Tips for Parents
The Career Center recommends the following tips for parents:
- Work in partnership with the Career Center staff and your son/daughter to develop attainable goals (we will make sure that you are given full access to the information by providing appropriate translators & documents in the preferred language)
- Ask questions and seek help from the Career Center Staff through phone and/or face to face meetings
- Share information about your son/daughter’s strengths and interests
- Help your son/daughter complete transition activities and applications in a timely manner
- Encourage your son/daughter to work or volunteer during his/her years in high school and stress the importance of developing work habits/ethics:
- Graduate follow up data shows that students who work off campus during high school tend to have smoother post-high school transitions. It is highly recommended that students take advantage of off-campus employment and Department of Rehabilitation funded internships.
- Tell your son/daughter about your aspirations when you were in high school
- Share your cultural and family values with your son/daughter and have them share their deaf culture and values with you
- Maintain open communication with your son/daughter (i.e. are there special events that is important to the family? How do you want him or her to participate)
- Create opportunities for your son/daughter to advocate and be independent for him/herself
- Know your son/daughter’s reading and math skills to make realistic vocational/academic goals
- Research the requirements for college or programs which interest your son/daughter
- Discuss finances (i.e. how will s/he support herself in college? Are there money saved up to cover any expenses as a college student?)
- Remain in contact with the Career Center staff after your son/daughter graduates