Increasing Work Skills for Students With Significant Disabilities: A Six-Step Model for Transition Worksite Programs

Students with significant disabilities typically experience poor postschool employment outcomes. However, when provided opportunities to work and engage within their communities, they can gain necessary work-specific and workplace social skills to improve outcomes. This article outlines a six-step model for community-based employment programs designed to support students with significant disabilities. The six steps include (a) interagency collaboration, (b) staff training, (c) scheduling, (d) skill acquisition, (e) data tracking, and (f) student involvement. One teacher’s experience as she worked to create such a program is used as a guide to indicate how the steps can be transferred to other schools.