teens

PREPARING FOR AN INDEPENDENT LIFE

Programs help transition students with special needs to life after high school. | BY ANDREA STETSON

The pathway is transition IEP (Individualized tory, looking at strengths and clear for most Education Plan) and talk about barriers,” says Rick Duggan, exhigh school future employment and future ecutive director of Exceptional seniors: graduliving,” says Scott Kozlowski, Student Education and Student ate from high Exceptional Student Education Support Services at Collier school, then go coordinator for Lee County County Public Schools. “The to college, get a job or join the Public Schools. “Starting at the emphasis is on self-advocacy.” armed forces. But for teenagers age of 14, we start working at Rick says it’s important for with special needs, it isn’t that everything with graduation in students and their parents to simple. The path usually has mind.” plan early and understand what more challenges. That’s why Collier County has the same is needed for the future. experts in Lee and Collier counprogram, and sometimes they “It’s the ability to be asserties start early to prepare the start even earlier. tive and knowing their rights,” students and their parents for “Beginning around seventh Rick explains. “As students the future. grade, we encourage the student leave school, they are no longer

“With every student, we to come in with their parents covered under the student disstart meeting at age 14 with a to go through interest invenability act. They go under the

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). So there are different accommodations. One of the main skills we can teach them is what their accommodations are and what to ask for. We do a lot of work on strengths and weaknesses.”

Lee County has teamed up with Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida for its Project Search program. There, students can work in the mail room, laundry room and at the front desk. They might escort patients with a wheelchair to a car, make sure supplies are on a cart and numerous other tasks. They get experience in about 16 departments in the hospital.

“At the hospital usually one quarter to one third come back to work at the hospital,” Scott says.

The Collier school district has a Project Search collaboration with NCH Healthcare Systems.

“It’s been fantastic,” Rick says. “It has far outdone anything I could have ever imagined.”

Project Search gives students real-life skills that Scott says are critical to their success in the workplace.

“At school they are used to being a little bit late, or taking a day off,” Scott says. “At Project Search they have to follow the same guidelines as anyone who works at the hospital. They are treated as adults for the first time in their life.”

Rick says the program also gives students transportation knowledge since they must provide their own transport to NCH.

“The Collier County CAT bus is great with transportation. We work with them on travel training and routes,” Rick says.

Project Search in Lee County is for students with significant disabilities. Lee County plans to start a program for students without significant cognitive disabilities in the fall of 2021.

“It was supposed to start fall of 2020, but with COVID it is starting a year late,” Scott explains.

Students with special needs can also spend part of their high school time working in the community. Scott says they work at places such as Home Depot, a movie theater, Walmart and other local businesses. Getting a part-time job is a great idea, Rick says.

“For students that need more help, we have career experience,” Rick says. “Teachers contract with 80 to 90 businesses that work with us.”

Collier County students not only work at Publix and McDonalds, they get jobs at nail salons, the mall and area hotels. There is a program for students to work at the Naples Beach Club. Project Explore lets graduates be part of an adult education program at Lorenzo Walker Technical College.

Students can also gain experience at school.

“If they are interested, we can use some of their elective time to start building in vocational opportunities,” Rick says. “They begin with on-campus work experiences: library, cafeteria or tasks of independent living.

“Once students are about to exit, there is an exit meeting,” Scott explains. “We look to try to set them up with what we can before they leave our services.”

For students who plan to go to college, Scott says they offer programs to help with organization, social skills and living skills.

“These are the things we look to target,” he says. “It is very individualized.”

There are 14 schools in Florida called the College Experience. This gives students a chance to live in dorms and go to class.

“That has been starting to gain steam,” Scott says.

The College Experience lasts three to five years. Students do not receive college credit for the courses they take, but they get the experience they need to either transfer to a traditional university or use the skills in the workplace and with independent living.

Students in the ESE program can also defer leaving public school until they are 22 years old. During the time between graduation and age 22, they can focus on employment skills, daily living skills, work study and more.

“There are four more years,” Rick says. “We look at how we can make it so they can have the most productive life that they can have, being career and life ready.”

"One of the main skills we can teach them is what their accommodations are and what to ask for. We do a lot of work on strengths and weaknesses.” — RICK DUGGAN