Job skills, transition program until age 22 on the autism spectrum

The transition program the high school district offers for neurodiverse high school graduates until age 22 is a wonderful program. The main focus is life skills and when the student is ready to transition into a work program they are introduced to a new job setting. My now 19 year old is in his second year at the transition program and was introduced to a job placement at the local Courtyard Marriott. There are other peers in the same job placement and they attend the job site every other day. The school district provides bussing to and from along with supervision.

He is really happy with his job placement and is excited every morning when he puts on his special Career Discovery shirt to wear to the job site. The program is only half the day and he is at work an estimated 1.5-2 hours. He says he breaks down boxes for the recycling but I also learned he has other duties including wiping down tables in the cafe and polishing silverware.

I did learn from the director of the work program some of the other job sites include IKEA, Walgreens and TJ Maxx. My husband and I are so happy he finally got into a work program as the IEP team did discuss work placement his senior year of high school but was postponed due to the pandemic. I think his first year in the transition program, his placement was delayed to both the pandemic and not being ready to participate in an off campus environment.

My husband and I have definitely seen maturity develop alongside this program. He shows more independence and initiative to do tasks on his own. We are now in conversation with our younger son’s IEP team regarding a job placement his senior year. He is mainstreamed into neurotypical high school but needs to learn more independence/life skills. The director of the job program said that he could be placed in a job setting for an hour every other day. The director also said that they could place him in a summer job before his senior year. I requested help with a summer job for our youngest because he interviewed for a job last summer and wasn’t hired.

I recommend autism parents to research and inquire about job placement programs in their own high school district. The Department of Rehabilitative Services through the state also works in coordination with the high school program.

Feel free to post comments and questions you may have regarding job placement and transition programs. Wishing the best of luck in your young adult’s endeavors.