1. Parent Involvement Transition School to Work Preparing Your Child for Employment

2. Why Focus on Employment? Work-based learning during the school years leads to better post-school employment outcomes (Hughes, Moore, & Bailey, 1999). Volunteer experiences and unpaid internships, in addition to paid employment, can be steppingstones to future employment.

3. Why? Recent studies demonstrate the effectiveness of using personal networks as a job search strategy (Timmons, Hamner, & Boes, 2003), and highlight the fact that families make key contributions to successful employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities (26th Institute on Rehabilitation Issues, 2000). Recent studies demonstrate the effectiveness of using personal networks as a job search strategy (Timmons, Hamner, & Boes, 2003), and highlight the fact that families make key contributions to successful employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities (26th Institute on Rehabilitation Issues, 2000).

4. How can Parents Help? Combine community relationships, a Combine community relationships, a young persons interests, and family or personal networks to help a young person effectively explore work-based learning outside of school settings.

5. How? Help your sons or daughters explore their Help your sons or daughters explore their unique abilities, strengths, and interestsall of which may lead to an appropriate career path.

6. How? Use practical strategies to prepare them for employment by: –assigning chores at home –encouraging youth to volunteer in their community –keeping an eye open for employment opportunities –discussing different careers in the community

7. How? –Teach youth to be self-advocates while searching for a good job. –share your insight and information, with the IEP Team, which may serve as a basis to determine strategies and services for the transition IEP goals.

8. What are Self Determination Skills? Self-knowledge. Know skills, abilities, strengths, and limitations. Goal setting. Set appropriate goals and work toward them. Problem solving/decision making/choice making skills. Self advocacy. Speak up for oneself, know rights, understand health & disability. Self advocacy. Speak up for oneself, know rights, understand health & disability.

9. Why Teach Self Determination? Why Teach Self Determination? Ultimately, to be successful in the workplace, youth must develop skills to workplace, youth must develop skills to become as independent as possible. become as independent as possible. Research supports the idea that youth who leave high school with self-determination skills have a greater chance of achieving positive post-school outcomes than those who do not. (Wehmeyer & Schwartz, 1997).

10. How Can Parents Help? Parents can help their children develop self-determination skills by creating a supportive environment, which allows youth to take risks, test their abilities and limitations, develop their problem solving skills, and practice positive work habits and behaviors. Parents can help their children develop self-determination skills by creating a supportive environment, which allows youth to take risks, test their abilities and limitations, develop their problem solving skills, and practice positive work habits and behaviors.

11. Whose Future Is It? Although parents can do much to launch Although parents can do much to launch their sons and daughters into the work force, their childrens future is their own.

12. You can make a difference through positive transition planning!

13. Questions? If you would like more information about the transition process contact Jane Winstead, Director of Transition Services, Tennessee Department of Education, Division of Special Education at: If you would like more information about the transition process contact Jane Winstead, Director of Transition Services, Tennessee Department of Education, Division of Special Education at: Jane.winstead@state.tn.us

14. References Material adapted from a publication of the National Center for Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET): Preparing for Employment: On the Home Front Preparing for Employment: On the Home Front The entire publication is available on the Web at: http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp? id=2844 http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp? id=2844 http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp? id=2844