Clawson Public Schools
Building the Bridge with
Businesses – Schools and
Community
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Why the Chamber of Commerce?
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the
world’s largest business federation
representing the interests of
more than 3 million businesses of all sizes,
sectors, and regions, as well as state and
local chambers and industry associations.
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Chambers of Commerce
2013
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Population – 12,000
2.2 square miles
1700 students in our schools
596 businesses
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"The Purpose of Clawson Public
Schools is to ensure optimal
learning for all students."
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All means ALL!
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Times have changed!
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Educating Students with ASD
(AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER)
in Clawson
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Educating 43 students with ASD
Pre-School thru High School
Serve the southeast portion of Oakland County
Many students with ASD live in our community
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Have you heard about our LINK program?
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How we grew the LINK Program
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Where is the WIN/WIN?
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Creating a new reality!
Over 250 LINK Programs in Michigan Schools
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Awareness – a sense of belonging for ALL
Educating students about the value of INCLUSION
Providing opportunities to learn alongside each other
Relationships - Friendships
Changing community cultures
Graduating future business owners
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What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
ASD is a developmental disability that typically
appears in the first 3 years of life.
Neurological
Social
Communication
Independence
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Every Community … USA
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State of Michigan Data
Michigan Students with an ASD Eligibility Label
16000
15,976
Number of students
14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
1,208
0
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
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National Data
• There are an estimated 750,000
students with ASD in US public
schools
• Often high school transition
services fall short in providing
the appropriate services to
prepare for employment
• Individuals with ASD have
limited opportunities for career
development and work
experience matched to their
interests during their high
school years.
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National Data
• Within the next 15 years, more than 500,000
Americans with ASD will enter adulthood, based on
the rising incidence of the disorder
• The lifetime per capita incremental societal cost of
autism per individual is estimated to be $3.2 million.
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The DATA and OUTCOMES impact us ALL
• As BUSINESS owners
• As Tax payers
• As Citizens
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Students with ASD
• Hire the Handicapped
Old
marketing • Charity Orientation
• Selling Disability
• Motivatated employees who are
excited about working
• Candidates with skill sets that add value
New
marketing
to the workforce
• Business solutions that improve
productivity and work flow
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What History tell us…
“ Part of the problem, I believe, is rooted in the
fact that these well-intentioned systems,
designed decades ago, were created with little
expectation that Americans with disabilities
would ever be anything more than be recipients
of care, that they could not, in fact, become
contributors to our economy, our tax base, and
our communities.”
Tom Ridge, Chairman, National Organization on Disability
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Employment First State Policy
Click on picture in presentation mode to play the link. You need internet to play it.
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What is happening at the National level?
Unfinished Business: Making Employment of People
with Disabilities a National Priority United States
Senate: Committee on Health, Education, Labor and
Pensions July 2012 – Senator Tom Harkin
April 2011 – United States Chamber of
Commerce and the United States Business
Leadership Network agreed to actively
participate to increase the size of the
disability workforce from under 5 million
to six million by 2015.
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Forward THINKING in Clawson…
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Creating real learning opportunities in real businesses
Matching individuals with employment opportunities
Supported apprenticeship experiences
4 years of successful partnerships and growing
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School/Business Partnerships in Clawson
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Paper Party Place
Ace Hardware
Triple Thread
Leon and Lulu’s
Pizza Hut
Pet Supplies Plus
I Luv Scrapbooking
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Taking an Interest and moving in the
direction of
JOB SAMPLING/EMPLOYMENT
Individual has intense:
INTEREST AND
FASINATION with
HOLIDAYS
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Taking a skill and moving in the
direction of
JOB SAMPLING/EMPLOYMENT
Individual has intense:
SKILL AND
DEDICATION
TO DETAIL
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Vocational Assets of Employee’s with ASD
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Dedicated to getting the job done
Eager to learn
Low absenteeism
High level of concentration for long
periods of time
• Loyal
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Vocational Assets of
Employee’s with ASD
• Can be very precise and accurate in
completing work with excellent attention to
detail
• Many individuals have a great memory
• Often have interests that if well matched to
the job, will be a tremendous asset to an
employer
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It’s All In the Customization
With a customized job and individualized
support, individuals with ASD make excellent
employees!
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What can local businesses do?
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Hire people with disabilities
Open the door to job sampling opportunities
Continued partnership with the schools
Celebrate and share success stories with others
Speak out and share what you
have learned with other
small business owners
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How opportunities are created…
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