Stories about youth with disabilities- Success stories of youth with disabilities
NOTE: The names of all students have been changed
SHANNON– After acting part-time for seven years on the hit TV show Sesame Street, when Shannon turned thirteen she was told by producers that she was no longer the adorable little kid with Down syndrome. She was now a teenager. As a result, her mother was informed her daughter’s acting services would no longer be needed. At thirteen, Shannon was given a pink slip. It happens to the best of child actors, Macauley Culkin included. Devastated and heartbroken—wondering why she wasn’t wanted any more—Shannon lost belief in herself.
Shannon went without work for the next six years.
When Shannon turned nineteen, her cyber school hired me to help Shannon get back out there in some type of vocational experience. Because of this much-need intervention, within a few months I found Shannon jobs as a production assistant at a community playhouse and as a teacher’s assistant (to 3 & 4 year olds) at a KinderCare.
A month into Shannon’s jobs, Shannon’s dad called me aside. A bit choked up, he placed his hand on my shoulder and thanked me, saying that he now has “bragging rights” at his company. While his co-workers who have children with disabilities are either unemployed or under-employed, he can say that his daughter works as a teacher’s assistant AND at a cool playhouse as a production assistant doing exactly what she wants to do.
SOPHIA– Teased and bullied at her traditional ‘brick and mortar’ school because of her appearance, speech and disabilities, fourteen-year-old Sophia began attending a cyber school from the comfort and safety of her own home. That cyber school hired me to help unearth Sophia’s abilities. Since then, Sophia has job sampled in careers of her interest, won two achievement awards, has been successfully working at a thrift shop near her home for the last 18 months, and had a nice story done on her success in her local newspaper. Sophia now has confidence in herself and her abilities and loves helping people through her nonprofit employer which benefits abused women.
When she turns fifteen, a local grocery store wants to hire her to work in their bakery department. Sophia plans to split her time in between both jobs.
JORDAN- Extremely quiet, shy and with zero vocational experiences during his seventeen years, Jordan is on the autism spectrum. He wants to be a computer gaming designer. His cyber school hired me to work with Jordan to help him create a presence within his community. Within a month, Jordan was provided three (3) separate community-based career exploration job samplings in jobs of his interest. In addition, Jordan has begun to intern at an award-winning computer gaming design company that creates, among other products, interactive games for kids with autism that teach socialization and teamwork. Jordan’s job is to play video games as a video games tester. He’s begun to plant seeds within his community.
BENSON– Because of his profound intellectual disabilities, Benson was told by many that he would likely not be a good candidate for work. (Isn’t that encouraging?)
Not believing what the ‘experts’ said, Benson’s mother hired me to work with Benson when he was just fourteen years old. Through my vocational assessment, it was learned that Benson loves to act, play characters, and perform. Within a few weeks I secured Benson his first ever paid job performing as the Chick-fil-A cow mascot. While still working at CFA, when Benson turned fifteen, I helped him secure his second paid job, this one working at the nationally known Sesame Place theme park in his hometown where he dresses in costume and performs as famous characters. He worked at CFA for over two years and has now worked at SP for over three years … with no end in sight.
Benson is now socially engaged with a large network of friends, has made many thousands of dollars, and has plans to move to Florida with his mother when she retires and he is graduated from high school. He plans to work at Disneyworld and continue to perform in character. (With his experience, I have absolutely no doubt at all that he will accomplish that goal.)
KYLE– I began working with Kyle when he was just fourteen years old because his father thought it was in his son’s best interests to start working. On the autism spectrum and also with severe ADHD, Kyle wanted to start his own business within his neighborhood. After his father hired me, I helped Kyle start that business—a dog-walking business. That summer Kyle earned nearly $4,00 doing exactly what he wanted to do. Kyle’s father sent me a thank-you letter stating that Kyle “had the best summer in his life thanks to you.”
JACK – I was contacted by a single mother who hired me to work with her son who is on the autism spectrum. A history buff, Jack loves anything and everything Revolutionary War related. Within a few weeks I secured Jack a job working for the Washington Crossing Historic Park—one of the most historic parks in the United States, just few miles from Jack’s home.
Jack tends to the garden, does yard work, assists with fundraising events, and occasionally dresses in period garb known as “kit” and provides tours to small groups throughout the historic and hallowed grounds. Jack’s doing exactly what he wants to do and is enjoying his life.
And the list goes on and on and on…
While it might not always require a village to help a child, it certainly does need at least one supporting parent or school system willing to invest in a child, a savvy job developer, and members of the community willing to open up their hearts and doors to their businesses in order to give kids with differences a chance to work.
For more success stories on youth with disabilities and to learn more about the new book “Special Stories,” visit www.specialstoriesbook.com.
https://www.specialstoriesbook.com/category/from-the-blog/
