The Way to Work

How to Facilitate Work Experiences for Youth in Transition, Second Edition
Richard G. Luecking, Ed.D.

As groundbreaking legislation redefines transition practices and ideal employment outcomes for young people with disabilities, professionals need practical, up-to-date guidance on helping young adults achieve competitive, integrated employment. The new edition of this classic bestseller is your complete guide to facilitating individualized, person-centered work experiences for high school students and young adults with a range of disabilities.

Overview

The first book that clearly explains how to effectively apply the requirements of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), The Way to Work gives you the knowledge you need to adhere to the new rules and leverage new opportunities to benefit youth in transition. You’ll also get the latest on critical topics covered in the first edition, from determining student strengths and needs to recruiting employer partners and designing positive work experiences.

Informed by the author’s three decades of experience promoting the employment success of people with disabilities, this reader-friendly guide is a must-have for transition professionals, special educators, and other professionals supporting young adults as they begin a long and fulfilling career.

Key Features

GET NEW GUIDANCE ON HOW TO

• Navigate the newest federal legislation on transition to work
• Apply principles of the latest transition models
• Plan workplace accommodations with employer participation
• Address recent wage regulations
• Involve families in planning work experiences

SUPPORT THE WHOLE EMPLOYMENT PROCESS

• Assess students' strengths, needs, and interests
• Recruit employer partners
• Design work experiences that benefit both employer and employee
• Help students decide when and how to disclose a disability
• Promote students’ social skills
• Guide students in advocating for work accommodations
• Facilitate workplace mentorship for young people
• Collaborate with families and professionals to support the work experience

PRACTICAL MATERIALS

You'll get planning organizers, interview guides, worksheets, and other downloadable forms to help you put recommended strategies into practice.

Reviews

• Colleen Thoma, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education Provides concrete guidance for practice based on updated information from research, model programs, and national policies…Everyone concerned with increasing employment opportunities will find answers here!
• Meg Grigal, Co-Director, Think College, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston
  The Way to Work is one-stop shopping for anyone who believes everyone can work. It should be required reading for all transition specialists and vocational rehabilitation counselors.
• Cary Griffin, CEO (retired), Griffin-Hammis Associates
  Comprehensively sketches a clear blueprint and refocuses the central question of transition from school to work from if to how.
• Paul Wehman, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Director of VCU-RRTC, VCU Health Center A must for every job development and employment specialist to have on their bookshelf…the second edition has many new tips for helping people with disabilities to get into the 21st-century workforce.
• Gary Greene, Professor Emeritus of Special Education, California State University, Long Beach An excellent and comprehensive overview of history, legislation, and practical information related to the employment of persons with disabilities.

Contributors

• Author: Richard G. Luecking Ed.D.
• Foreword Authors: Mary E. Morningstar Ph.D., Madeleine C. Will
• Chapter Authors: Kelli Thuli Crane Ph.D., Amy Dwyre D'Agati M.S., Marie Parker Harvey M.A., Meredith Gramlich M.A.

This product has additional material available on the Brookes Download Hub.

• More than a dozen planning organizers, interview guides, worksheets, and other downloadable forms to help you put recommended strategies into practice.

Visit the Download Hub for a preview of what's available.