The Basics
Work makes life better. If you, as a parent, make work part of your child’s plan now, your child will be much more likely to work as an adult.
Talk about work with your child and your child’s entire support network, including your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, guidance counselors, teachers, mentors, case managers, family members, and friends. They all need to know that work is in your child’s future.
Together, you can be a team with a shared vision, exploring options, developing skills, and looking for job opportunities for your child.
Having a job early is one of the best ways to build future employment success. It could be a part-time weekend gig or a summer job. Any job where your child is making minimum wage or better is a good start.
A job offers real work experience and employers are especially patient with young employees; they know that a first job is how a young person learns what work is all about.
If anybody says that your child can’t or shouldn’t work, show them DB101’s article about why Work Is Possible.
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Get Everybody Thinking About Work
Expectations are a key. If your child, you, and his or her support network all have work as the goal, everybody will work harder to make it happen.
Explore Options with Your Child
Help your child start thinking about work:
- DB101’s Finding a Job article can help your child think about what type of work he or she might like.
- Help your child find a mentor or role model. This person can help with advice and support that can make work more realistic.
- Give your child chores. They teach your child skills and to assume responsibility.
- Get your child involved in the community. Social experiences, summer camps, volunteer projects, community education classes, and internships all teach aspects of what work is like and let your child meet more people who might help with work in the future.
- Encourage your child to enjoy hobbies. Hobbies like sewing, cooking, woodworking, or anything else can teach skills, enrich life, create job possibilities, and help develop relationships that may lead to work.
- Introduce your child to the local Independent Living Center. It’s a good place to see what types of strategies other people with disabilities use to find and keep work.
It’s hard to teach a child to make decisions and take actions independently. At age 14, your child will not be making every decision, but as your child gets older, graduates high school, and reaches age 18, he or she needs to be ready to handle the broader world. Knowing how to make decisions and take action are key skills for personal and work success. Starting early with small steps will build future success.
Learn more about the child-parent relationship in DB101’s Start Planning Now article.
Make Work a Part of Your Child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP)
If your child is still in middle school or high school, he or she probably has an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Make sure that your child’s IEP team knows that your child’s long-term objective as an adult is work and make it a part of the IEP Transition Plan. For example, the IEP could increase its focus on developing work skills, such as reading with understanding, using technology, and having interest-based work experiences.
Connect with Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS)
A counselor from Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS) or State Services for the Blind (SSB) can help your child integrate work into his or her IEP transition plan. Usually, this happens when your child is two years away from graduating high school, but if your child is ready to work earlier, a VR counselor can help any time after your child turns 16. In Minnesota, a VR counselor is assigned to every high school. You can ask for a VR application from your child’s school or directly from VRS.
After high school, the IEP will end, but VRS or SSB may still help your child with counseling, training, job skills, and job placement. CareerForce locations also have programs for youth with disabilities and job services for all adults.
Make Work Part of Your Child’s Community Service and Support Plan
If your child has a county case manager, make sure the case manager knows work is in your child’s future and discuss what employment supports the county will offer as your child becomes an adult. You can also work with the case manager to develop a vision for your child’s life as an adult, including both work and other aspects of adult life.
It can be scary when your child actually reaches the goal of finding a job. Read DB101’s Working article with your child, so that you can both learn more about how to make a first job successful.
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Next Steps
Learn More on DB101
For more about how to support your child as he or she looks for a job and gets one, read DB101’s articles:
- What Parents Can Do to Support Future Employment, a short list of tips to get started.
- Start Planning Now, which covers many of the basic issues faced by young people with disabilities as they become adults.
- Finding a Job, which discusses the processes involved in deciding what sorts of work to look for and strategies for finding that work.
- Working, which looks at what happens after your child gets a job and includes valuable suggestions about making sure work goes well.
- Four Ways Benefits Support Work, which looks at why your child will be better off when working.
- Use DB101’s School and Work Estimator to get a sense of how work could impact your child’s benefits.
Learn About Work and Benefits - Chat with a Hub expert!
When you have questions or need help, use Chat with a Hub expert. This feature connects you to a DB101 Expert using live chat, phone, or secure email. Anything you talk about is private.
- Understand your current benefits
- Get help using DB101.org
- Connect to resources
- Plan next steps
Free Legal Help
The Minnesota Disability Law Center (MDLC) provides free assistance to people with civil legal issues related to their disability. Call the MDLC Intake Line at 1-612-334-5970 (Twin Cities metro area), 1-800-292-4150 (Greater Minnesota), or 1-612-332-4668 (TTY).
Find Local Services
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You can use MinnesotaHelp.info to find social services near you, from benefits applications to job counseling. |
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