Judy Backenroth, MS, Sp ED

Teaching pre-vocation skills to the special needs population should be a primary focus for educators. The school years come and pass, and during this time we put our heart and souls into teaching our students everything we can. But as these precious years of active learning march on, we need to seriously think about the next stage for our students with autism and other disabilities. What will happen when the road of school years ends abruptly? Will our students stop at the crossroads and wander aimlessly? Or will they be as prepared as they can be for the next leg of their journey...

Prevocational training cannot be something that educators remember to teach in the higher grades, once students have one foot out of school. The reality is that if we want our students with special needs to have a chance at gainful employment and meaningful opportunities, we must begin our preparations as soon as they enter the lowest grades. We must teach with the future in mind if we want our give our students the chances they deserve.

Please visit www.educationaltraininginitiatives.com to view prevocational materials suitable for students with special needs.