Fair’s focus: Transition help for those with special needs

Jacob Parker works for McDonald’s. He is 22 and went to Mountlake Terrace High School.

Making the move from school to work took some extra help.

“He had a job coach,” said Lisa Parker, Jacob’s mother. Her son was helped by Work Opportunities, a Lynnwood-based organization that offers v

ocational services for people with disabilities.

Jacob Parker has autism. His two sisters, 18-year-old Brittany and Amberly, 15, are also autistic. They attend special education classes at Lynnwood High School. Jacob was at Mountlake Terrace High School until he was almost 21.

Lisa Parker said it’s critical for parents of children with special needs to think about post-school plans long before the last day of class arrives.

“You need to start early, depending on the child, as early as 14,” the Lynnwood mother said Tuesday. “It’s good to be thinking about what their skills are.”

When Jacob was about 15, Parker first attended a Snohomish County Transition Resource Fair. The annual event brings together families and organizations that help people with special needs find job training, housing, transportation, recreation, government benefits and more.

Sponsored by the county’s Transition Council and the Everett School District, the 14th annual Snohomish County Transition Resource Fair is scheduled from 4 to 8:30 p.m. today in the cafeteria of Everett’s Cascade High School.

More than 50 agencies will be represented, said Tamra Bradford, a specialist in the county Human Services department’s division of developmental disabilities. The Arc of Snohomish County and other advocacy organizations will be there. Groups will share information on assistive technology. Negotiating bus travel will be covered by Community Transit and Everett Transit.

Physical and mental health care providers and the Brain Injury Association of Washington will answer questions.

Jobs are the focus of the largest number of vendors. Nearly 20 agencies will share how parents can help their children take steps from school to work.

“There is lots of information, more than you could ever take in,” Lisa Parker said.

Jacob Parker took part in a state program, Jobs by 21. The job coach he had through Work Opportunities helped him learn workplace basics. “I didn’t know you could get a job coach. That’s huge,” Lisa Parker said. “My son can’t really go in and adequately represent himself. You can’t have your mother or father come and say, ‘Would you hire my child?’

“What they did for Jake was help him with training at the job site, and to communicate with his boss,” Lisa Parker said. “Jacob didn’t want to tuck his shirt in. He has certain sensory problems. They convinced him it was a good idea to tuck his shirt in. And he got more training with frying machines. If he wants to look for a different job, he can get help with that.”

The fair grew out of the county’s Transition Council, a group of special education staff from area school districts, Bradford said. In years past, it was held at Everett Community College. “We get about 250 to 350 people attending, as young as middle school to adults in their 30s and 40s,” Bradford said.

Parents of children with developmental disabilities face complex challenges. At age 18, there are issues of guardianship and Social Security. Just as families set aside college money, Bradford said, some also save for special needs. The finances can be as complicated as learning to set up a trust that won’t limit a child’s benefits.

For Lisa Parker, attending a Transitional Resource Fair opened doors she didn’t know existed.

“You may not find all the answers, but they give you somewhere to start,” she said.

Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460, muhlstein@heraldnet.com.

Transition Resource Fair

Organizations that help people with developmental disabilities will be represented at the Snohomish County Transition Resource Fair from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. today in the Cascade High School cafeteria, 801 E. Casino Road, Everett. Workshops at the free event will cover legislative issues related to developmentally disabled people, guardianship, transition from school to work and community college access. Information will be available on technology, housing, transportation, Social Security, employment and more. Information: 425-388-7320.