Individuals with Special Needs and the Transition School to Work (TSW) Program

According to recent stats, seven years after high school, one in three people on the spectrum have no job experience, or training. Many people incorrectly feel that being on the spectrum means you have a limited mental capacity. So how can we help people on the spectrum. Well, often it starts in high school where some schools have a transition school to work (TSW), or similar, program. TSW was designed to help individuals with special needs find employment after high school by giving them the skills necessary to succeed. The program offers job exploration counseling, worked-based learning experiences, counseling on post-secondary opportunities, workplace readiness training and training on self-advocacy.

Job Exploration

First they find out what types of things each individual likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, physical limitations and what type of job would they like to do. Many times they have companies in the community that they frequently work with and many will hire the individuals upon completion if they do a good job and would like to work there.

Many times TSW will place students with several different companies during the school year, typically changing every 9 weeks so they can try several different jobs and learn different job skills. There may be fewer depending on the individual’s safety needs, preferences and getting hired by one of the companies.

In some cases, a student will want to work someplace that may not be a good fit. When asked, my son said he wanted to work at a fire station. However, he can’t handle loud noises (like sirens), doesn’t like dogs (and yes at least one of our local stations has a “mascot”), and can get easily flustered during intense situations that disrupts his schedule (like when an alarm goes off). So, needless to say, working at a fire station, in any job position, would probably not be a good fit for him.

Types of Companies That Partner With the Transition School to Work Program

Many times you will see places that have basic tasks that can be expanded upon based on the individual’s skills. You will frequently see smaller retail stores (like my son’s auto parts store or Goodwill), grocery stores, YMCA, fast food restaurants, libraries, and sometimes offices or hotels.

These companies typically have a coordinator that works with the school system’s TSW coordinator/director. Also each location will have one person from the school system onsite that will assist/supervise the students assigned to the location to train them and for safety purposes.

Developing Job Skills

Through worked-based learning experiences and workplace readiness training, TSW helps individual’s gain job skills that they can use to find and keep employment. Their job coach will train them on the skills they need to do at the company they have been placed at. As they master these tasks more may be added to continue teaching the individual new skills. Many of the skills they learn at one company can be applied to other companies that need a similar job filled.

One advantage to working at several different companies is the individual learns different skills. They also get exposed to different environments, which can be helpful in determining what type of job and job environment will best suit the individual when it comes time to apply for a job.

Getting the Individual Ready To Find a Job

Upon completion the job coach can advise the individual and/or their family which jobs the individual seems to be the best fit, while considering their likes, dislikes, environment, job skills and availability of a position. They rely heavily on the individual during this process to ensure that they would enjoy working at that job. After a selection has been made, the job coach can help set up the individual with an interview or a contact person to place them at a company. They can also teach them how to self-advocate should the need arise. They also make sure that accommodations are in place if the individual needs them and the company agrees to provide them. Please note that the accommodations should be reasonable and not create a financial burden to a smaller company if you want them to be provided.