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Industry: Email Alert RSS FeedCareer development for adolescents and young adults with mental retardation
Professional School Counseling, Dec, 2004 by John Wadsworth, Amy Milson, Karen Cocco
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School counselors can help students, parents, and IEP teams develop career goals through (a) providing accurate information about the world of work, (b) matching students' interests and abilities to career opportunities, and (c) encouraging students to broaden their options as a precaution against future changes in the labor market (Schmidt, 1999; Szymanski et al., 1996). These activities are consistent with trait and factor models of career development and occupation choice based on the work of Parsons (1909) (e.g., theory of work adjustment, Dawis, 1996). Parents of adolescents seek vocational information, consultation, and advocacy from professional school counselors because they perceive limited vocational prospects for their child who has mental retardation. Future researeh needs to focus on the benefits of collaboration between parents of students with mental retardation and school counselors because the counselors can help parents access important information regarding future labor market trends, typical career trajectories in a variety of occupational groups, and career development activities that can be adapted to assist students with career success. Such information is critical if young people and their parents are to participate meaningfully in planning that focuses on the future needs and preferences of the student (Whitney Thomas, Shaw, Honey, & Butterworth, 1998). School counselors also have an important role in advocating for broadbased career plans that focus on the student's interests and abilities and that will increase future career options.
Vocational exploration activities implemented at the elementary- and middle-school levels can prepare students with mental retardation to make career choices in young adulthood (Black & Langone, 1997). School counselors should choose relevant career competencies based on those outlined in the ASCA National Model (2003) and first described by Campbell and Dahir (1997). For example, school counselors can help the IEP team contextualize classroom activities such as choice making and social skill development as important components of vocational preparation. Middle-school classroom guidance lessons may focus on helping students develop a knowledge of personal interests and abilities and foster an awareness of careers as a succcssion of related paid and unpaid work activities (Black & Langone; Reid & Bray, 1997).
Career Interests
People with developmental disabilities may lack realistic information about occupations and careers on which to base their interests. Job experiences play an important part in the development of maturity with regard to vocational interests, abilities, and traits (Black & Langone, 1997; Levinson et al., 1994; Pumpian et al., 1997). Career interests may be stimulated through short-term job tryout experiences and job shadowing experiences that include documentation of preferences and performance. Information regarding the student's preferences of activities, work environments, emotional and monetary rewards, and supervision can help students and parents to identify congruent short-term occupational choices and long-term career outcomes. Likewise, accurate information regarding performance may assist the student and transition planning team in identifying the training, work experiences, effort, and timeline that will be required to achieve the student's career preferences.
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