Vocational Evaluation/Career Assessment in FCPS

School based career assessment: to identify transition goals, career recommendations, job training options, and job accommodations

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AT Role in Career Assessment Process

• How is AT relevant in vocational pursuits?• Increase student’s accessibility to vocational

evaluation process• Program devices and set up AT as necessary• Familiarize staff in use of AT

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Student with motor challenges

• Cerebral palsy impacting motor coordination

• Uses wheelchair• Stronger right upper

extremity but can use both• Lacks fine motor but can

perform tasks requiring gross manual dexterity

• Direct select computer access

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Accommodations & AT Used

• Compact keyboard with built-in key guard

• Keyboard poised and angled to improve access.

• Keyboard provided easier and more effective access for the student

• Standard optical mouse – good precision

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• Mouse cursor and blinking cursor enlarged to help with visual navigation

• Mouse cursor color changed from white to black.

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Student with Visual Impairment

• Blind student• Also eligibility as student

with ID• Able to read Braille• During last three years of

school (ages 18-21) participated in school vocational training center, community based training sites

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Accommodations & AT Used

• Talking scale to fill containers to specific weights

• Talking calculator• Worksheets in Braille• Recipes in Braille• Mail compartments identified in

Braille• Screen Reading software

/scanner• Braille labels and lists

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AT Provided Access to Work Samples• Remarkable track back and forth between the rows of

numbers and the talking calculator• Excellent memory for multi-step processes and

unfamiliar tasks• Excellent tactual discrimination, bi-manual dexterity and

fine motor coordination• Perseverance for challenging tasks, measuring,

threading/tying• Maintained attention to task and worked without

interruption for long periods of time• Requested clarification and assistance when needed

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Transition Plan Recommendations

• Supported work environment• Potential to develop work skills given the appropriate

supports• Expressed fear of being “stuck” in something she

doesn’t like; provide opportunity to try different work situations/activities

• Job accommodations and assistive technology such as what was provided during this career assessment to increase the opportunity to develop work skills and interpersonal skills

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Transition Plan Recommendations

• Student’s transition plan altered to work with Service Source in Virginia . This program offers community based training/supported work options in the following occupational areas:

– Retail (stocking/cleaning) – thrift stores– Custodial Services (local business and Federal government)– Mailroom Services (Federal and local government agencies)– Laundry Operations (Army base, private industry)– Food Services (Marine Headquarters in Quantico, FBI

academy Quantico, Marine barracks in DC

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