Vocational Services for Individuals With Learning Disorders

Co-authored by Dr. Miranda Melcher

Source: EtiAmmos/ Shutterstock

As described in an earlier post, as a part of your free rehabilitation services, you can create a comprehensive assessment and development of an Individualized Plan for Employment (IEP), which includes your vocational interests, aptitudes, current work skills, and behaviors.

The report will have synthesized and summarize the observations and results and provides recommendations regarding feasible employment goals, potential job accommodations, and rehabilitation services to facilitate the achievement of employment goals. It offers a blueprint for what type of job training will serve you best.

Job Skill Training Options for Individuals with LDs

As mandated by the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, programs offer a wide range of job skill training options tailored to the specific needs and goals of individuals with disabilities. Here are some examples of job skill training available through vocational rehabilitation (VR):

1. Occupational Skills: including technical skills, trade skills, computer skills, customer service skills, communication skills, and more.

2. Job Readiness Skills: for example, instruction on resume writing, job search strategies, interview skills, professional etiquette, time management, teamwork, and workplace communication.

3. Vocational Training Programs: Some vocational rehabilitation programs provide comprehensive vocational training programs designed to prepare individuals for specific careers. For example, careers in healthcare, information technology, construction, hospitality, retail, or other industries based on local demand and individual preferences.

4. On-the-Job Training: Vocational rehabilitation programs often facilitate on-the-job training opportunities. This allows individuals to gain practical work experience and learn job-specific skills directly within a workplace setting.

5. Transferable Skills: Vocational rehabilitation also focuses on developing transferable skills that can be applied across different jobs and industries, for example, problem-solving, critical thinking, adaptability, teamwork, organization, leadership, and effective communication.

6. Assistive Technology Training: For individuals who may benefit from assistive technology devices or software, vocational rehabilitation programs may offer training on how to effectively use and integrate such technology into the workplace. This can include training in screen readers, speech recognition software, mobility aids, or other assistive tools.

The specific job skill training options available may vary depending on the resources, partnerships, and priorities of each state's VR program.

Job-Seeking Skills Training

Even when equipped with the necessary training, knowledge, and skills to qualify for employment, neurodiverse and/or individuals with LD may use assistance dealing with social interactions and pragmatic language skills. Because job-seeking activities such as contacting employers to inquire about potential job openings and responding to interview questions with brief and relevant information could be challenging for individuals with LD, job-seeking skills training (JSST) in a non-threatening environment is vocational rehabilitation (VR) service, which could be especially beneficial to removing these barriers to employment.

Koch (2013) summarizes the two key components of JSST as helping an individual to identify the strengths and assets that they have to offer employers and breaking down the varied tasks of finding a job into manageable steps.

Scripts, role-play scenarios, and immediate constructive feedback from both the JSST facilitator and other job seekers are provided to assist the individual with LD to develop the competencies and self-confidence to conduct a successful job search. In addition to providing skills training, the VR counselor or JSST trainer is familiar with employers in the local market and can act as an intermediary, serving both consumers and employers (Rubin & Roessler, 2008).

Work Role Training

There are certain skills necessary to perform work roles (Rubin & Roessler,2008; Telzrow & Koch, 2003). These behaviors are summarized by Koch (2013) to include interpreting and responding appropriately to social cues, managing one’s behavior in work settings, responding appropriately to supervision, dealing effectively with problems on the job, self-assessing one’s job performance, and understanding and adhering to work rules and norms.

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Koch (2013) suggests that in order for that individuals to transfer what they learn to actual employment settings, work adjustment training involves the performance of authentic work activities in settings that are comparable to work settings. School environments offer ample opportunities for youths with LD to develop work adjustment skills that will be crucial to their future success as employees. Students can participate in authentic work activities (e.g., clerical, janitorial, food service) that are similar to those found in actual employment settings.

These experiences will also enable them to develop general employment skills (e.g., punctuality, following directions, responding appropriately to feedback, and social skills) that are transferrable to any occupation. Because school environments are familiar to students and ample support is available to help them develop the necessary skills and attributes for future success as employees, these environments are often less threatening than community-based situational assessments for the student with LD who has limited or negative work experiences (Telzrow & Koch, 2003).

Accommodations Planning

Neurodiverse and/or individuals with LDs may need job accommodations to maintain employment, and VR counselors can help anticipate and aid with accommodations planning (Koch, 2000). Koch (2013) describes the key steps that will assist in this process. They are:

• obtaining accurate information about one’s employment rights as mandated in Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008,
• identifying barriers to employment and accommodation strategies,
• requesting accommodations from the employer, and
• collaborating with the employer to implement accommodations to eliminate or reduce barriers to employment (Roessler & Rumrill, 1995).

Employers are often surprised to learn that most accommodations cost little or nothing to implement. Environmental issues might simply require a different type or intensity of lighting. For example, a reasonable accommodation for a worker with LD who has difficulty interacting with coworkers might be the provision of a mentor to help the employee learn the social norms of the organization.

As another example, a reasonable accommodation for an employee with LD who has difficulty working effectively with supervisors might be something as simple as providing clear written expectations and consequences for failure to meet those expectations. Finally, for the individual with LD who has difficulty with mathematical computations, the provision of a calculator could constitute a reasonable accommodation.

Dr. Miranda Melcher is an expert on neurodiverse inclusive education and co-author of the book: NVLD and Developmental Visual-Spatial Disorder in Children.