As college and career opportunities expand for students with disabilities, the expectation is growing that students with IDD can attend college and pursue industry-based and industry-accepted credentials. In fact, the Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program Act states that efforts will be made to identify meaningful credentials for programs and to engage businesses to promote experiential training and employment opportunities for students with IDD. This aligns with research indicating that students with disabilities need work experiences early and often that lead to paid employment. Recent research using National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) data suggests that youth with IDD who have a paid job while in school are more likely to have employment upon graduation (Carter et al., 2011; Wehman et al., 2014).

The Florida DOE Division of Career and Adult Education oversees career and technical education (CTE) and adult education. There are 17 career clusters and infographics for each cluster that give additional information about CTE programs. Middle school, secondary school, and postsecondary CTE programs are organized under these clusters.

Within each career cluster, there are a multitude of courses, certificate programs, and degree programs that train for a specific job. In addition to considering taking these courses in middle and high school, students and parents should be informed about postsecondary CTE options at state and technical colleges. For more information, see Project 10’s Career and Technical Education: Enhancing Educational Experiences in Middle School, High School and Postsecondary Education.

To prepare students with IDD for these opportunities, secondary staff should discuss potential career options that align with the student’s strengths and preferences, as well as what training and experiences will prepare them for these career interests.

Practice 1: Support students to engage in career development education (CDE).

There are many ways to support secondary students to engage in career development education. Using a CDE model, students can engage in career development through three phases: career awareness, career exploration, and career immersion.

Career awareness. Through career awareness experiences, children, teens, and adults learn about the types of businesses and organizations that exist in the local, regional, and national economy; the occupations of the people who work in those businesses and organizations; the educational steps needed to prepare for desired careers; and the ways people shape their career paths. Special education and transition staff can help students become aware of careers through activities like attending career fairs, completing career interest inventories, listening to career speakers, and developing college and career plans as early as grade 8 or 9.

In Florida, students must complete a middle school career and academic planning course before entering ninth grade. These plans should be updated annually to allow students to change their minds or confirm their interests. Students as young as middle school may also participate in career-related field trips and attend high school visits to explore career choices.

Career exploration. In the second phase of CDE, as students begin to identify their interests, they can learn more about specific career options through career exploration activities. Students may take career and technical education courses in high school related to their occupational interests. They might also meet with a guidance counselor or another secondary educator to discuss their interests and potential opportunities to explore those interests through extra-curricular activities and service-learning projects. Students can also learn from their counselors about high school workshops on resume writing, interview tips, job search strategies, and work readiness skills.

At this stage, staff may escort students to their local Career Source Florida center, where they can access career workshops and learn about summer job opportunities. Students may also secure informational interviews and job shadow experiences. Students with disabilities ages 14–21 may receive Florida vocational rehabilitation Pre-ETS, including career exploration and postsecondary education counseling to help them make informed career choices.

Career immersion. Through career immersion experiences, students participate directly in career-related activities. Staff may help students to access a class where they can participate in more in-depth work in a career-related class or join a career-related club. They may also have opportunities to have a short-term internships or secure paid work in the community for school credit.

At any phase of a student’s career development, staff may use career interest surveys and assessments to help them further investigate their interests.

Carter, E., Austin, D., & Trainor, A. (2011). Factors associated with the early work experiences of adolescents with severe disabilities. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 49 (4), 233–247.

Wehman, P., Schall, C.,Carr, S., Targett, P., West, M., & Cifu, G. (2014). Transition from school to adulthood for youth with autism spectrum disorder: What we know and what we need to know. Journal of Disability Policy Studies. 25(1), 30-40.

Practice 2: Introduce students to vocational rehabilitation services, including youth services.

Florida’s Vocational Rehabilitation’s Youth Services help students with disabilities train for a job, continue their education, or find a job after high school. Under this program, every youth can participate in sponsored career counseling, work readiness training, and fully integrated work experiences in the community. These services are delivered while youth are still in high school and establish the foundation for a seamless transition to individualized training, education, and employment. In addition to Pre-ETS services that students can participate in up to age 22, students may also receive traditional VR services which can continue after they reach this age.

Benefits counseling. In preparing students with disabilities for paid work opportunities, it is important to consider how income can be accounted for when students and their families are receiving disability-related benefits (Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance). There may be concern and hesitation for students to get paid work because families worry about how it might impact these benefits. Transition specialists can arrange for a benefits counselor to provide an overview, helping families distinguish myths from facts about how working affects benefits.

Information about benefits can also be found through Florida’s Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) offices. WIPA specialists can invite benefits counselors to be part of a transition workshop series or join a transition fair. These specialists also often share contact information about benefits counseling at TIEP meetings.