Critical Issues in Career Education for Handicapped Students

Abstract

This article discusses the career education concept and its need, significant events, critical issues, and recommendations to make it a viable educational thrust for handicapped students. The authors contend that career education should encompass the knowledges, skills, and attitudes needed for the various life roles and settings that comprise an individual's life, including employment. This will require curriculum efforts to be more extensively directed toward teaching daily living, personal-social, and occupational competencies, as well as basic subject skills. Career education includes the academic/work study curriculum design, but it goes one more step by requiring all teachers to relate their subject matter to its career implications. In addition, it requires a shared responsibility and cooperative relationship among all school disciplines and substantial involvement of parents and community agencies and industries in all phases of education.

Life Skills Curricula for Students with Learning Disabilities

“…Life skills should be part of the ongoing curriculum. Some research emphasizes that life skills should be taught throughout the school curriculum (Brolin & D'Alonzo, 1979;Cipani, 1988;Cronin, Lord, & Wendling, 1991;Lewis & Taymans, 1992;Roessler, 1988), rather than as isolated tasks that are separate from the content normally covered in school. Life skills instruction should also be formally included in all academic areas (e.g., math, writing, reading, science, etc.)…”

“…T hat students with disabilities need to be taught the skills required to be successful adults has long been documented in the literature (e.g., Brolin & D'Alonzo, 1979;Clark, 1974Clark, ,1979Clark, Field, Patton, Brolin, & Sitlington, 1994;Cronin, 1988;Edgar, 1987Edgar, , 1988Patton, Cronin, Polloway, Hutchinson, & Robinson, 1989;Sitlington, 1981;Wimmer, 1981). The essence of successful life skills acquisition cannot be weighed in terms of degrees, diplomas, or other documents; rather, it is demonstrated in their level of independent living, community adjustment, and enhanced quality of life (Dennis, Williams, Giangreco, & Cloninger, 1993;Halpern, 1990Halpern, ,1993Parent, 1993;Sitlington, Frank, & Carson, 1993).…”

“…They need increased life skills content in high school and throughout their school careers. Life skills need to be part of their transition plans and, as some researchers have indicated, need to be taught throughout students' entire school programs (Brolin & D'Alonzo, 1979;Clark, 1994;Schalock et al, 1986;Sitlington, this issue;Weaver, Landers, & Adams, 1991).…”

Career education for the trainable mentally retarded: Issues and concerns

“…Brolin and D'Alonzo (1979) have identified several critical issues in career education for the handicapped which need to be resolved for effective implementation in the schools. The first two deal with questions relevant to career education in general, namely whether career education should be primarily jobcentered or life-centered, and whether career education is a separate program or permeates the educational process.…”

“…Being a contributing member of society for these individuals may mean taking care of themselves and helping at home or in the community. For them, career education would include avocational, family and civic pursuits (Brolin and D'Alonzo, 1979). The critical issue for the mentally retarded is how to provide career education and control their learning experiences without fragmenting their education to a degree that completion of formal schooling leaves them unprepared for assimilation into the world of work and community living (D'Alonzo, 1977).…”