Planning for Successful Employment Part 3 of 4
Welcome back as we discuss Employability Skills and the Local Industry standards. We will continue to look at ways you can support your individual NOW for competitive employment. We will pick back up looking at Workplace Tolerances.
Physical Abilities and Workplace Tolerances: Tolerate Environmental Conditions for Job of Interest
An employee can tolerate the conditions of the job as defined in the job description. For example, individuals with seizures triggered by heat wouldn’t seek outdoor positions and be able to recognize and explain this. The critical part of this is distinguishing between tolerable and unhealthy. For example, I can tolerate fluorescent lighting, but I find it helpful to eat lunch outside to have a break. These are skills and strategies that can and should be taught.
Family Practice Ideas:
When in various settings, discuss ways to keep healthy and safe. For example, when at a community event outside, when and how to reapply sunscreen, recognizing when the body feels too hot, taking a water bottle, and identifying people to ask for help if they begin not to feel well.
Set a goal to increase stamina, like walking at the local zoo. Over time, increase the number of sections you walk to without a break.
Identify conditions that are not safe for your child based on their health conditions. For example, if they have needs that don’t tolerate heat well, help them recognize how long they can be exposed, symptoms that will occur if they are out longer than needed, and how to voice the need to cool off.
Visit settings that interest them and discuss conditions they like and dislike. Can they tolerate the disliked conditions to work someplace they enjoy? For example, to see their favorite movie, they can be in the park when it is hot outside to enjoy the film offered at the park on a large screen.
School Practice Ideas:
Please work with the school team to distinguish breaks over time as it is tolerated. Breaks are often given because they’ve always been given and because it’s uncomfortable (for staff and the student) to give them up, but having them isn’t necessary.
Have staff work with your student to identify ways they can complete a more extended task with a slight change. For example, I start working on an IEP sitting at my desk, but after about 30 minutes, I use the standing option and a trip to the water fountain to continue working. Could they do something similar?
Work with staff to help your child identify body signals that they need a break instead of just taking a scheduled break. (i.e., less concentration, more mistakes, wiggling, yawning) Teach this by saying, “I see you looking around more. Should we walk to the water fountain and then stand to work when we get back?”
How can you and your individual IEP team begin using these ideas now? Check back in the next blog for the next installment of how to support your individual for competitive employment.
Deanna Heuring, Ed. S. owns Graceful Transition, LLC. Helping others navigate through areas of employment, college, and elder transition. Deanna has been an educator for over 15 years, focusing on individuals with disabilities. She currently teaches in a job skills training program based in the St. Louis community. With a long focus on the "transition" period of education, she set out to provide assistance to families at all stages of life. Transition Education in Missouri, and most states is considered the time period between the ages of 16-21. It refers to planning for life after graduation from K-12 education. Deanna believes families can prepare for "transition" long before age 16, which is the basis of the creation of Life Transition Services for Individuals with Disabilities.
https://sites.google.com/view/graceful-transitions-llc/home?authuser=0
