by Johanna Ginsberg
NJJN Staff Writer

August 20, 2009

Paul LoCicero of Morristown is considering working for a veterinary hospital. He discussed that option with fellow participants at a career camp last week, and they encouraged him to “do whatever you want to do — just focus.”

Job counseling has become a growth industry since the start of the recession, but the career camp organized by Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest had an unusual target audience: teenagers with diagnoses on the autism spectrum.

Paul, 17, was one of 10 teens, ranging in age from 14 to 19, who took part in the camp, held Aug. 10-21 at the JVS offices in East Orange.

The participants represented the spectrum disability, from very high functioning to non-verbal. Three participants are college-bound, six have a reading level between third and ninth grade.

The goal of the camp is to give attendees an opportunity to practice different skills and be better prepared to get a job — whether as a volunteer, a shadow, or a paid employee — according to Lauren Klein, JVS coordinator of rehabilitation services.

On one particular day, the participants rotated through different jobs at a variety of business stations. At a “grocery store,” they priced and stacked goods, filled shopping carts, and served as both shoppers and cashiers handling money; at a “clothing store,” they tagged and priced items, and then folded them or hung them on racks by size.

“Even those going off to college will have entry-level jobs at first, whether they work stacking books in a library or at a local Subway” sandwich shop, said Klein.

Beyond the specific job skills, the program also focuses on social skills. “Even higher-functioning individuals, as cooperative as they are, sometimes display inappropriate behaviors, so it’s a matter of addressing them when they happen and then redirecting them,” said Klein.

Max Skula, 16, of West Windsor is working as a counselor-in-training for one week at JVS. “I’m enjoying learning about different careers and how to deal with them, and how to work with other people. I’m loving it here,” he said. He takes classes at Mercer Community College and hopes to serve as a CIT next summer at a day camp.

At the other end of the spectrum, another client sat at the desk job station with an aide, making noises to herself as she worked on a task. Another student brought her a picture with written directions: “Quiet Voice.” Occasionally she left her chair, but returned when asked to do so.

The two-week session also included trips to local businesses, focused classroom experiences, and talks on practical skills to help them navigate the world, such as how to read bus and train schedules to get to work.

Those at higher-functioning levels have classes targeted for career exploration and job searches, including resume writing, preparing cover letters, and submitting on-line applications.

The program helped those at lower-functioning levels prepare, said Klein, to “just be able to have the stamina and the finger and eye-hand coordination and dexterity to do whatever job they find.”

LoCicero, who is entering his junior year at the Hunterdon Learning Center in Califon, worked with Skula and Harris Engel to ready an order for shipment.

“This has taught me to step out of my boundaries a little bit more,” he said. “What I would really like to do is apply for a job working at a local veterinary hospital that is literally less than half a mile down the road from me that I can walk to. If I can take this on, I can take on anything — that’s how I feel.”

Nearby, Scott Heller, 15, of Livingston, was “shopping” for groceries. “I’m learning how to find something that we eat,” he said, and returned to fill his basket. After he “paid” for the items, cashier Kevin Marroquin of Orange, also 15, handed Heller his change, and said in a bright voice, “Have a nice day.”

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