Describe what are the strengths and limitations of the career development program?

Evaluator one suggested that the strengths of the program are the career exploration process and the job readiness process. One of the limitations Evaluator one suggested is that there is not a re-testing process for the Learning Disabilities.

Evaluator two discussed a number of strengths of the program in questions three and six. She believes that one limitation of the program is that it is excluding individuals from participating in the program if they do not identify as AAM. This element is discriminatory and excluding of other ethnic groups and could present legal challenges. This is easily remedied.

Evaluator two also thinks that one limitation of the program is also one of its greatest strengths. While the supported work experience has the potential to accomplish

significant positive changes in self-concept and opportunity for clients, care must be taken to reduce the potential for the experience to be less than successful, due to over-ambitiousness on the part of the client and the program staff. Once participants begin to speak about their tentative dreams, staff will need to respond with enthusiasm in order to begin to build a sense of hope and confidence in the client. For many staff members, this will not be difficult-–celebrating client dreams is one of the most delightful parts of our jobs. However, staff may be inclined to buy into visions of spectacular successes in part because of their own personal need for “proof” that they have been effective and helpful.

Additionally, staff is likely to be very aware of the social constructs that often result in the underestimating the potential of AAMLD individuals as well as the harm that such reactions have caused to their clients. Thus, they may be (and should be) especially determined not to make the same mistakes.

This very enthusiasm, however, may result in staff encouraging clients to “bite off more than they can chew” when it comes to setting goals, objective and establishing action plans related to the work experience. But of course, “success” is actually built one step at a time- mastery of each step prepares the individual for the step ahead.

Occasionally one might be able to skip a step, but that increases the risk of “failure”. For many individuals, especially those with more privilege, and or a history of successes, a

“failure” such as this becomes something to “work through”, an additional challenge to overcome. For the typical AAMLD, however, so much is riding on completing the work experience with a perception of success that this kind of risk should be planfully and

strategically minimized. Better for this clients to take on a challenge that is far below his abilities, and walk away thinking that he could have handled far more, than to walk away thinking that he barely made it through, that he was lucky the employer did not notice all of his weaknesses or that the praise he received was undeserved. To mitigate the risk of a client perceiving that a staff member does not have confidence in his abilities because s/he suggested a less challenging work experience, staff will need to be quite transparent about the reasons for such suggestions: the most important thing that can be

accomplished through the work experience is a positive change in the way that the client thinks about himself and his power to influence others in employment situations. This change in self-perception will be easier to accomplish if the initial "placement" is "too easy", than if it is more challenging. Subsequent work experiences can build upon his increased self-efficacy, and more safely add levels of challenge, because the client will have a history of success to remind him of his own personal competence at times when work is more of a challenge.

The program might also build in some expectation that things will not always go smoothly- that struggles to achieve at work are normal for everyone, as are mistakes, small failures and discouragement. It would be advantageous for clients to be prepared for such times, probably before the first "placement" and particularly in anticipation of future, more challenging work settings. Advance planning for how to cope with these times might be highly beneficial.

Evaluator three thought that the strengths of this program include the connection between what the student will learn about himself as it relates not only to the student’s readiness to make career related decisions but also to the world of work. Furthermore, the

student has the opportunity to put into practice what he learns since a major component of the program includes placement into a job, volunteer placement, or internship. Also, the incorporation of individual as well as group activities offers the student the

opportunity to really grow by having exposure to the different personalities and interactions that these opportunities provide. The one limitation that evaluator three is concerned about would be that based on the disability that a student may have, the Career Counselor may have some challenges in presenting the material in the allotted time for workshops.