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Unique Career Development Needs of Women with Learning Disabilities

Unique Career Development Needs of Women with Learning Disabilities. Presenters: Kathryn Metzgar Kimberly Lawrence. November 15, 2008. "What do you think are some of the unique career-related issues facing women with learning disabilities?". The Role of Self Advocacy.

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Unique Career Development Needs of Women with Learning Disabilities

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  1. Unique Career Development Needs of Women with Learning Disabilities • Presenters: • Kathryn Metzgar • Kimberly Lawrence November 15, 2008

  2. "What do you think are some of the unique career-related issues facing women with learning disabilities?"

  3. The Role of SelfAdvocacy • Inability to self advocate, lack of use of career development services, impact their disability and has it affects their career choices. • Students with disabilities view employment as a source of income and not exploring career choices. • Little or no knowledge of skills required for various careers • Not aware of how disability will affect careers. • Unrealistic career ambitions or no career ambitions at all (Hitchings, 1998)

  4. Barriersto Career Choice • Gender Roles and Societal Stereotypes • Self Confidence/ Self Esteem • Disability Limitations • Family and Childhood Experiences • Lack of Opportunities • Early Work Experiences • Career Exploration and Counseling (Lindstrom, 2004)

  5. No relevant career development theory • Existing career development strategies effectiveness is unclear. • No single theory can address the different types of disabilities. • Career services staff frequently refers students to the campus Disability Services office which is ineffective. Boundaries ofResearch (Aune, 1997)

  6. Career Decision Making Processing Influences: • Gender • SES • Family Structure • Self-Efficacy • Level of Education • Age • Disability Status (Hitchings, 2001)

  7. Four Factors Related that Impact CDM Type and Severity of Disability Time Spent in Academic Remediation and Physical Intervention Overprotected advocate parents/ low expectations/ lack of seriousness Impeded CDM and maladaptive career beliefs (Hitchings, 2001)

  8. Framework of Career Development: INCOME I: Imaging- awareness of work occupations N: iNforming- understanding of self and knowledge of requirements C: Choosing- integrating Imaging/iNforming in order to select an occupation O: Obtaining- Obtains job in individuals area of choice. Conclusion of job search process. M: Maintaining- Performing and sustaining employment. E: Exiting- Contemplation or preparation for leaving employment. (Hershenson, 2005)

  9. Implications for INCOME Framework Imaging: Career awareness education, guided exposure, exposure to occupations, narrative approach. iNforming: Career/Self Assessments, career genograms, occupational and labor market information, informational interviews, job shadowing, volunteer experience, trial employment. Choosing: Application of decision making models, CACGs, Career Development courses/workshops, transferrable skills analysis, counseling/mentoring. Obtaining: Job search skills, employment/ job placement services, job fairs/clubs, career portfolio, trial  permanent employment Maintaining: Life role analysis, career coaching, career pathing, performance reviews, continuing education, up-to-date with job changes, follow up Exiting: Job change, transition, and grief counseling, stress management training, pre-retirement counseling. (Hershenson, 2005)

  10. PhasesofCareerDevelopment • Unsettled • Unclear long term career goals, unstable employment, difficulty meeting the expectations of the workforce • Exploratory • -Stable on the job, maintaining employment over an extended period of time, still unclear about long term career goals. • Focused • -Stability of employment, clarity of career goals, high degree of congruence between vocational aspirations and current occupation. (Lindstrom, 2002)

  11. Career Development: • Internal Concerns and External Constraints • Knowledge • Internal • Information for decision making • Give little thought to career issues • Pressured to make decisions • Need for more information • Unsure of how to gather information • Need job-seeking skills • Awareness of rights and disclosure options • Unaware of disability rights and disclosure options • Unsure about whether to disclose • External • Staff awareness of student rights/ univ. responsibilities • Not aware of responsibilities • Lack of knowledge (Aune, 1997)

  12. Services • Internal and External • Use and satisfaction of services • Students too busy or had other priorities • Used services elsewhere • Did not see a need • Not ready for service • Not comfortable asking for service • Unaware of services • Lack of personal assistance • Dismissal of options • Personal support integral to progress • External • Description of current access and quality of services • Staff unaware of facilities limitations • Accessibility of services • Staff use of resources • Unaware of campus disability resources • Knowing where to do and how to ask for assistance • Constrained involvement because of fewer resources • (Aune, 1997)

  13. Attitudes • Internal • Attitude toward self • Anxiety • Lack of self-acceptance • Difficulty incorporating disability into identity • Empowerment issues • Being part of a disabled community • Difficulty asking for help • External • Attitudes of others • Negative reactions from others • Anxiety about other people’s reactions • Negative perceptions • Stereotypes • Fears • Ignorance (Aune, 1997)

  14. Circumstances • Internal • Personal circumstance • Stress • Family situations • Health-related problems • Financial problems • Lack of skills and abilities • External • Circumstances in the environment • Transportation • Handicapped spaces • Elevator • Accessibility • Barrier-free environments (Aune, 1997)

  15. Keys to Successful Adult Employment: • InternalDecisions: • Powerful desire to succeed • Clear sense of goal orientation • Reframing of LD experience • ExternalManifestations: • Persistence • Goodness of fit • Learned creativity • Positive social networks (Kerka, 2002)

  16. Implications for Career Counselors: • Create a “campus climate” that facilitates open dialog between students, Disability services staff, and Career services staff. • Avoid making assumptions of a students “can” and “cannot” based on disability. • Create welcoming and encouraging environments; staff may have unconscious negative views regarding disability. • Gaining the disability perspective. • Assist students by capitalizing on strengths as oppose to focusing on limitations. (Aune, 1997)

  17. Further Implications: • Informed about barriers related to gender as well as strategies to expand career options. (Lindstrom, 2004) • Encourage LD women to engage in a wide variety of work experiences in traditional and non traditional occupations. (Lindstrom, 2004) • School staff most offer structured opportunities that enable students to explore a wide variety of occupations. (Lindstrom, 2004) • Postsecondary education programs could include a self advocacy component through SDS office. (Hitchings, 2001)

  18. Table 377: Current postsecondary education and employment status, wages earned, and living arrangements of special education students out of secondary school up to 4 years

  19. References Lindstrom, L.; Benz, M.; Doren, B. (2004) Expanding Career Options for Young Women with Learning Disabilities. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 27: 1, 43-63. Lindstrom, L.; Benz, M. (2002) Phase of Career Development: Case Studies of Young Women with Learning Disabilities. Council for Exceptional Children, 69:1, 67-83. Hitchings, W.; Luzzo, D.; Ristow, R.; Horvath, M.; Retish, P.; Tanners, A. (2001) The Career Development Needs of College Students with Learning Disabilities: In Their Own Words. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 16:1, 8-17. Hopkins-Best, M.; Wilnamaki, M.; Yurcisin, A. (1985) Career Education for College Women with Disabilities. Journal of College Student Personnel, 26:3, 220-223. Hitchings, W.; Luzzo, D,; Ristow, R.; Horvath, M.; Retish, P.(1998) Identifying the Career Development Needs of College Students with Disabilities. Journal of College Student Development, 39:1, 23-32. Hershenson, D. (2005) INCOME: A culturally inclusive and disability sensitive framework for organizing career development concepts and interventions. Career Development Quarterly, 54:2, 150-161.

  20. Aune, B and Kroeger, S. (1997) Career Development of College Students with Disabilities: An Interactional Approach to Defining the Issues. Journal of College Student Development, 38: 4, 344-356. Kerka, Sandra. (2002) Learning Disabilities and Career Development. Practice Application Brief No. 20. ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education. Nedbtac. (2008, April 06). Valeska’s Learning Disability [Video File]. Video posted to http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi0HlhtuoW8

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