An individual with IDD who has a job

Paul
Casey: Where do you work?
Paul: I work at Harris Teeter
Casey: How long have you been working there?
Paul: Oh, I do not remember, but it has been a while.
Casey: How did you find this job?
Paul: My agency looked online and found this job for me and I applied, but then I applied
again because I never heard back from them. Then, I finally heard back from them and
went for an interview, and then went for some more interviews. I finally got the job.
Casey: What was the interview process like?
Paul: A lot of computer work, a lot of typing and a lot of reading. But they helped me
through it because I couldnt do it myself.
Casey: Did you find the support system to be helpful?
Paul: Yes.
Casey: Was it your support system or did Harris Teeter provide you with support?
Paul: It was my support and my agencys.
Casey: What agency?
Paul: Abilities Network
Casey: What kind of jobs do you do here?
Paul: I do bagging, carts, sweeping, mopping, I take out the trash and that is about it.
Casey: Do you have difficulties communicating with your manager?
Paul: Somewhat if things arent going well, but after that, everything is going fine.
Casey: How about your coworkers?
Paul: No, we all get along.

Casey: How about the people who shop here?

Paul: When people come in I help them, I bag their stuff and they say thank you.
Casey: Okay, so not too much interaction with them?
Paul: No.
Casey: How are you overworking to over come the challenge of communicating with
your boss?
Paul: I try to talk to them.
Casey: How do you do that? Do you talk to them face-to-face or email them?
Paul: I dont email them, I talk to them face-to-face; sometimes if I have to take a day off
I call and let them know why.
Casey: Do you have a job coach or follow up specialist helping you out?
Paul: They used too, but I am on my own now. They pop in every once in a while to
make sure Im doing well, but other than that they are not here all the time.
Casey: Okay, well when they first started helping you, did you find it to be useful?
Paul: Yes, they helped me out because I didnt know what to do.
Casey: Do you think they helped you grow as a professional?
Paul: Yes. How to communicate with the bosses, customers and coworkers.
Paul gave an excellent interview; he was a perfect example of an individual with
intellectual and developmental disabilities who loves his job. Interviewing Paul helped
prove my hypothesis that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are
valued employees. If I were to change some aspects about the interview to make it more
successful, I would ask more questions. I found it challenging to come up with questions
as we were going because I had to pay close attention to what Paul was saying. Also, I
would try to ask more questions to help give Paul a better understanding of what I was
asking so he could elaborate more on his answers. Overall, Pauls interview was very
beneficial, and it was nice to hear about his successful work experience.

An employee who works alongside an individual with IDD
Kim Marchman
1. Where do you work? What is your position?
Maryland State Department of Education as a family support program specialist.

2. How closely do you work with the individual(s) with intellectual and
developmental disabilities?
We have three individuals with IDD on our floor. I work with two of them, one
more than the other. He does assignments for me, he types for me, collates for me
and I work closely with him. However, I am not his supervisor.
3. Do you face any challenges interacting with the individual(s) with intellectual and
developmental disabilities?
No. However, one of the individuals does not like to say hello to people because
he has autism and does not pick up on social ques. I think because I have a child
with IDD, we can work together well. For example, I tell him, when you see a
coworker you say hello and I stand there until he says it. You just need to treat
them with respect. The funny thing is, both of these workers have many different
types of skills that many people dont realize, so sometimes I will use them more
than others because they can do a couple different things at a time that others
dont realize.
4. Would you consider yourself to be educated on the different types of disabilities?
Yes, extremely.
5. Did your employer educate you on the different types of disabilities?
No, I have been working with families who have children with intellectual and
developmental disabilities for about 15 years. Therefore, I had prior knowledge
about IDD.
6. If yes, do you think your coworkers could benefit from that information as well?
Why or why not?
When we have new coworkers, we let them know certain things about the
individuals on our floorthey are there to help, they have skills. Sometimes, one
of the individuals with IDD can get mad but the coworkers just needs to say okay
and walk away. Neither of these individuals needs someone with them at all times
but sometimes they do need assistance.
7. When the individual(s) with intellectual and developmental disabilities started
working here, did you have any hesitation or did you feel prepared to work with
them?
I do not. But for others, I dont think it is a hesitation, rather a lack of knowledge
because people are not aware of their skills at first. I make sure I let my
coworkers know about their skills because they have to workthis is their job. I
want to make sure that others understand their skill sets. People who have started
out not asking them for assistance, they do now. At first, coworkers would talk to
the individuals job coach or boss instead of talking directly to the individual with
intellectual and developmental disabilities. Also, coworkers are not used to
writing down the directions to have tasks completed. This is very helpful for the

individuals with IDD because they have something to follow, they avoid error and
they do not get upset because they forgot something.
8. How do you feel the individual(s) with intellectual and developmental disabilities
has impacted to work environment?
They are so good! They are perfectionists in their own way and they help so
much. One individual is so funny and he loves making jokes with everyone. I
have a very awesome job, my coworkers are great and we are like a family. We
work well together and we are like a family and that goes for everyone. We are all
very supportive of each other. The individuals with disabilities are three very
important parts of the whole.
9. Would you encourage other employers to hire individual(s) with intellectual and
developmental disabilities?
Yes. In my view it is discrimination not to. These individuals may have a
disability, but they also have strengths. And once the employer takes the time to
get to know that person, they will learn about all of their strengths. Also, people
with IDD need pay checks. We have a lady, she does a lot of work for another
part of our division, she needs someone with her at all times because she has a
few mental problems and developmental disabilities. So, she has a one on one
support system. Once again, it doesnt matter if she needs that support when
others do not because it is all about finding their strengths. Weakness do not
matter, it is all about finding the skill set of an individual and matching that.
This interview went very well; Kim Marchman provided great information. I thought it
was interesting to hear that when employees start working with the individuals with IDD
they are more likely to communicate with the individuals job coach or boss. This could
be because of hesitation and inexperience. However, after a while the coworkers became
before comfortable and started having one on one conversation. This proves what I found
during my secondary research: it is crucial to get to know the person with IDD before
adjusting your rate of conversation. Once a coworker becomes comfortable with and the
individual, they will learn the best ways of communication (it varies for each individual
with intellectual and developmental disabilities.) Also in my secondary research, I found
that before placing an individual with IDD in a job, it is important to assess their skill sets
first to determine their strengths; and that is what Ms. Marchman and her coworkers do.
It was also fascinating to hear how the majority of what she was saying connected to my
secondary research. The one negative aspect of this interview is that Ms. Marchman has
pervious experience and knowledge with intellectual.
Interview with the Best Buddies Jobs Coordinator
Karla Schroder
1. Can you describe the Best Buddies Jobs program?
Our program is focused on engaging companies and placing qualified candidates
with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) into competitive
employment opportunities. We use a very structured employment model and it is
driven by the interests and strengths of the individual rather than the sort of

philosophical push right nowwhich is to do white collar work. Our program is

really focused on the individual that is coming to us and that is referred to us by
the Department of Rehabilitative Services.
2. What is the Department of Rehabilitation?
It is a division of the Maryland State Department of Education. There about ten or
eleven divisions, and this one specifically focuses on the support to transition of
the youth as they leave the school system. The Department of Rehabilitation
supports individuals from the moment they are no longer receiving public
education to facilitate their involvement in the world of work or post secondary
education. Whichever track they may be on, the Department of Rehabilitation
oversees that.
3. Do you know how that works? Are students placed with someone or do parents
have to find a transition coordinator?
Through the Department of Rehabilitation, they have a counselor who helps
structure and guide the process of each student.
4. What is you role in the program?
I am the supervisor and the go to person for Jobs. At the moment it is just me,
but the long term vision is that Best Buddies Maryland will have two or three
employment consultants who would report to me. When that happens, I will have
more of a supervising role as opposed to right now when I am just launching the
program.
5. Did the Jobs program come to Maryland because of high demand?
I think part of it was Vince having a real interest in exploring it because it is such
an area of need. I know at the state levelbecause my background is in the state
and government levelthere has been a huge push across the state to really bring
attention to this as a service area that is being neglected for folks with IDD. So I
think it was a combination of Vince taking the initiative and the organization
already having a focus on it nationally.
6. What is Vinces position?
He is the state director.
7. How do you work to find companies to hire people with IDD?
I am in the learning process of doing that right now. We have had a number of our
board members express interest, so we are starting with folks who understand our
mission, understand the nature and understand the needs of the target population.
We are really trying to start with the pool of people that know Best Buddies and
get the point of our mission and what we do. We are trying to ramp up from there
and network with companies that might be interested. I am looking at the largest
companies in the state as far as sheer numbers of who is hiring the most in order
to get a foot in the door there. Im also trying to make all the companies aware of

what the benefits are as far as climate, performance, and the real strengths people
with IDD, as well as the tax opportunities and federal grants.
8. When you focus on finding the companies do you look at larger or smaller
companies?
Ideally, it will be a mix of both. Right now we are working with a couple of law
firms that have signed on; they are small in terms of staff members, but there
income is greater than a couple million dollars a year. We are also looking at
Johns Hopkins, which is the largest employer in the state. We are trying to be as
diverse as possible with recruitment, but we are starting with the people who
understand out population and missionit is not as hard as a sell.
9. What are strategies you use to persuade companies to hire individuals with IDD?
We have a really great video that our national office in Miami put together, that
has a couple of people on their job site being interviewed and filmed doing their
job. The purpose of the video is to tell the employers what Best Buddies is asking
them to do, and I think that has been the most effective marketing tool as opposed
to the brochures and flyers I had out. I will send you the link to the video.
10. Do you provide resources for companies that agree to hire individuals with IDD
in order to educate them?
Yes, I am the finding the larger companies are more savvy in ongoing
professional development; they know about a lot of the tax incentives and federal
grants. I have not had to provide them with a great deal of resources. We have the
brochures, they flyers, I have a couple of sites online for the federal employers
that apply specifically to them because there is so much more emphasis on getting
people with IDD into federal jobs.
11. Do you know why that is?
It has to do with the grants and the way they are structured.
12. What do you think is the main reason employers have hesitation about hiring
people with IDD?
The questions I get are primarily about behavioral concerns. I think there is a real
fear of the unknown, specifically with respect to what they think they are going to
get based off of what they might have seen or heard. I think there is a real fear if
they do not know someone with IDD because they are not familiar with them; the
hardest part is breaking through some of those barriers and social challenges.
13. Are there a significant amount of companies that hire people with IDD in
Maryland?
I would say most of the state agencies and a number of the federal contractors are
already focused on doing this and are already doing itthey have it has a part of
their diversity mission. I am finding that the smaller companies do not necessarily
have that in place already.

14. When the Jobs Program officially starts in Maryland, what are your expectations?
I anticipate there will be challenges around transportation. I am fearful that will
have a greater impact on my ability to place people than I would like. I think we
will be focused on the central part of the state because it will be harder for us to
find transportation in the western region and the eastern shore. Unfortunately, I
think that will be a big factor. I am also anticipating a lot of family involvement;
especially for some of our older participants because their families want to know
about the program their kid is getting involved in, and how it is going to effect
their social security income every month. I think there will be some concern
around that because it does make social security income go down when your job
income increases. Mainly, I think I will see what Best Buddies has seen nationally
which is happy employers that are proud of the work being done. I think it will
change the perspective of many people and shatter the barriers they have so I am
excited to start.
15. Does Best Buddies Job do follow ups?
Yes, it is a pretty intensive supportive employment program. For instance, if I
were to hire you to be an office assistant, I would be coming to meet you in the
morning to go through the transportation routine and then I would be there with
them for the first week or two at the job site. Everyone person is different, so that
part depends on how long it takes to acclimate and get focused on what their
schedule is going to me. I help the person with IDD create a relationship with the
person who will be there go to person on site. I try to fade out and make the
experience as natural as possible so I am no longer the middleman. However, I
will provide ongoing case management and addressing concerns as needed, and
periodically checking in.
My interview with Karla Schroeder, the Jobs supervisor at Best Buddies was
extremely insightful. Karla did an excellent job at describing what the Jobs program
entails. I was surprised to learn about the full extension of the program because I was
unaware that Jobs would be essentially be providing the services of a job coach to the
individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their employer. During
this interview it was easy for me to think of follow up questions as the interview
progressed, which is an important skill in order to make sure you are taking advantage of
the opportunity to interviewI was not good at thinking of follow up questions in the
past. For my next interview I will follow the same process as this interview: conducting
brief background research and then have my teacher peer edit my interview questions. All
in all, the interview was a success and I gained a great amount of knowledge I can add to
my research.
Interview with a Transition Coordinator
Ms. Parsons
Casey: What is your role at the school?
Ms. Parsons: I am a work-study transition teacher and a special education teacher.

Casey: How long have you held that position?

Ms. Parsons: I have been the work-study teacher for 5 years and a special education
teacher for 19 years.
Casey: How do you assist students in finding jobs?
Ms. Parsons: I do interest inventories, ask them for their interests, collaborate with other
teachers and think of possible jobs that might fight the student.
Casey: Where do you start looking?
Ms. Parsons: Actually, I try to go to places where I might know people, or where other
people know people because a lot of times connections are the best ways to get the job.
Or if a student has a strong interest in a job, I will just walk in.
Casey: Do you work with the transition coordinator for each student? If yes, why? Does it
help place students in jobs?
Ms. Parsons: I am the transition coordinator/ work-study. Students who are diploma
bound transition out of high school when they get their diploma and I help them when
they need to have supports in college, or I help them figure out the support they need. If
they need support working I can help them with a DORS referral. Students that graduate
without a diploma are entitled to an education until they are 21. I help them with getting
their DBA services, finances and finding an adult agency.
Casey: What are some positive experiences youve had? Negative? Do you have any
specific stories?
Ms. Parsons: I think every time I get a student a job it is a positive experience. I enjoy
finding students a job. For the negative part of the question, I try not to have any negative
experiences; instead I turn them into a learning experience for the students or myself.
Casey: How do the students feel after they earn a job?
Ms. Parsons: The student I help get jobs are non-diploma bound students, so after being
in school for years, they are so excited to get out and be a productive worker in society.
Casey: How do students feel if it takes a while before they find a job?
Ms. Parsons: If they dont get a job, they go out with a group and job sampleso I think
they are okay. But if a student goes out and doesnt do good on a job interview I try to
turn it into a learning experience and encourage them to stay positive and to work on
improving. I try to be positive and let them know that the job process takes time.
Casey: When looking to place students with a job, do you follow a certain process?

Ms. Parsons: It depends on the student and whether or not I know the employer. I always
go into a job with a student in mind so I can tell the company that I have this great
student who can perform a lot of tasks and think outside the box. Then I sit down with
them and explain the program and the different possibilities/outcomes.
Casey: Do you ever run in to employers who are hesitant about hiring?
Ms. Parsons: Yes, I have been places where they wont hire because they are worried
about liability issues. They are supposed to cover the student on their liability, but if they
dont and it comes down to that situation, they county will end up covering them. I think
it is because these situations are unknown and people fear the unknown.
Casey: How do you try to convince employers to hire?
Ms. Parsons: I just try to let them know that I will be there in the beginning to help the
student learn the job and I will not leave until everyone is comfortable. Most of the time
people are pretty perceptive to it. I think it has a lot to do with the way I presented it at
first.
Casey: Have you been given feedback from the employers that hire those with
intellectual and developmental disabilities? If so, what has it been?
Ms. Parsons: Yes, I send out evaluations that they have to fill out for me.
Casey: Is the feedback mostly good?
Ms. Parsons: It is mostly average. I think the employers know that in the beginning it is
still a learning process. But as the year progresses, I can see the evaluations improving. I
think I talk to the employers so much where I would know if something was going wrong
and would immediately start working with the student.
Interview with a Transition Coordinator
Mrs. Brzezinski
Casey: What is your role at the school?
Mrs. Brzezinski: I am a Work Study Coordinator/ Transition Specialist.
Casey: How do the students feel after they earn a job?
Mrs. Brzezinski: It is the best thing that has ever happened, it truly is. I have students
from years ago who are still letting me know what they are doing. I have a guy that is
working at the River Hill Giant as a clerical clerk, and he has been there 18 months now;
and I know when it is payday because I get a text saying I did it again Mrs. B! One of
my other students is also there, so if I am driving home I will stop by and he always says
to me, Hi Mrs. B, I cant talk to right now because I am working. They totally get the

importance of earning a job. Now, we are big on celebration here, so if one of our
students is moving into work-study they will be given a badge and we have a
ceremonyit is a very big deal for them. I have taught everything from younger than two
months, to 72 year olds so there is nothing that I have missed in terms of ages. I started to
think about what I was going to be able to give these high school kids. I not saying they
cant improve their reading, but if they come into high school and they cant read, the
chances of them being able to do that by the time they get out is not great. But, if I can
teach them how to work, it doesnt matter. We can find a job where they do not have to
read. In fact, heres a really funny story: I had a guy about four or five years ago, who
was transitioning to an adult agency, and they had an amazing contract job where they
did shredding and recycling for the FBI and IRS. So when I go to visit him, I cant have
my coat or notepad, and there are bubble cameras in the ceiling and for the first time in
my professional career, I am saying dont read anything, because if you were caught
reading you lost your job. So here is a case where a kid who could work but couldnt read
found the perfect job. The perfect jobs are out there; you just have to find them. And his
job paid him 11 dollars an hour.
Casey: How do your students feel if it takes a while before they are placed in a job?
Mrs. Brzezinski: In terms of waiting or in terms of what is coming next? Because there ar
two different things; one is am I trying to develop a jobbecause it is very difficult. In
order for these students to go into volunteer placements, the business has to sign a
contract that says they will be reliable for them; asking them to be responsible for
disabled individuals, inevitably gets to the lawyers and we get about 1/7 that we try. And
we get people, who want to do it, but they cant because of liability reasons or they cant
because it is a union shop. So if my student bagging at Weis market, they dont have to
pay anyone else because he bags better than anybody in the universe. So, a paid person as
now lost their job. My kid has taken away a union job. It is hard to find, so in that case, I
do a lot of talking with my students to explain to them that this is the right time, we just
have to give it time. Are you asking me what if theyre not ready when they think they
are, like my kid who thinks he can go to the grocey store when he cant.
Casey: I guess I am asking in terms of the amount of rejection a student faces.
Mrs. Brzezinski: Well, I dont take them until the employer is ready to say yes; so they
do not hear no very often. It is not like with a paid jobbut with a paid job, all bets are
off. But I do not take a kid to an interview with a paid job that I do not feel fairly
confident about. I cant tell you it has not happened, but when it does, I can not tell you
who is more devastated, me or the students. It is very hard; but like everyone else, they
are individuals so they handle the rejection in different ways. Some cry, some go under,
some get mad and some get their parents mad. It is no different than if you went on a job
interview and one of your siblings goes on a job interview and neither of you get the
jobchances are, you are going to have a different reaction about how you are going to
deal with it.
Casey: Have you ever been given feed back from the employers who do hire?

Mrs. Brzezinski: Oh yeah, and I still follow them after they are hired. This guy exits in
June and my goal is that he will be completely acclimated to Wegmans by the time the
job coach comes from adult services. And, what I find is that for the people who accept
our students, particularly the ones in training positionsthey have great hearts; it kills
them if I have to say, we have to fire Mary because she needs to understand that she cant
yell at you. It is interesting because for both paid and unpaid I do a three part evaluation
process; employer does one check list, I do one and the student does one because I want
them to be able to self reflect. My scoring is always lower than the employers because I
set high standards for my guys on purpose, I am always looking for things they can do. I
always hear back from the employers. There is a young lady who works at a McDonalds,
she has worked there for 14 years, and if I am at the drive through, the manager will
always come to the window to tell me how well she is doingthat makes it easier for me
and the next kid coming in. Now, have I had some situations that havent been great? Of
course.
Casey: Have you had any negative situations?
Mrs. Brzezinski: Once. I had a kid, pretty disabled, had an auto body shop, and I got the
most unbelievable message on my machine. Bad enough, the G/T teacher whom I shared
a room with was beside himselfand he is someone where nothing bothered him. When
I walked into the room his face was ghost white and he said he did not want me to listen
to my messages until he talked to me. This guy was using the r-word and saying dont
you evernever in 14 years have I experienced anything like thatand hope never to
have too. For me, that made me even more cautious. I need to be the first line of defense
for our guys because it is challenging for my guys to reboundits better to take smaller
steps than to have a big fall.
Casey: Have you ever had to have a student fired but the employee was still willing to
take someone else in the future?
Mrs. Brzezinski: Yes. I am a straight shooter; I will tell the employer, here is Mary and
she can do this but this is not a good place to put her. I had a student at the hospital that
did very well and then they hired him, but he ended up getting into some things he
shouldnt have and got hired. However, they are still hiring my kids. My students may
have an idea, but I am still the one who finds the job; I make the phone calls, I do the
legwork and the set up. For particularly non-diploma bound students, the chances of the,
looking and going through the job process by themselves is very challengingthey are
going to have some type of support. So, if I am approaching an employer and its awful,
let it roll of my back, where my students might not have the ability to bounce back
afterwards.
Casey: When you start working with a new employer do you give them any information
on different disabilities?

Mrs. Brzezinski: Okay, here is where I am at with thatyou are the employer, but you
have a business to run, you dont need to here the DSM diagnoses of all of these things.
What I need to work in my head, and then say to you is: you have a discreet need and I
have an individual who can fill it; they can do these things and I can guarantee they wont
go off script or run away. I always say to the employer, do I have a deal for you. Shovels
and I have this guy who goes out and shovels snow, even on a snow day and does not
come back in unit everything is completely shoveledhe has amazing work ethic. So, I
go in and analyze the business first and I am looking for places that could or would have
a need for what my guys can do. Then, I start thinking about how to customize
employmentyou are looking for this special nitch, like my student who loves the
industrial dishwasher. I have a student going to Wegmans on Monday, and every place
he has ever worked at has wanted to hire him, but his parents very appropriately said, he
has to work for the rest of his life lets let him have some time to explore. When I go into
a job I always think about what I can offer the employer, not what they can do for me
and I have to mean it and carve it out in a way that makes sense. My job is to specialize
and modify in the work places as special education teachers do in the classroom, while
still taking into consideration that the employers still have a business to run and they are
not giving charity.
Also, on a side note, breaks are the hardest thing to teach my students. Sometimes
it is challenging for them because they do not adapt well to unstructured free time. I will
teach lessons about taking breaks; we go over how to act in the break room, appropriate
conversation, how to keep track of time and what the students will do on their breaks.
Now each student is different. Some things I suggest for the students is to bring a book,
or their phone to play games on or listen to music or something to keep them entertained.
We go over when they should start wrapping up their break and making sure they are not
late. Believe it or not, breaks are the most challenging part for students, and there is no
specific way to teach breaks.