Discover Work-Based Learning for High School Students with Disabilities

Discover is a comprehensive work-based learning approach designed for high school students with disabilities, aged 14 to 22, with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). It focuses on vocational assessments, vocational exploration, and supervised competitive employment opportunities to ease their transition from school to adult life.

• Vocational Assessments: Students undergo assessments to find suitable placements in group or individual settings in school or the community.
• Work Experiences: Work experiences range in duration and intensity based on student abilities and past experiences. Job trainers provide support to enhance skills, identify strengths, build confidence, develop work behaviors, problem-solving, social skills, teamwork, and independence.
• Skill Development: Trainers assess 25 attributes, collaborating with students and the IEP team for skill enhancement. Progress towards paid employment is encouraged upon consistent development of work skills. Support includes job search, applications, resume building, interview skills, initial job training, and regular check-ins for success.

Travel Training Instruction (TTI) is offered to students requiring support in developing independent travel skills or using public or para-transit systems to reach designated work sites. This service includes:

• Internal/External Assessment
• Community access for work or other 
• Comprehensive report to support transition planning
• Recommendations for skill development
• Street safety, parking lots, cross walk, intersection design, traffic flow
• Way finding, map and directory use for pedestrian skills
• Public transit use, contingency planning – route specific training or skill development