I am a Transition Specialist/Employment Specialist for students with moderate to profound mental disabilities and/or autism. All students are served in special education at a high school in SC. It is my job to transition the students to their next environment--hopefully, paid employment.
A digital camcorder with software would allow myself or a student to videotape people at work. I wish to video my students that have part-time jobs to help prepare those students not yet working or those who are having difficulty with the soft skills related to employment. I will present the videos in either PowerPoint or SMART board format at school and the students will also be able to review the videos on computers at home or on MP3 players.
It is difficult to get all 45+ students on my caseload out in the community to observe people at work. So, why not bring the workers to them by video taping them doing their jobs. The students need constant and consistent exposure to jobs in order for them to be productive citizens post high school.
So many persons with moderate disabilities end up sitting at home after they exit high school because they haven't been taught the proper soft skills to seek or hold down a job. With the camcorder and software, I can record persons working and bring the world of work to the students who need it most, those with moderate disabilities including autism. The students will also be able to download the videos at home for viewing by using the USB drives and cases. The repetitious presentation of skills will help my students learn how to do specific jobs and better prepare them for paid employment.
Don't let my special needs students become another statistic, please help them learn the skills they need to a job.
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