Ready, Set, Go: A Career Planning Model that Works for Students with Learning Disabilities Mary D. Feduccia, Ph.D., LPC GBRLDC Conference April 25, 2015

 Learning problems can prevent them from acquiring knowledge presented in large groups  Higher dropout rate  Greater need for transitional services  Higher unemployment rate

Characteristics of LD Students  Lack of career maturity and awareness of own abilities  Poorly developed planning and monitoring skills  Lack of problem solving skills  Immature social skills and social awareness  Low academic achievement, particularly in literacy  Unemployment: lack of self-understanding is most pervasive  Successful employment: choose careers in areas of strength; quest for control in their lives

Growing Up is Hard to Do Neil Sedaka:  Overwhelmed with making choices  Fearful of making wrong decision  Maturity and social development often lag behind peers SUCCESS IS ATTAINABLE WHEN THE RIGHT PROCESS AND TOOLS ARE USED!!

Cognitive Career Counseling  Type of disability is less important than student’s perception of disability  Type of disability will affect obstacles in career planning  No two LD students react to the same degree of impairment in the same way  Self esteem and degree of decision making confidence is very important  Primary function of career counselor: help students help themselves to manage their own career development

Post-Secondary Education & Career  Totally different than high school  Course load  Accommodations much easier to get  Community and technical colleges  Work: more repetitive

Readiness for Decision Making Career College Major or Next Step CAREER ASSESSMENTS Highlands Ability Battery Strong Interest Inventory Myers Briggs Type Indicator TypeFocus EXPLORE OCCUPATIONAL ALTERNATIVES Electronic/print resources ONET OOH MAKE TENTATIVE CHOICE Informational Interviewing Job Shadowing College Major/Next Step Programs Counselor/ Academic Advisor Review curricula and Admission Requirements IMPLEMENT THE CHOICE Gen Ed courses Curriculum plan Internship INTERESTS ABILITIES PERSONALITY VALUES CAREER DECISION MODEL Mary D. Feduccia, Ph.D., LPC Certified Highlands Affiliate

Highlands Ability Battery  Counter to every test ever taken  Identifies strengths and innate abilities  Tells what student does well—not what they don’t do well  Opposite of what they’ve been told all along  No high or low scores

About the Highlands  The gold-standard among tools assessing human abilities or aptitudes.  Developed from the pioneering clinical studies of Johnson O’Connor  Three-hour objective inquiry into the abilities and ability patterns of the individual who completes it  Nineteen different worksamples, each timed to measure the speed with which the individual is able to do a particular series of similar tasks  The score on each worksample establishes whether a particular task is more or less easy for that individual  Personal profile and bar chart reveal scores and patterns of abilities that help guide the individual’s life and work into more productive and satisfying channels

Highlands Administration  19 Worksamples, each 5 – 10 minutes  Registration to completion about 3.5 hours  Do not have to take all at once  Need on-line access to internet  Need headphones and a mouse  No interruptions

Highland Results Cannot fail, no good/bad results  No passing or failing  High scores do not = “Good” Low scores do not = “Bad”  Scores are percentile rankings  Reported as low (1-35), mid (36-64) and high 65+

Abilities are different from skills – they come naturally rather than being learned Your unique combination of abilities and personal style tells a story

Learning the language of abilities allows you to capitalize on your strengths and make better career choices If ignored, you can land in mismatched roles or jobs

Intelligent and motivated people can work against their natural abilities, but they are rarely happy or satisfied doing so

Reports Student Report Review of each ability, worksample, definition and your score

Reports Highlands Career Exploration Supplement Combinations of Personal Style, Driving Abilities, Patterns and Career Exploration tools

Discussion and Questions Contact Information: Mary Feduccia