Transitioning from High School to Integrated Employment: My Story of Success By Patrick Young
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Transcript of Transitioning from High School to Integrated Employment: My Story of Success By Patrick Young
Transitioning from High School to Integrated Employment:
My Story of SuccessBy
Patrick Young
2012 APSE Conference
Who I am
• I am 23 years old• I live in Germantown,
WI with my dad, I want to get my own apartment
• I graduated from Germantown HS in 2008
• I finished my IEP transition goals in 2010
• I have a younger brother and a younger sister
Things I like to do
• I enjoy going to church and mission service trips
• I enjoy sharing my story and life experiences
• I enjoy traveling to places like California to visit family, Europe, and see monuments at Washington DC
Things I am proud
of• I have had a job for 7
years as a finishing assistant at TLP
• I am an advocate for people with disabilities
• I have a 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo
Things I enjoy in the community
• I enjoy ushering at St. Anthony’s church
• I do sports like swimming, basketball, bowling, running, and Taekwondo
• I like to go to the movies on Friday’s with my friends
My Advocacy Activities
• I am involved with the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD)
• I have experiences with a Youth Leadership Forum
• I done in activities like “Bring your legislator to work”
How community connections led to my job• It started with a
church mission trip for a week
• I went with my dad and my brother to Wheaton, Illinois
• The mission trip was to do community service by repairing houses for people who could not do it themselves
My first day
• The first day we formed teams of 1 adult and 5 kids
• Each of us had a special role on the team, I was the break maker
• I met another person on my crew, his name was Cameron we become friends
In the middle
• Cameron saw how I work and told his father
• The middle of the week we needed more help to finish the work on our house, we needed a second crew
• Cameron’s father was on the second crew that came to help us
Our last day of the mission
trip• Cameron’s father saw
me in action and he was impressed
• He told me he had a small company and if I wanted a job I should call him
• From this I got connected with my company, Tailored Label Products, or TLP
And from this I got my job!
• I filled out a job application
• I had a job interview with Cameron’s father and the CEO of the company
• They offered me a job• I was in high school
and worked this into my transition plan
The Importance of aGood Transition Plan
A Transition Plan is about
Reaching Your Goals
• My goals were to be a self-advocate, to have a job, and to live independently
• I liked taking regular classes with my friends
• I led my own IEP meetings
• Start early – my transition plan started when I was 14
My Transition plan after senior year• Senior year I walked
with my friends in the graduation ceremony
• The next 2 years I focused on my key transition goals :• self advocacy• community integration• job skills• math and reading
Your Transition Plan – the key
to Your Success
• You should speak up with your IEP team
• Make sure the goals are about what YOU want
• This is the plan that will prepare you for life after high school
Why students
should lead their own IEP • No one knows what
you want more than yourself
• Every person should be the one who sets their own goals
• Be responsible for the plan to reach your goals
I want to : ____________________
Tips that helped me
be successful
• My IEP meetings were about ME, not the school
• I learned to speak up and let others help me
• Think out of the box and use resources that will help you reach your goals
• Team work is the best way to get good results
Other good things about leading your IEP meetings• It will give you good
leadership experience • It taught me to be a
good self-advocate • I learned how to
make good goals and put together a good plan for achieving them
• TLP has a plan for my success at work and it is a lot like an IEP
How I led my IEP
meetings• Invite your parents and
a couple of friends plus the staff from your school
• Invite others – for me it was resources like people from the department of vocational rehab (DVR)
• Introduce each person and their title
More about my IEP
meetings• When we talked about
my strengths and weaknesses, my parents and friends also spoke up too
• We all did brainstorms to think of how to reach my goals
• We all tried to be creative when thinking about how to get things done
Be prepared !
• The school staff on my IEP team filled out the forms
• I always came prepared - I used written notes that I gave to my team at the start of the meeting to make sure I communicated my ideas well
How my transition
plan turned into actions• I took reading & math
classes at an education center in the community
• I was responsible for scheduling and paying for my transportation
• I had different job shadows and internships based on my interests
People who can help
you• Parents can help their
children understand and express their wants and needs
• Friends who know you can be a big help too
• Your therapist or teachers can also help you with your IEP and to plan the meetings
Tools I use to be a good
advocate• Do a lot, then use
your experiences• Tell stories to help
others see what works or doesn’t work for you
• Work on good communication skills for both writing and speaking
• Have someone you trust to help you
Preparing for the
meeting• Practice, practice, and
practice• Practice on people like
family, friends, and teachers
• My speech therapist was a good coach for me
• Be yourself and use your strengths
Transition does not end when you
graduate
Graduating from high
school• Graduation does not
mean that you are done with goals and plans
• It does mean your IEP is done, but the transition to life after high school is just starting
• Continue to have goals and to make good plans to reach them
My goals for the future
• I want to be a better advocate
• I want to go to college• I want to live on my
own• I continue to think
about my goals and make plans to achieve them
Be the change
you wish to see in the world
Ghandi
Thank you !Questions ???