Tip 7 - Get support
- We all need support from others, especially when we are planning for what we are going to do after school. Provide support to young people and encourage them to also seek support from others - friends and other people at school including teachers, career advisers and counsellors.
- Be responsive to individual support needs.
- If your students have had help at school, they may also need some support in future study or work.
- Disability support is often called adjustments or accommodations in study and work settings.
- There are people who can help young people access adjustments, for example each TAFE and university has a disability service to contact. Help young people find the right supports to contact and research what support will be available.
- Prospective students can make contact with disability services even before they start at a TAFE or university.
- Your local NDCO can help make contact with these supports if necessary.
- Help young people to find out about the supports available in the local area, and pass on your knowledge of local community supports and resources.
- Encourage students to find out which potential future study or work settings will be able to give them the most appropriate support.
- Different adjustments may be available in different environments.
- It is important that young people understand what support they can realistically expect to receive.
- Many young people find having a mentor or role model very helpful.
- They may find a mentor informally through a school, community, sporting, or family contact.
- There are also formal mentoring programs which your students may be able to get involved in. An example is the Willing and Able Mentoring program.
- Local services may be able to help young people connect with mentors in their area, or try searching for a mentoring program on the Youth Mentoring Network website.
- Do what you can to facilitate support, by encouraging supportive, flexible and accommodating people, systems and settings. Help students to access supports, services, accommodations, and assistive technology. Consider participating in networks and collaborations to enhance linkages and facilitate transitions.
