As I am getting ready for the new school year I have been thinking about resources and concepts that are super important in a special education classroom. One of those things, especially in a high school program, is functional job skills. Specifically, job skills task box activities for high school students.
Ultimately for high school students with special needs, including Autism and other developmental disorders, one of the goals for post secondary is preparing to go to work and, in some cases, to live independently.
This requires students to learn all kinds of different skills from numeracy and literacy to job specific skills based on personal goals.
It is important to note that each student will have a different pathway for when they finish high school. All goals are highly individualized and link to IEP goals (more on this in an upcoming blog post).
Understanding the Purpose of a Job Skills Task Box
One way that teachers and parents can focus on functional job skills is by using task boxes. There are so many different things that can be considered task boxes in the world of special education. Here I am specifically talking about a task box that is highly structured, contains an activity which allows a student to focus on a specific aspect of a particular job skill, and is hands-on in nature.
If you are interested in learning more about task boxes and why they are so important for special education teachers and parents to be using, check out this blog post.
Choosing the Right Job Skills Tasks
The first step in putting together a job skills task box is to choose a goal or skill that the individual student you are prepping for needs.
Choose an activity to help a student develop and refine vocational skills that specifically lead to their particular job interest or goal.
Plan for an activity that is small, portable, and independently completed. There will be some teaching when you first introduce the activity, but the goal is for the student to work on the task during independent work time.
Design tasks so that they mimic real job situations or skills to specifically work toward future employment.
This can range from sorting objects by size, colour, shape, or denomination to assembling a product and following a set of instructions.
Typically, the task would also include some kind of visual prompt card or sequence for students to follow as they develop independence with the task.
This prompt should gradually be reduced until the student is ready to work with no prompt.
Creating the Job Skills Task Box
It does not have to be expensive or complicated to get the various elements and pieces to put together a functional job skills task box.
I almost always get what I need from the dollar store. I use a plastic storage box or zipper bag that works with my classroom organization system.
It is important, however, to use an organization labelling system. Students can easily locate and put away the boxes they are working for. This should also include a visual task sequence for students to work through at their own independent work station. This way, you can easily plan their tasks and then have them work through the set on their own.
If you are interested in seeing an example of a task box organization system, check out the one I created for my classroom:
Implementing the Task Box in the Classroom
Introducing the task box to your student is the next step in the process. The first time a student sees the task box should be with direct instruction. You demonstrate how to use the box, prompt card or visual task sequence, and pieces in the box.
The student may need some time to explore the items in the box. Then they are ready to learn what they should be doing with the items.
Use direct teaching to show the student how to complete the task in the box. They should then have a chance to try it on their own. Do this with either you or another adult there to provide support, positive reinforcement, or verbal/visual prompts as needed.
It is important to also show the student where the box is located in your task box storage system. This way they can easily locate it when they are working independently.
Example of a High School Functional Job Skills Task Box
There are so many different ways that you can set up a task box for various skills. Don’t feel that you have to use what other teachers have used. Having said that, however, it can be a great way to get inspiration for creating your own task boxes.
As an example I had a student who was working part time during the day at Tim Horton’s. Part of their job was to wipe the tables in the dining area.
To help with this particular skill, I take a picture of the table in the actual restaurant. I then print the image on paper, create a task sequence, and place the items the student needs (spray bottle, cleaning cloth, and rubber gloves) in a small plastic bin from the dollar store.
The task sequence looked something like this….
I used this functional job skills task box for wiping a table in the classroom. I start with direct instruction, prompting, and then having students work independently before the student started their work placement. At the work placement, the student had the same box items that they were familiar with.
As you can see, it doesn’t require any special or expensive tools. It’s more about finding a way for the student to learn and practise the skill. Using a series of steps and prompts to break the task down using a visual task sequence is also beneficial.
The goal is for the student to learn to complete the task independently without the prompts at all.
If you would like a copy of this specific task sequence, click here to join my email list and I will send you a copy free!
In Short…
Functional job skills are a key element to any special education program for high school students. Helping students to get ready for employment can take a long time. Teachers individualize tasks according to each student’s post secondary goal.
Functional job skills task boxes provide students with structure and hands-on learning. It allows students to work on vocational skills and develop independence.
As a special education teacher or parent, creating and implementing job skills task boxes in your classroom or at home can help students prepare to be independent and successful in their future.
For more resources and ideas to use with high school special education classrooms, check out my TPT shop Exceptional Education CA or my Etsy Shop.
If you have any questions or suggestions for what you want to see in future blog posts or products, send me an email!
XO Alana from Exceptional Education CA