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Re-thinking support: the hidden school-to-work challenges for individuals with special needs

  • Sonali Nag
Article
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Abstract

This paper examines the hidden challenges experienced by individuals with special needs during the transition years between school and work. An assessment framework is proposed that covers domains of difficulties, developmental tasks during the transition years, the matrix of support within the home-community-institutions ecosystems, and the individual’s personal profile of schooling experience, academic attainments, interests, aptitudes and sense of self-determination. The paper ends with a model for intervention addressing self-efficacy and the social cognitive environment of the individual.

Keywords

Disability Career guidance Self efficacy 

Résumé

Re-penser le soutien: les défis cachés de la transition école-métier pour les individus ayant des besoins spécifiques. Cet article examine les difficultés cachées vécues par les individus ayant des besoins particuliers au cours des années de transition entre l’école et le monde du travail. Un cadre d’évaluation est proposé, celui-ci couvre les domaines de difficultés, les tâches dévelopementales pendant les années de transition, la matrice de soutien au sein des écosystèmes maison-communauté-institutions, ainsi que le profil personnel des expériences scolaires, les acquis académiques, les intérêts, les aptitudes et le sens de l’autodétermination. L’article se termine par un modèle d’intervention abordant les problèmes du sentiment de compétence et de l’environnement socio-cognitif de l’individu.

Zusammenfassung

Überdenken von Unterstützung: Die versteckten Herausforderungen im Übergang von Schule in Beruf für Menschen mit besonderen Bedürfnissen. Dieser Aufsatz untersucht die versteckten Herausforderungen, welche von Personen mit besonderen Bedürfnissen während den Übergangsjahren zwischen Schule und Beruf erfahrenen. Ein Rahmenmodell zur Abklärung wird vorgeschlagen, welches die Bereiche Schwierigkeiten, Entwicklungsaufgaben in den Übergangjahren, die Matrix von Unterstützung innerhalb des Ökosystems Zuhause-Gemeinschaft-Institutionen sowie das persönliche Profil von Schulerfahrungen, akademische Errungenschaften, Interessen, Fähigkeiten und Gefühl der Selbstbestimmung umfasst. Der Aufsatz endet mit einem Interventions-Modell, welches Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung und das sozial-kognitive Umfeld des Individuums angeht.

Resumen

Replanteando los Apoyos: Retos “invisibles” en la transición de la escuela al trabajo para las personas con Necesidades Especiales. Este artículo explora los retos ocultos experimentados por personas con necesidades especiales durante los años de transición entre la escuela y el trabajo. Se propone un marco general de evaluación que contempla las áreas de dificultad, las tareas evolutivas durante los años de transición, la matriz de apoyo en los ecosistemas hogar-comunidad-instituciones y el perfil personal del individuo teniendo en cuenta su experiencia escolar previa, resultados académicos, intereses, aptitudes y sentido de auto-determinación. El artículo termina con un modelo para la intervención basado en la auto-eficacia y el ambiente cognitivo-social de la persona.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.The Promise FoundationBangaloreIndia
  2. 2.University of YorkYorkUK

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