Did you know that 90% of all people with cognitive disabilities in Illinois are unemployed (ARC, 2006)? This is a startling statistic and can be disheartening for those working with high school students with cognitive disabilities.
One of the reasons for this statistic is that students with cognitive disabilities have a hard time identifying and choosing clear and realistic job choices.
When you are reading at the 1st grade level and doing math at the 2nd grade level, being a doctor, lawyer, etc. are not realistic goals. Not having any idea of a future job is also a problem. This is the struggle I encounter every day in my classroom. I am the freshman occupational preparation teacher at a special education high school for students with cognitive disabilities along with a range of other disabilities such as physical impairments and autism. Each of my students is working at an early elementary school level academically and struggles with identifying the careers that are right for them. Those with dreams of being a doctor could still work in a hospital or those who want to be vets could work in a pet store, but it is hard for them to identify jobs they can do in their interest areas.
My Project
Harder still is to find their interest areas with difficult career survey questions such as "are you interested in creating engineering concepts?" Then, when one of my students finally finds a job they like, almost all of the resources on the jobs are in text, which makes learning more about the position an even bigger struggle. I have been doing my best, bringing in speakers and trying to make career cards with picture examples, but it limits the range of careers they can explore.
The solution is the YES computer program. This computer program is research based (Morgan, 2006) and targeted to help students with cognitive disabilities learn more about realistic career options. Through picture interest inventories they are able to identify their job interests and then watch videos explaining the skills they need, training options, wages, etc. for over 200 jobs. This program would be invaluable in my classroom. It would expose my students to a much wider range of career options.
The program could also let them know the skills they need to prepare during high school for future employment.
I would also share this program with the other occupational preparation teachers, exposing all 230 students in the school to a world of careers that would then help them make their plans for their futures. Help change the future for those with cognitive disabilities, all it takes is the career program YES.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Manseau and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
