Famous People with Learning Disabilities

This site is designed as a virtual field trip in the areas of career and postsecondary education for students with learning disabilities (LD).  Students with disabilities are just like every other young person.  They have hopes, dreams, aspirations, strengths and areas of need just like everyone else.  The only difference between a student with a learning disability and a general education student is that students with LD need to learn information differently.  It's not as if they have to read a book upside down, or write in purple ink; they simple need a bit more time to complete some work; they may need to take tests in a place with minimal distractions, or use a word processor instead of physically writing out an assignment.  Students with LD  have average to above average intelligence and show a specific discrepancy (difference) in academic success between different courses or subjects.

     Although some of the postings on this site pertain primarily to students with disabilities, everyone can learn from the information presented.  For example did you know Albert Einstein was labeled mentally slow by his teachers!  That is because he had a learning disability.  Now, would you consider him slow, or "taking the short bus", or any of the other derogatory terms used for students who simply must learn differently. 

Think about it.

Now let's set off to explore the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl-maTbeNks 

What Do I Need to Know?

The more you know about yourself, what you like, what your strengths appear to be, the areas in which you do not excel, your interests, attitudes, and skills the more adept you will become at  seeking out your future.  
     Let's take a look at some ways in which you can learn more about yourself.

The first thing you need to do is think about the kinds of things you are interested in.  This doesn't just include school work or specific academic courses.  You have all kinds of interests, sports, creating things with your hands, researching subjects on the internet.  These are all part of what makes you uniquely you.  So, take a look at the Va View website and get a better idea of how your interests can guide you toward a satisfying career.

Click on the link below which will take you to the site.  Once there, watch the short video to learn  how to complete the assessment.  When the video is completed, click on Start Assessment.  Once the questionnaire is completely filled out a list of careers related to your answers will appear along with a code giving you insight into the types of jobs that fit your personality.  More will be discussed about this after you finish the interest inventory.  For now, simply fill out the accompanying worksheet making a list of the 3 careers you would be most interested in pursuing.  These will be looked at more closely as you continue on your adventure. When you have finished come on back to this site.

For now, just click the link below and have fun! 
https://www.vawizard.org/vccs/CareerAssess.action

Holland Code

Don't stick your head in the washing machine: FIND OUT MORE!

Let's take a closer look at what the letters attributes to your answers mean.  This is called the Holland Code and is simply a means of looking at your personality, interests, skills, and preferences and matching that to specific career paths.  Research has found that people with the same characteristics that you have indicated are happy in these kinds of careers.  Is this a full proof method?  No, but it sure bets trying on jobs that have little resemblance to the kinds of skills and interests you possess.  For example, I feel very insecure in my math abilities.  Could I work with figures if I had to, of course, but would I enjoy my job?  Probably not, or at least not for long.

Now take a look at the Holland Code explanation and do the accompanying worksheet.

http://www.pnc.edu/discover/holland.html 

Work Preferences and Values

Some prefer cookies and some prefer garbage

Work preferences

 Now we want to look at work preferences.  What are the things that will make it pleasant for you to go to work?  What kinds of things are necessary for you to be happy in your job, both personally and professionally.


First you will take an inventory to see what working conditions are most important to you.  Then you will come back to this site for instructions to getting to another site to learn more about what your preference mean in terms of types of careers that fit your lifestyle and personality.


First go to:
http://www.careerperfect.com/content/career-planning-work-preference-inventory/

Welcome back!  Wasn't that interesting?  See, you have more control over your life than you thought.  By learning more about what you like and don't like, what you see as important, what environment you work best in, you are able to make educated decisions about the direction of your future.
 

What are work values?

Throughout your life you acquire a set of values - beliefs and ideas that are important to you.  For example, you may believe that one should always be honest or that one must always be a loyal friend.  You live your life according to this set of values.  In order to have a happy, successful and fulfilling life, you must act upon your values, both your in personal life and at work.  Taking your values into account when you choose a career could be the most important factor that determines whether you will or won't be satisfied with that aspect of your life.


Clarifying your work values, that set of values that relates to your career, is essential.  Your work values are both intrinsic (inside of you), relating to the actual task involved in practicing a performing a particular job, and extrinsic (outside of you), relating to the by-products of an occupation.  An intrinsic value might be how you feel helping others through your job, while an example of extrinsic value might be earning a lot of money.


Let's take a look at your work values.  Click on link below.   Put you name in the box in the upper left hand corner.  Take inventory then click on summary.  Complete the accompanying worksheet.  When finished come back to this site.

http://people.usd.edu/~bwjames/tut/time/workinv.html

Employment Apptitude

Do you have what employers are looking for?  Sure, right now you may only be seeking part time employment while still in high school, but this is a tremendous opportunity to practice the skills and attitudes necessary for successful employment in the future.  There are a number of skills you need to consider no matter what career filed you are considering.

Strong Work Ethic

Employers want workers who are reliable, dependable, and self-motivated. You can develop these skills through your academic courses and extracurricular activities. 

Time Management Skills
Time management involves planning and following a schedule, listing tasks you need to complete, and estimating how long it will take.  Good time management skills are needed in every profession.

Problem-solving Skills 
Most employers look for workers who can identify problems, develop solutions, and then implement them.  These skills make workers more independent and valuable as an employee.  That's why so much emphasis is placed on math (problem-solving) in school!

 
Communication Skills
Verbal communication includes both speaking and listening.  Written communication includes reading and writing.  ALL of these skills are important in any chosen career.  Communication is a two way street and those with the ability to communicate effectively will get ahead in life.  Work on these skills every chance you get.

Could this be your life?

Now that you have some ideas about the future you, let's take a look at exactly what your life could become.  There are never any guarantees in life , so this little video is just a fun way to sample the uncertainty with none of the real life drama.  Be sure to read all of the instructions as you go through the video.  Unlike real life if you don't like the results you can get a redo!

Have fun!! 
http://www.ncrctv.com/index.asp

Everyone has a place

Worksheets for various sites are located at this site.  These were personally created for work with my students.



https://docs.google.com/?authuser=0#home