10. Navigating The Career Road: Optimizing Employment Outcomes For Students Who Are Deaf

Speaker: Kristopher Koberlein

Session Handouts:
Presentation Slides
Helix Activity The Career Road: Assessment – Milestone 1
PaTTAN/PDE Resources

Session Description: 
In this workshop, participants will learn about the importance of transition planning in helping students who are deaf and or hard of hearing to plan for and navigate the career road in an effort to obtain and maintain competitive employment. Too often for youth who are deaf and hard of hearing, the career road is marked by detours as they are more apt to experience issues related to unemployment or underemployment as they attempt to enter and maintain employment in the workforce. This is despite a willingness to want to work competitively in the workforce after gaining the necessary education, training, and skills.

Credits: Act 48, ASHA, Psych
Audience: Special Education Teachers, Teachers who work with students with hearing loss, Supervisors/Administrators, School Counselors and/or School Psychologists, Parents, Guardians, Family Members

Speaker Bio: 
Kris has been working with students with disabilities and their families for over 20 years.  In his professional experience he has held the positions of Project Consultant, Supervisor of Special Education, Program Specialist, and Special Education Teacher. In his current role as a Project Consultant in the Office of Student Services with Montgomery County Intermediate Unit 23,  Kris provides professional development and technical assistance to school districts in Montgomery County in the areas of Secondary Transition, IEP Writing, and Parent Training and Resource Expos.  In addition to these roles, he also helps coordinate the Montgomery County Transition Coordinating Council and serves as a consultant to Montco Works Now, a youth workforce provider.