Teach Secondary - Issue 13.2

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Debby Elley is the co-founder of AuKids magazine and co-author, with Gareth D. Morewood, of Championing Your Autistic Teen at Secondary School ; her new book, J ust the Job! – A Light-Hearted Guide to Office Life for the Autistic Employee , co-authored with Maura Campbell, is out in June 2024, published by Jessica Kingsley one on a card and then place them on a surface to rate them from, say, 1 to 5. Via this method, you can help a young person form a better idea of what to focus on when searching for work, and areas where they could perhaps compromise if needed. Other ways of working could include making ‘like’ and a ‘dislike’ card piles for various work-related tasks, or using ‘true’ or ‘false’ questions to gauge environmental workplace preferences. Simple binary choices are less challenging than open-ended discussions. 6. Learn howto learn It’s worth investing some time in teaching skills related to researching jobs, and showing students how to find out more about certain aspects of a role that may be important to them. Avoid making assumptions about what kinds of careers may be suitable for them. A commonmisconception is that people with autism lack imagination, which can sometimes discourage interest in the creative industries, but it’s simply not the case. 7.Tackle the big unknowns For most students, the unknown future can be intimidating. For neurodivergent students, this wariness can become all-consuming. How do you plan for a future you can’t picture?What if a job ends up involving too much pressure? Careers advisors can’t pretend this isn’t the case, so they need to work with it. Arranging for students to talk with neurodivergent young adults –maybe even past pupils – currently in work or studying at university can be extremely reassuring. The law protects disabled people at work, which students should be made aware of. At the same time, however, the ability to self-advocate in a way that preserves workplace harmony is a skill that can’t be underestimated. Ask students to think about how they might express their own needs, and have them practise doing so within the school environment. Just as they did when first starting secondary school, pupils will need clarity as to who can help them in the workplace if they require adjustments, and how to go about approaching them. Successful work experience placements can be a real confidence boost, but they need to be carefully planned and supported and incorporate predictable routines. Try connecting with local workplaces that youngsters might already have positive associations with, and remember that hours of work experience, rather than days, will give them time to recover from the novel experiences they’ll have had. Local organisations that help disabled people into work may be able to provide free work experience support for those with EHCPs, too, though these will generally require a social worker’s referral, so it’s best to start planning early. 8.Help themexpand on their ideas Literal thinkers can benefit greatly fromhelp with expanding their ideas on how they can use their skills. For example, some youngsters might fixate on being a ‘games tester’, because that’s the only job they know of that relates to their favourite hobby. Testing is, of course, a skill that can be used outside of the gaming industry in multiple occupations. And if games is your thing, there are naturally hundreds of other roles in that industry besides being a tester. Once you’ve managed to identify what your pupil sees as obstacles, you can suggest ways for how these might be overcome. The increased adoption of hybrid working in recent years presents WHATABOUT FURTHER EDUCATION? Families should consider selecting a further education college with smaller class sizes in preparation for higher education Universities now often have dedicated departments that will support students with disabilities during initial tours and throughout their time as undergraduates Visiting students should have opportunities to sit in on relevant classes during open days The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) can make a huge difference at university; a team will assess a student’s needs in depth and can provide mentoring and tutoring support, as well as a range of learning and planning apps many opportunities for those who might prefer to work within their own home environment. More than anything else, looking at job descriptions, visiting workplaces and observing people at work will be invaluable. The more concrete an idea can be, the easier it then becomes for students to picture themselves in that position. 33 teachwire.net/secondary C A R E E R S TEACH SECONDARY SPECIAL CAREERS