Learning & Earning

Back to School / Transition Information (K-12)

Students with Disabilities:

Luckily, many schools have made substantial strides towards creating accessible, welcoming, and inclusive campuses. Our team curated an additional series of college planning guides for a multitude of disabilities in order to better equip students on campus to plan for the most ideal situation.\

College Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Youth

ASDNext: Pennsylvania initiative focused on teens and young adults on the autism spectrum, which shares blog posts authored by youth on the autism spectrum and resources for transition to employment, postsecondary education, and community living.
College Autism Network: Portal on college access for students on the autism spectrum, which shares training materials, research study findings, and other resources focused on bolstering supports and services for college students on the autism spectrum to improve outcomes.
Collaborative Career Planning for College Students with ASD: Virginia Commonwealth University resources on enhancing career planning for college students on the autism spectrum and integrating strategies for employment supports and employer outreach.
Transition Truths: Developmental Disabilities: Resource developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, which shares information for youth on federally funded developmental disability services and resources.
Teens Talking to Teens: Youth-centered resource on transition, which the Center for Secondary Education for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill developed from ideas generated by youth on the autism spectrum.
Considering Community Service: Career Development for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Research-to-practice toolkit on community service engagement for youth on the autism spectrum that was developed by the Institute for Community Inclusion under a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Employment

To Tell or Not to Tell: Issues of Disclosure in the Workplace: Issue brief released by the Center for Autism Research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia that discusses self-disclosure by youth and adults on the autism spectrum who are seeking job opportunities.
Unlocked Potential: An Employment Guide for People with Autism: Guidebook developed by the Autism Society of Minnesota in collaboration with the state’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which shares strategies for job search, self-disclosure, and workplace management.
Adjusting to New Situations(ASERT)
Supporting New Habits (ASERT)
Building a Relationship of Mutual Respect (ASERT)
Getting Feedback at Work (ASERT)
Workplace Relationships (ASERT)
Job Accomodation Network (JAN) Autism Specific
Disability Disclosure (Goodwill of SWPA) (PDF)

Job Seeking Resources

Assisting job seekers: A guide for employment specialists.
Social Security: Work incentives tools for those on SSI/DI
Explore Work Curriculum: Discusses self-advocacy, identifying interest, why people work, etc.
Department of Labor Employment Policy: Offers a comprehensive range of resources through the transition to employment.
Think Work: Employment successes, career planning, job matching & more.
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN): Leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.
The Spectrum Careers: Job portal developed to help people with autism and/or other disabilities obtain employment.
Ability Jobs: Job site for people with disabilities.
Celebrate EDU: Kindling workshop for job interest, business 101 skills & exploration
Autism Society of Pittsburgh: Working with CAI’s Autism2Work program
The 7 Soft Skills Required in Today’s Workforce (Dr. Shawna Little, Conn. Area CTC)