Special Stories- Job sampling a great tool for kids with disabilities
Society often has unreasonably low expectations of youth with disabilities and a propensity to stereotype. In fact, there’s a prevailing and widespread belief that kids with disabilities pretty much have four career options:
1) Bag Groceries
2) Clean Tables
3) Fold Laundry
4) Corral shopping carts
Though this pigeonholing has become an accepted norm in our society, I feel this is ludicrous.
Can you imagine if you were presented with those limited and stereotypical career choices when you were a teenager because people unfairly assigned you to a certain demographic?
Because you were exceptionally tall, you were told you had to play basketball or volleyball.
Because you were of Italian extraction, you were pushed to own a pizza parlor or become a barber.
Because you were a female, you were steered to become an elementary school teacher or a nurse.
Because you were Irish, you were encouraged to tend bar or become a cop.
Because you were a little person, you were guided to play Santa’s elf at a mall during the holidays.
Because you were from India, you were directed to own a Dunkin’ Donuts or a Subway franchise.
Would you and your parents have accepted these choices?
I highly doubt it.
So why is it okay to only offer these stereotypical, limited, and clichéd options to kids with disabilities? Why not give our youth with disabilities more choices?
Instead of lumping all youth with disabilities together and limiting them to only a few stereotypical jobs, I provide many options to my students based upon each individual’s distinct career interests and ability level—not based on society’s limited expectations.
Basically, I ask my students what jobs they want; not tell them what they should get.
When someone suggests that my students should work in one of those above four stereotypical jobs, to my ears it’s like fingernails scratching a blackboard.
Recognizing the individuality of people, I provide several options to my students based upon each individual’s own unique interests. I feel this is a far better solution than a one-size-fits-all rationale that much of the establishment provides. Quite frankly, I feel that type of one-size-fits-all restrictive thinking is oppressive to students with various challenges and just flat-out wrong.
Job sampling is a great way to provide career exploration to youth with challenges.
For those outside the know, job sampling is where a student with an interest in a few jobs (or careers) gets to actually work in those jobs (as a volunteer) to gain firsthand experience what each particular job entails. Job sampling can last as little as a few hours or as long as a few days in each job, providing students opportunities to experience a variety of careers of their areas of interest to help determine which fits them best.
There’s a broader lesson to be gleaned from this approach: unlike youth who never job sampled and become dissatisfied with their job, perform poorly, and then quit; youth who have job sampled stay at their jobs longer, and remain more happily employed while there.
Aside from the benefits to the student, job sampling also strengthens the ties between students and their communities and educates prospective employers on the many skills kids with disabilities have. Thus, it provides community businesses opportunities to tap into an untapped pool of potential workers. Lastly, it demonstrates that not all youth with disabilities want to bag groceries, fold laundry, or clean tables for work.
I believe that EVERY middle school and EVERY high school in the country should establish job sampling programs for their special education population. It should be mandatory training when kids reach age twelve.
Kids with challenges need early intervention, not a late start . . . or a no start.
Check out a small listing of some of the many careers my students—between ages thirteen and twenty-one—have job sampled over the years, with many jobs samplings leading to either long-term volunteer work or paid employment:
– Production assistant, usher, concession stand assistant at playhouses/theaters
– Meteorologist / weather reporter at a large TV station
– Docent at a historical museum
– Sales assistant / computer technician at office supply chain stores
– EMT
– Greeter / host at restaurants
– Boat captain / fishing guide
– Teacher’s assistant at pre-schools and learning centers
– Computer video game designer / tester
– Graphic artist
– Train conductor, engineer for regional and national railroad services
– Sales and stock clerk in toy, clothing, beauty products, and gaming stores
– Lab technician at camera stores
– Photographer
– Actor / performer at theme parks
– Food service prep, cook, chef at restaurants
– Landscaper
– Housepainter
– Accountant
– Activities assistant in assisted living care facility
– Equipment tech, roadie for a rock band
– Event planner
– Artist (painter)
– Baker, cake decorator
– Athletic trainer for professional baseball team
– Small business owner
– Flea market worker
– Administrative assistant
– Sign creator (Apples / 4 for $3, etc.) within supermarket
– PSA announcer for radio station
– Automotive service technician
– Newspaper proofreader, writer
– Location scout for the entertainment industry
– Pedicab (3-wheel bike) driver
– Fashion merchandiser
How’s that for choice?
To learn more about Special Stories: Short stories on youth with disabilities and my adventures working in the disabilities field, visit www.specialstoriesbook.com.
