Introduction
As any school students, students with disabilities have to define their future educational and career plans after graduation. Due to a range of reasons, it is harder for disabled students to prepare for adult life, to get the desired job, and to develop professionally. A transition plan for students with disabilities is characterized as a “general springboard, supplying the tools students will need to venture into life after high school” (Marshak, Dandeneau, and Prezant 201). It helps the students to formulate their goals in a measurable way and to define the key practical steps to reach them. The disabled student gets a chance to open vast post-secondary opportunities and take a decent place in society. The transitional plan requires an individual approach and close cooperation with the student, his or her parents, and teachers (IRIS Center for Training Enhancements 1).
The role of the school counselor
The school counselor is a significant figure in the process of transition planning. It falls within the competence of a professionally accredited school counselor to facilitate the post-school transition of students with disabilities (Boyle and Scanlon 421). First, the school counselor has to communicate with the student and outline his or her interests and inclinations. In an unobtrusive and individually tailored manner, he then has to find out the student’s ultimate goals and career aspirations. After receiving the initial information from the student, the counselor can define the professional areas where the student is most likely to become successful. The counselor also has to transform the possibly vague student’s statements into clear and concrete steps (Coleman and Yeh 171). When the goals are set out, and the professional sphere is chosen, the counselor becomes responsible for the student’s preparation and reception of essential job skills as well as for the communication with the post-school services (IRIS Center for Training Enhancements 2).
It is impossible to make an individual transition plan without the complex assessment of the student’s educational, vocational and personal skills (IRIS Center for Training Enhancements 5). Among the most widespread tools for assessment is the analysis of the student’s background information, interviews or questionnaires, psychometric tests, self-actualization tests, simulated job tasks, and situational assessment (Bakken 85). In Ann’s case, it is important to find out more details about her school performance, her favorite subjects except drawing. Taking into account that there are many art spheres where Ann’s talent may be applied, it is required to specify her interest. It is also important to test Ann’s interpersonal and communicational skills and to find out whether she is ready for adult life.
Career opportunities for disabled students nowadays are presented by many traditional and online services. Ann’s school library for sure has to have special career guides for student with disabilities. Ann and her parents may also ask specialized work agencies to help them with their search (IRIS Center for Training Enhancements 6). It is also possible to refer to disability-focused professional organizations such as, for instance, the Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities; such organizations, as a rule, have partnerships with businesses aimed at the employment of disabled people (Strauser 306). The website of the federal Department of Labor, as well as regular job-search websites, may also be helpful (IRIS Center for Training Enhancements 7).
Conclusion
Being responsible for the student’s awareness of the current post-school opportunities, the counselor plays a significant role in the process of students’ self-determination. The counselor is the key figure in the IEP team, where he acts as a mediator between the teachers, parents, and the student. He helps to define the student’s professional goals and implement the transition plan (Coleman and Yeh 170).
The counselor also is a liaison between the student and the chosen educational institutions or employers. He initiates and controls the establishment of long-term relations and partnerships with post-school services, which make for the student’s career realization (IRIS Center for Training Enhancements 10).
References
Bakken, Jeffery. Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities: What Educators and Service Providers Can Do. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas, 2008. Print.
Boyle, Joseph, and David Scanlon. Methods and Strategies for Teaching Students with Mild Disabilities: A Case-Based Approach. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.
Coleman, Hardin, and Christine Yeh. Handbook of School Counseling. New York, NY: Routledge, 2011. Print.
IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. School Counselors: Facilitating transitions for students with disabilities from high school to post-school settings, 2007. Web.
Marshak, Laura E., Claire J. Dandeneau, and Fran P. Prezant. The School Counselor’s Guide to Helping Students with Disabilities. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Print.
Strauser, David. Career Development, Employment, and Disability in Rehabilitation: From Theory to Practice. New York, NY: Springer, 2012. Print.