Teaching Social Skills For Successful Transition Planning CHRIS LEROY SBCUSD TRANSITION SERVICES WORKABILITY I STATE ADVISORY CHAIR

Students with autism can develop the skills to access the world of work; it is our role to help the world work for adults with autism - Peter Gerhardt, former President of Organization for Autism Research

SESSION GOALS Transition History in 5 Minutes ASD Employment Challenges Entitlement & Failure Are Social Skills Work Skills? Teach Self Management for Employability Best Practices in 3 Forms Perfect Storm for System Change Gathering

HISTORY OF TRANSITION 1984 M. Will (OSERS) Need for “transition” 1990 IDEA “transition services” in IEP 1998 Workforce Investment Act links Rehab Act to employment outcomes 2014 Reauthorization of WAI directs $ to youth Greatest Hits – Coordinated activities, outcome oriented, movement to post-school, student needs/preferences/interests and “reconvene.”

EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGES Labor Force Participation People with disabilities: 19.3% (16.8 percent employed) (Bureau of Labor, 2014) Young adults with autism had lower employment rates and higher rates of complete social isolation than people with other disabilities (A.J. Drexel Autism Institute) The high levels of unemployment for Adults with ASD mostly due to lack of social skills. Correspondingly, high school students with ASD have greater difficulty with social engagement, extracurricular activities and participation in transition planning.

EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGES

WORLD of ENTITLEMENT vs. THE FUTURE Do we discuss with families the world of Entitlement and Post-School future? Are the services and support necessary for school- age student progress similar to necessary post school levels of support? See next slide…

KEY OUTCOME DIFFERENCES IDEA SOP (Summary of Performance) IEP Transition Plan Documents, Eligibility Waiting lists & Purchased support Entitlement Services ADA/504 SCHOOL EXPERIENCE POST – SCHOOL EXPERIENCE Skills, Self Advocacy Accommodations Skills, Self Advocacy Accommodations

USE FAILURE TO LEARN There is no success without failure Post-school learning curve story Too often students do not learn or use skills from school to achieve productivity, empowerment and independence So what skills need to be learned?

SCANS (Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills) 1991 For AMERICA 2000 RESOURCES: Identifies, organizes, plans and allocate INFORMATION: Acquires and uses information INTERPERSONAL: Works with others SYSTEMS: Understands complex interrelationships TECHNOLOGY: Works with a variety of technologies

SCANS FOUNDATION SKILLS BASIC SKILLS: Reads, writes, performs arithmetic and mathematical operations, listens and speaks THINKING SKILLS: Thinks creatively, makes decisions, solves problems, visualizes, knows how to learn, and reasons PERSONAL QUALITIES: Displays responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity and honesty

ARE SOCIAL SKILLS WORK SKILLS? Do the behaviors below fit into the demands of future employment? The ability to follow a visual schedule The ability to follow a coach The ability to match to a model The ability to be trained for a specific job The ability to follow sequential activities The ability to pace yourself through a task When we teach sequences, we are teaching the social construct of the work environment. So… yes.

TEACH SELF MANAGEMENT for EMPLOYABILITY Start early teaching self-monitoring skills to people with autism to minimize the need for employer instruction and to prepare these future employees to self-regulate in the workplace.

TEACH SELF MANAGEMENT for EMPLOYABILITY Teach and reinforce the skill of positively “accepting correction” – a common negative experience when one is new on the job, particularly for an individual with autism who has social skill deficits.

TEACH SELF MANAGEMENT for EMPLOYABILITY Teach essential vocabulary to people with autism to help them better describe their experiences, such as the feelings of sensory overload and other challenges.

TEACH SELF MANAGEMENT for EMPLOYABILITY Develop a “social scan” tool that can help someone with autism to independently identify and then advocate for the supports he or she might need to function well in the workplace.

BEST PRACTICES in 3 FORMS

TRANSITION ASSESSMENT SUMMARY Is a simple transition planning organizational tool that gathers key student interests and preferences for IEP discussion and subsequent transition services goals.

PLAN FOR WORK Is a simple transition planning tool focusing on key activities to consider grades Bring this Plan For Work document to the IEP to get basic transition planning started.

TRANSITION SERVICE CARDS

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PERFECT STORM for SYSTEM CHANGE Reauthorization of WIOA brings new awareness, focus and funds to Transition Age Youth Continuing transition service models TPP and WorkAbility promotes bridge to employers and support agencies Federal guidelines for companies to have at least 7% employees with disabilities across divisions Growing public willingness to learn about the potential of individuals with special needs, and partner for their access.

GATHERING It takes much more than a village to help the world work for adults with autism. With the maze of strategies, resources, pathways, and partners available, our role is to gather, put into practice, and link these essential supports. If we are good partners, and better gatherers, we create lifelong opportunity and sustained progress for individuals with ASD. The best social skill we can learn, teach, and share is gathering.