universal Design for Learning

• Career Development Strategies and

Resources

Who We Are & What We Do

Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL)’s Center for Workforce Development

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth)

• Funded by Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor

• National TA Center assists state & local workforce

development systems to integrate youth with disabilities into

their service strategies

• Partners: IEL; Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota; Boston University; PACER Center; TransCen, Inc.

12

Guideposts for Success

• What ALL youth need to transition to adulthood

successfully

• What additional support, services, & opportunities

youth with disabilities need

• Additional Guideposts for:

– Learning Disabilities

– Mental Health Needs

– Juvenile Justice

– Foster Care

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts 13

The Stubborn Dilemma

• Youth with disabilities have poor outcomes: School dropout rates (3 times more likely)

College rates (Half as likely)

Adjudication rates (4 times as likely)

Poverty (3 times more likely)

Unemployment rate (70% and holding for PwD)

• Lots of Good Activities But no real system

• Transition is an Awkward Period of Life14

Youth with Mental Health Needs

• 49.5% of US adolescents met mental health need criteria

• Includes anxiety disorders, behavioral disorders, mood disorders, substance abuse disorders

• 65% with mental health needs will drop out of school before obtaining a high school diploma

• Definitions differ by system:

• Mental Health System – internalizing & externalizing

(DSM)

• Educational System – 13 disability categories in

IDEA, including emotional disturbance (based on

student’s educational performance not just mere

presence)15

Signs of Possible Mental Health Need

There are several indications that may signal potential mental health needs. One or two alone are not enough to indicate this potential, but combinations of these behaviors coupled with problems getting along with family members or peers or doing well at school may indicate a need for further evaluation. (NAMI)

16

• Truancy or school failure

• Encounters with the juvenile justice system

• Reckless and risky behaviors

• Persistent crying

• Lethargy or fatigue

• Irritability or grouchiness

• Over-reactions to failure

• Isolation from family and friends

• Separation anxiety

• Panic attacks

• Social phobias

• Repetitive, ritualistic behaviors

• Changes in speech and behavior

• Delusions, paranoia, or hallucinations

• Lack of motivation

• Flat emotional responses

• Disguising low self-esteem with “tough” behavior

Youth with Learning Disabilities

• 2.4 million students are diagnosed with LD and receive

special education services in our schools, representing

41% of all students receiving special education

• 67% of students with LD graduate from high

school with a regular diploma vs. 74% of students in

the general population

• A learning disability is a neurological disorder:

• Difference in the way individuals with LD brains are

"wired.“

• May be as smart or smarter than their peers.

17

Signs of Possible Learning Disability

Short attention span

Poor memory

Difficulty following directions

Inability to discriminate letters, numerals, sounds

Poor reading and/or writing ability

Eye-hand coordination problems

Difficulties with sequencing

Disorganization and other sensory difficulties

Difficulty reading social cues

18

Universal Design for Learning

An approach to designing course instruction, materials,

and content to benefit people of all learning styles without

adaptation.

– Multiple means of representation, to give learners

various ways of acquiring information and

knowledge,

– Multiple means of expression, to provide learners

alternatives for demonstrating what they know,

– Multiple means of engagement, to tap into learners'

interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase

motivation.19

Points to Consider for Inclusive Teaching Using Universal Design

Class Climate – Value Diversity & Inclusiveness

Interaction – Cooperative Learning

Physical Environments & Products – Accessible & Usable

Delivery Methods – Multiple, Flexible, Cognitive Supports

Information Resources & Technology – Accessible

Formats

Feedback – Specific & Regular

Assessment – Clear Expectations & Multiple

Demonstrations

(Selected Formal Assessments Instruments Used to

Diagnose Learning Disabilities)20

Strategy Instruction

Involves teaching the young person about learning strategies, and about how and when to use particular strategies.

Includes increasing the young person’s ability to engage in self-regulated planning, monitoring, and evaluating of their own learning

We believe that the most effective way to facilitate learning for all learners is by combining direct instruction (lecture, discussion, book learning) with strategy instruction

21

Strategy InstructionTeaching Techniques

Teach important skills

Teach less better

Teach explicitly

Teach contextually

Explain what is to be learned and why it is important

Check the old before teaching the new

What does it look like? Tool 3.2 Types of Learning

Strategies and Supports: Cognitive and Metacognitive

(Notice the source!!)22

Resources on UDL

• CAST’s Universal Design for Learning: Theory &

Practice (free login required to access online book):

http://udltheorypractice.cast.org/

• CAST’s About UDL webpage,

http://www.cast.org/udl/index.html

• Learning How to Learn: Successful Transition Models

for Educators Working with Youth with Learning

Disabilities, http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-

brief/learning-how-to-learn

23

Career Development Process- Three Components

1) Self Exploration

2) Career Exploration

3) Career Planning & Management

24

Career Development StrategiesGuidepost Area 2

All Youth Need:

Self-exploration activities to learn about their skills, interests

& career options

Career exploration activities including site visits, guest

speakers, job shadowing; includes learning about education/

training entry requirements & earning potential/benefits

Opportunities to practice through work experiences i.e.

internships, community service work, part-time jobs

Soft skills training to gain job-seeking & workplace basic

skills25

Career Development StrategiesGuidepost Area 2

In addition, youth with disabilities need:

To understand benefits planning

To learn to communicate their disability-related work

support and accommodation needs

To learn to find, formally request, & secure supports

and accommodations

26

Self-Exploration Strategies

Using Career Assessments

• Shasta Co 21st Century Career Connections, CA

– Adapted RIASEC Inventory, Holland codes, universal design

– Created Multiple Intelligences and Interests tool

– Created TIPS for Success Guide to Transition document

• Tech-Now Oklahoma High School/High Tech

– Use state career info system: Career Cluster Inventory

• Ctr for Independent Living of North Central Florida

(CIL/NCF) High School/High Tech

– Use state career info system: Work Values Sorter, Learning

Styles27

Self-Exploration Resources

Sample Lessons, Activities & Tools:

• I Am Who I Am … And As Others See Me (Guideposts for

Success Activities)

• Identifying Personal Values (Utah Education Network)

• How Likes and Dislikes Can Influence Career Choices (Georgia

Career Resource Network)

• O*NET Ability Profiler (identify your strengths), Interest

Profiler (identify types of work activities you like), Work Importance

Locator (identify what is important to you in a job)

Find links in ILP How-to Guide: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/how-

to-guide/section-1/self-exploration

28

Self-Exploration Resources

• Using Career Interest Inventories to Inform Career Planning,

Innovative Strategies Practice Brief, http://www.ncwd-

youth.info/innovative-strategies/practice-briefs/using-career-

interest-inventories-to-inform-career-planning

• Career Planning Begins with Assessment Guide,

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/career-planning-begins-with-

assessment

29

Career Exploration Strategies

• Transitional Age Youth Program, Long Beach, CA

– Career Cruising: Airport visit exposed youth to 27 jobs

– Five-Day Checklist Extravaganza: Week-long job rotation

• Bay Cove Academy, Brookline, MA

– Job shadowing includes career scavenger hunt activity

• Linking Learning to Life, NH

– Learn to Earn Program: Employers trained to give interactive

career presentations in schools

– Applying math, science, communication skills on the job

30

Career Exploration Resources

Sample Lessons, Activities & Tools:

• Exploring Customer Service Jobs in Your Own Community;

Generations at Work (Guideposts for Success Activities)

• Career Investigation (Utah Education Network)

• Career Clusters Review and Occupational Exploration (Georgia)

• My Next Move - O*NET tool allows students to match a profile of

interests with different kinds of careers

• Career One Stop videos (U. S. Department of Labor,

Employment and Training Administration)

Find links in ILP How-to Guide: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/how-

to-guide/section-1/career-exploration

31

Career Exploration Resources

• Career Exploration in Action, Innovative Strategies Practice Brief

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/innovative-strategies/practice-

briefs/career-exploration-in-action

• How to Build Partnerships for Career Exploration: Using Job

Shadows to Explore the World of Work, Monadnock Center for

Successful Transitions, http://www.mcst-

nh.org/images/stories/pdf/build_partnerships_for_career_explorati

on_sept10.pdf

• My Skills My Future, O*NET tool for those with previous work

experience, http://www.myskillsmyfuture.org/

• MyFuture.com, from U.S. Defense, Commerce, Education & Labor

• Occupational Outlook Handbook, http://www.bls.gov/oco/

32

Career Planning & Management Skill Building Strategies

Soft Skills Training

• First Jobs Academy, ME

– All youth must complete 4 weeks (6 hr/week) of pre-employment

life skills & job retention training (Curricula available online)

– Training on Communication, Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving,

Professionalism, Teamwork & Collaboration; Employer partners

assist in delivering training

• Open Meadow Alternative School, OR

– Several weeks of training hosted by employer partner

– Training in professional work culture, career planning, competitive

interviewing strategies, self marketing techniques, and

networking skills33

Career Planning & Management Skill Building Strategies

Work Experiences

• Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential, OH

– 10-week summer internship: various jobs at VA Medical Center

and other work sites matching individual youth’s interests

– Internship Learning Contract clarifies expectations for all

– Worksite Progress Report, supervisor shares feedback

• Palm Bay High School/High Tech, FL

– Students obtain internships through various connections:

program mentors, Chamber of Commerce, parents

– Internship Agreement defines intern duties, expectations

– Supervisor provides feedback via Student Evaluation form34

Career Planning & Management Skill Building Resources

Sample Lessons, Activities & Tools in the Online ILP How-

to Guide address:

• Job Search Skills

• Youth Development and Leadership

• Career and Work-Readiness Skills

• Work-Based Learning

• Financial Literacy

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp/how-to-guide/section-

1/career-planning-and-management/job-search-skills

35

Career Planning & Management Skill Building Resources

• Work-based Learning Engaging Youth in Work Experiences: An Innovative

Strategies Practice Brief, http://www.ncwd-

youth.info/innovative-strategies/practice-briefs/engaging-youth-

in-work-experiences

High School/High Tech Program Guide (Ch. 3: Career

Preparation and Work-based Learning Experiences),

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/hsht/program-guide

Road to Self-Sufficiency: A Guide to Entrepreneurship for

Youth with Disabilities, http://www.ncwd-youth.info/road-to-

self-sufficiency

36

Career Planning & Management Skill Building Resources

• Work-based Learning Internships: The On-Ramp to Employment, A Guide for

Students with Disabilities to Getting and Making the Most of an

Internship, National Consortium on Leadership & Disability for

Youth (NCLD-Youth), http://ncld-youth.info/Downloads/intern-

guide-final.pdf

Quality Work-Based Learning and Postschool Employment

Success: NCSET Issue Brief,

http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1192

Work-Based Learning and Future Employment for Youth: A

Guide for Parents and Guardians – NCSET Information Brief,

http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1222

37

Career Planning & Management Skill Building Resources

• Soft Skills Training ODEP’s Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for

Workplace Success curriculum,

http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/youth/softskills/

Helping Youth Develop Soft Skills for Job Success: Tips for

Parents and Families InfoBrief http://www.ncwd-

youth.info/information-brief-28

Soft Skills Podcast series, http://www.ncwd-

youth.info/podcast/helping-youth-develop-soft-skills-for-job-

success

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Disclosure and Accommodations

Disclosure—youth should decide when and how much

to tell others, and understand how their disability

affects their capacity to learn and/or perform

effectively; they should also be “aware”…

Accommodations—youth should be empowered to

determine what environmental adjustments, supports,

and services they need in order to access, participate

and excel in school, at work, and in the community.

39

Disability Disclosure Resources

• The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with

Disabilities, http://www.ncwd-youth.info/411-on-disability-

disclosure

• The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Families,

Educators, Youth Service Professionals, and Adult Allies

Who Care About Youth with Disabilities, http://www.ncwd-

youth.info/411-on-disability-disclosure-for-adults

• Cyber Disclosure for Youth with Disabilities,

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/cyber-disclosure

• Disability Disclosure Videos, http://www.ncwd-

youth.info/videos

40

Accommodations Resources

• The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), http://askjan.org/

• JAN’s Searchable Online Accommodation Resource,

http://askjan.org/soar/

• Entering the World of Work: What Youth with Mental Health

Needs Should Know About Accommodations, ODEP,

http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/transitioning.htm

41

Resources for Supporting Youthwith Learning Disabilities

Guide – Charting the Course: Supporting the Career

Development of Youth with Learning Disabilities

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ld-guide

– Tools include:

Learning Needs Screening Tool

Compensatory Strategies Examples

Briefs and More –

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/topic/learning-disabilities

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/topic/universal-design

42

Resources for Supporting Youthwith Mental Health Needs

Guide – Tunnels and Cliffs: A Guide for Workforce Development

Professionals and Policymakers serving Youth with Mental Health

Needs, http://www.ncwd-youth.info/tunnels-and-cliffs

Briefs –

Helping Youth with Mental Health Needs

Avoid Transition Cliffs

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-24

Successful Transition Models for Youth with Mental

Health Needs: A Guide for Workforce Professionals,

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-23

43

For More Information

National Collaborative on Workforce and

Disability for Youth: www.ncwd-youth.info

Department of Labor's Office of Disability

Employment Policy: www.dol.gov/odep

Contact:

Curtis Richards, RichardsC@iel.org

Ph. (202) 822-8405 Ext. 163

44

© NAPEEF

2012

Q & A

Time for Questions

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2012

Thank you Curtis

Thanks to the

Minnesota Department of Education and

Minnesota State Colleges & Universities

NAPE and the NSF

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2012

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