Paths to Employment:How Parents Can Help

It’s all about choices, opportunities, and having big dreams (see High Expectations of Parents Result in Child’s Future Success). Like most kids, children with disabilities grow up to be adults with successful jobs and careers.

What’s different is the expectations to achieve these goals by parents, family members, teachers, and even employers. How can parents and families help in shaping expectations and looking for opportunities to support their child’s future work goals?

Quick Tips

Start Early – Talk to your child about the future and what they like to do
Promote Education – Help you child graduate and consider education beyond high school.
Encourage Work-Based Learning Experiences – Having a job or other work experience while in high school will greatly improves chances of getting a job as an adult.
Create Leadership Opportunities – Connect your child to a mentor to enable them to further explore their work interests.
Set Goals – Start small and help your child work toward achieving them.
Develop Social Skills – Encourage involvement in activities that allow interactions with others. Practice communication and teamwork skills.
Be Open to New Ideas – Encourage your child to try new things and not be afraid to fail (see Dealing with Failure: A Crucial Step to Learning

Source: Tips on How Parents Can Put Their Children with Disabilities on the Path to Future Employment from the Department of Labor, Disability Employment Policy Resources

Additional Resources

NCWD/Youth is your source for information about employment and youth with disabilities.