Assessment Toolkit

What Is The Discovery Process

Through the discovery process, the transition team identifies the student’s abilities, interests, talents, and passion and translates that information into possible tasks the student can do for pay, the conditions needed for the student to be successful, and the contribution the student would bring to an employer. The discovery process can be used as an assessment to determine appropriate supported employment services. The Discovery Process makes sure that:

The student has opportunities to share their goals, strengths and needs
Parents have opportunities to share about who their student is and what they do best
Other people who know the student really well have a chance to share what the student does well and opportunities where they could learn

Learn more about one individual’s experience with customized employment

Customized Employment

Customized Employment is based on a negotiated relationship with employers rather than traditional methods to obtain employment. A job is developed when the strengths, skills, abilities, and conditions for success of the student meet the unmet needs of the business. Customized Employment offers:

Visual résumé development to use with employers
Identifying relationships that might exist in the student’s support circle
Tours and reviews of employment sites to look at job tasks and opportunities

What Can the Discovery Process Do For Students?

When the transition team learns about the student from the people who know them best, the student will have:

Employment Plan

The student will have a plan that details all the supports they will need to succeed in employment.

Personalized Planning

The student will create an employment plan based on the student’s strengths, interests and needs outside of school.

Self-Determination

The student will learn about their skills in the home, work and community settings and can make plans to improve their skills and reach new goals.

Personalized Program

The student will educate their transition team of their skills and abilities so a program of classes and experiences can be built to support and encourage those skills.