Cerebral Palsy and Vocational Counseling

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When children with cerebral palsy reach their teen years, it’s time to start thinking about their future and ability to live independently. Vocational counseling can help a young adult with cerebral palsy identify their strengths and how those can lead to a job. Vocational counseling also provides specific job skills and assistance with placement.

Can You Work and Have Cerebral Palsy?

Many people living with cerebral palsy can work and earn a living. The type of job or the extent to which an individual can work depends on the severity of their condition and symptoms. Some people are too disabled to work at all.

For those who can work, some people with cerebral palsy need accommodations or adaptive tools and technologies.

What Is Vocational Counseling?

Vocational counseling, sometimes referred to as vocational rehabilitation, is a program that helps prepare children with special needs, including cerebral palsy, for adulthood and work.

The primary goals of vocational counseling are to provide individuals with skills that make them employable and to help them find work.[1]

These goals also support a disabled person’s ability to live independently and participate more fully in society.

Vocational counseling is often multidisciplinary. Teams work closely with each person to assess their strengths and weaknesses, aptitude, talents, career interests, and more.

Office modifications, such as adaptive equipment, are also considered for those who need accommodations when working. Additionally, vocational counseling helps children overcome obstacles in the workplace by providing:

• Career counseling services
• Communication and social skills training
• Assistance in making professional decisions
• Job skill development services

What Are the Benefits of Vocational Counseling for People with Cerebral Palsy

Children with cerebral palsy need extra support for certain life events, such as choosing a career that’s right for them. Some parents may assume that future employment for their child is impossible.

Vocational training can help young adults and their families explore options and find a job or career that suits the child’s needs well and gives them a sense of purpose.

Vocational counseling can pinpoint your child’s unique capabilities while helping them achieve independence.

Once their assessment is complete, vocational coaches can help them find job training programs, job placement assistance, and professional help with social and self-esteem issues. They can provide access to other coaches, such as career and job trainers.

Who Needs Vocational Counseling?

Vocational counseling is generally offered as a part of your child’s IEP program at school. The education professionals familiar with your child’s abilities and needs can help you determine if they could benefit from this service.

The level of counseling varies depending on a child’s needs. If your child has minimal disabilities, they might only need a small amount of assistance. A child with more severe disabilities needs a more intensive intervention.

What Happens in Vocational Counseling?

The type of training involved in vocational counseling will depend on each student’s individualized assessments. In general, however, the following forms of training are typically offered:

• Headset and phone training
• Computer and applications training
• Task-mastering techniques
• Searching and applying for open positions
• Career training workshops

Vocational counseling can occur in various settings, including schools, colleges, training centers, and community centers.

Who Provides Vocational Counseling?

Professional vocational counselors typically carry a master’s degree in vocational rehabilitation.

Although most states don’t require vocational professionals to be certified, many voluntarily obtain certification in their field for added credibility. Most employers prefer candidates who have obtained certification.

Vocational counselors concentrate on numerous areas of study while in school, including rehabilitation, biology, anatomy and physiology, clinical practice and observation, psychology, sociology, and other related fields.

Another professional who helps out during vocational counseling is the vocational technician. Vocational technicians typically hold associate’s degrees and assist vocational counselors in helping students learn skills that will help them succeed in employment.

Vocational Counseling Success Story

Karlee Hayes of Florida enrolled in vocational counseling, known as “Vocational Rehabilitation,” after learning about her “School to Work” program at her local high school.[2]

The Tallahassee Democrat reports that Hayes learned invaluable clerical skills while in counseling. Her counselor, Sherger Gray, was so impressed that she found Hayes a position at the Children’s Medical Services for the Florida Department of Health at the University of South Florida.

Haye’s duties included stuffing envelopes and performing other clerical tasks that she had been trained to do during her vocational training.

Since Hayes suffers from seizures and vision problems, her vocational counseling job coach began immediately working to provide her with the accommodations needed for her to work.

Items supplied to Hayes include a larger computer monitor, a foot pedal, a grabber for retrieving dropped items, a wheelchair arm pivot, a monitor stand, and a right-handed keyboard.

Hayes was so successful at her job that she was accepted into the  STAGES (Successful Transition After Graduation for Exceptional Students) program at the University of South Florida (USF). The STAGES program allows Hayes to work at the school’s campus recreation center during her internship.

She continues to work at the Children’s Medical Services as well, and she’s gotten so proficient that she’s taken on additional tasks. The supervisor indicates that Hayes is one of her best workers and that “it’s a pleasure having her around.”

If you have a child with cerebral palsy, it’s never too soon to start thinking about their future. Vocational counseling is an important way to help prepare them for a future that includes work.