3 Customer Profile 
The critical first step in assisting an 
individual to find a job is getting to know that 
person through the development of a customer 
profile. This involves a variety of interview, 
observational, and information gathering 
activities aimed at capturing a picture of who 
the individual really is and what his or her 
interests, skills, and desires are. Traditionally 
referred to as customer assessment, this 
component of supported employment focuses 
on finding out as much as possible about an 
individual to establish a foundation which will 
serve as a guide during job development, jobsite 
training, long term support, and the career 
advancement activities that follow. The 
development of a customer profile and related 
assessment activities are conducted for the 
purpose of assisting the customer with obtaining 
the type of work which offers the job 
characteristics and opportunities that best 
match the person’s preferences and lifestyle. 
The importance of developing a 
customer profile cannot be overemphasized or 
ignored. Without this critical step, it is likely 
that the entire supported employment process 
will in some way be affected. Despite its 
significance, developing a customer profile is 
frequently overlooked or short changed during 
supported employment implementation. In an 
effort to move forward with the job placement 
process, essential pre-employment activities are 
sometimes perceived as unnecessary, time 
consuming, or too costly forcing limited 
resources to be targeted for other activities. 
Often, one piece of the profile, such as an 
evaluation conducted by another party or a predetermined 
image from a workshop staff, are 
substituted as the only source from which the 
remaining decisions are made. The truth of the 
matter is that any short cuts taken during the up 
front end are likely to result in increased time 
in the long run due to additional training and 
support needs, customer dissatisfaction, or job 
loss and replacement issues. 
Most individuals who are referred for 
supported employment have undergone numerous 
evaluations throughout their lives to determine 
eligibility for services. At times, these 
formal evaluations can be informative; however, 
employment specialists must keep in 
perspective that formal evaluations are only 
one small piece of the profile process. Careful 
consideration needs to be made as to the purpose 
of previous evaluations, the procedures 
and instruments used, and the context of the 
interpretations. 
Typically, vocational evaluations or 
standardized tests are conducted for a specific 
47
purpose in which a person must meet a certain 
level or criteria, forming the basis for the 
interpretations and recommendations that 
follow. In many circumstances, this criteria is 
unrelated to that which is actually required by 
a competitive job or the skills that an individual 
would need to possess in order to perform the 
job. Keeping this important point in mind, it is 
easy to see how the valuable information that 
would contribute to an individual becoming 
employed is not likely to be obtained with 
these methods. 
For example, an intelligence test may 
be performed for the purpose of diagnosis. 
How-ever, an IQ score would not provide 
informa-tion for making employment and 
support deci-sions, such as where to work or 
how to teach job skills. Similarly, reports that 
are inter-preted developmentally, for example, 
stating that an individual’s level of functioning 
is at the third grade level, offer little 
information about the person's employment 
capabilities or support needs. Finally, a paper 
and pencil test administered in a classroom 
setting to assess an individual’s "readiness" for 
work is likely to indicate significant skill 
deficits despite the person's ability to perform 
tasks independently in the natural environment 
where they occur. 
In contrast, a functional description of 
the person's abilities provides a much clearer 
picture of his or her skills and support needs, 
such as reads numbers on a watch but is 
unaware of time, rides a bus with assistance, or 
can follow one-step directions with a verbal 
prompt or picture cue. Very different decisions 
regarding training and support to assist an 
individual with work would be made if the 
decisions were based upon direct observation 
or conversations with the family and individual 
as opposed to test results. This chapter 
describes the important characteristics central 
to the completion of a functional assessment 
which results in useful and relevant 
information representative of the individual’s 
gifts, in-terests, and preferences. Following 
this, strategies and techniques for gathering 
assess-ment information and developing a 
customer profile for use in assisting an 
individual with becoming employed will be 
described. 
C HANGING FROM THE “OLD 
WAY” OF DOING 
ASSESSMENTS 
How assessments are planned or 
conducted, and what methods are used will 
depend upon the policies and procedures of 
each supported employment agency. Often, 
procedures are used, because this is the "way 
things have always been done". However, 
careful scrutiny should be given to just exactly 
how the assessment process was developed. 
Perhaps, the guidelines were established when 
the program’s focus was on providing centerbased 
(e.g., sheltered workshop, work activity 
day program) rather than community-based 
employment, both of which have a very different 
set of expectations. Similarly, the 
assessment process may have been designed 
prior to supported employment legislative mandates 
and funding allocations when a more 
traditional approach to vocational services was 
in place. Finally, outside referral sources or 
funding resources may be placing pressure on 
programs to conduct assessments a certain way 
48
which rely on evaluative measures and omit 
many of the essential core elements. If employment 
specialists find themselves caught in 
the midst of these and other scenarios which 
restrict their ability to conduct assessments in 
the way that this chapter describes, they should 
not despair. Even if a program or agency is not 
willing to adopt the approaches outlined in this 
chapter, an employment specialist can make 
a difference, with how supported employment 
services are provided. At a minimum, they can 
follow some of the guiding principles and 
techniques in their everyday activities. 
For example, read beyond the judgments 
made about a customer in a standardized 
report. Do not characterize a behavior as good 
or bad, or something that will prohibit employment. 
Define a behavior as one more unique 
piece of information about the customer in the 
context of training and support needs. In 
addition, capture every opportunity to talk with 
each customer and other key persons in his or 
her life to find out their dreams, expectations, 
and wishes. When performing other related 
supported employment activities, incorporate 
informal assessment techniques at the same 
time. As the advantages associated with this 
assessment approach become obvious, these 
strategies will have an impact upon the employment 
outcomes of the customers being 
served and may have a rippling effect within a 
program’s practices as well. 
P ERSON-CENTERED PLANNING 
The entire supported employment process 
should be guided by the customer with the 
profile process being central to that endeavor. 
Remember, the customer will be working at the 
job that he or she gets, and a critical piece of 
being successful and satisfied at work is 
choosing what you are doing (Parent, in press). 
If other persons, particularly those who do not 
know the customer well, make decisions about 
what they feel is “best”, then the chance of the 
employment situation being rewarding to the 
customer is jeopardized. 
Often, individuals with disabilities 
express frustration that professionals undermine 
their choices by not providing them with 
all the information. Or, professionals prescreen 
what the individual needs to know, or 
they make initial choices for the customer 
based on what they feel is most appropriate for 
the person (Brooke, Barcus, & Inge, 1992). 
Questions are sometimes phrased as false 
choices, such as: "would you like to work at a 
restaurant?" "Would you like to work at the 
grocery store or not at all?" Someone who has 
never worked or is anxious to have a job may 
select an option that he or she doesn’t want resulting 
in a short employment tenure through 
job loss or an effort to change jobs. While 
some programs and agencies have done a tremendous 
job assisting persons with career 
advancement and job mobility, the reality of 
the situation is that individuals typically keep 
the first job they get. Provisions may be in 
place to make changes; however, it is not uncommon 
for a customer to have a lengthy wait 
for services following a decision to move on. 
Pursuing an individual’s employment 
interests and career path using a personcentered 
approach can create a "road map" for 
49
making the necessary job choices and career 
advancements that are critical to achieving 
one’s goals. The process begins by focusing on 
the individual’s dreams, and how they can be 
realized. The identification of the customer's 
dreams is accomplished by getting to know the 
person and what is important to him or her. 
For instance, spending time with the person to 
gain his/her trust and confidence is clearly the 
first step in the process. 
Strategies for Developing Relationships and 
Defining the Customer's Career Path 
The only way an employment specialist 
can represent supported employment customers 
to employers is to believe in and know their 
customers' abilities and interests. This does not 
mean reading standardized test results, formal 
records, previous medical or psychological 
reports, or case study notes written by former 
professionals involved with the customer. This 
information does not allow the employment 
specialist to get to know the real human being 
behind the pieces of paper. 
For example, information such as what 
the customer enjoys, what a day in his or her 
life is like, what kinds of things are of personal 
interest, and what are stressful concerns, are 
lost in the translation of a second party report 
or unrelated evaluation. Interestingly, these 
factors are precisely what contribute to the 
decisions regarding the kind of work and 
characteristics of the job (e.g., hours, location, 
type of business, co-workers) that an individual 
chooses to do and, most importantly, is 
happiest doing. For any employee, with or 
without a disability, the greatest satisfaction 
tends to result when the attributes of the 
employment situation are most compatible with 
his or her personal tastes and real life 
circumstances. 
An important way to begin to think 
about getting to know a supported employment 
customer is to think about yourself. Consider 
all of the many factors that come together to 
make you the person who you are. Now, 
speculate about how you would feel if the only 
introduction someone had about you was an 
isolated description of one facet of your life. It 
is quite likely that this written summary would 
portray a significantly different image and 
surely an incomplete or inadequate picture of 
who you are. 
Similarly, if you reflect upon yourself, 
you can gain insight into what it takes to get to 
know you, and how this can be accomplished. 
Chances are that what you discover will be 
useful techniques for breaking the ice and 
developing the important relationship between 
the employment specialist and the customer. 
The following questions provide some points 
for an employment specialist to consider about 
herself or himself before attempting to get to 
know a new supported employment customer. 
# What makes you comfortable and eases the 
tension in an uncomfortable or unfamiliar 
situation? 
# What types of things make it difficult for 
you to share information, and what strategies 
help you to open up? 
# What do you like others to do when you 
are in a position to work with or provide 
information to someone in authority or 
with decision-making power? 
50
Spend Time Getting to Know 
the Customer 
When arranging a time to get to know 
the customer, it is best to suggest a comfortable 
location of his or her choice (e.g., the person’s 
home, a restaurant, or a park bench). The 
situation to avoid is meeting at the organization's 
office. Typically, an office setting is 
intimidating, particularly for customers who 
have a long history of meeting with service 
providers and other professionals. Some of 
these experiences most likely have not been 
favorable. In addition, the office setting places 
the employment specialist in a position of 
power which may threaten the customer rather 
than foster the development of a relationship. 
Meeting on the customer’s "turf" automatically 
instills a certain degree of comfort as 
well as provides a reference point and framework 
from which the employment specialist 
can pose questions. Characteristics about the 
selected meeting place can provide clues that 
are useful in identifying a work setting for the 
customer. For example, if the customer chooses 
to meet at a restaurant, the employment 
specialist may find out if this is a favorite place 
for the individual and why. This type of information 
usually will go unnoticed in a 
meeting at the office, because the right 
questions are never asked. Or, the customer 
may feel it is not important to offer; however, 
other questions about interests, friends, and 
potential job choices may naturally evolve. 
Perhaps a family member, friend, or 
advocate will participate in the initial meeting, 
sometimes making “going to them” much 
easier and more convenient than if they came 
to 
the supported employment organization. In 
addition, having an advocate or family member 
present may be important when meeting with a 
person who is challenged by limited communication 
skills. The employment specialist 
should make sure that the customer has chosen 
this advocate or person if a third party is 
included in the meeting. 
During the initial meeting, take the time 
to get acquainted engaging in small talk about 
topics and conversational items that the customer 
feels comfortable with and can contribute 
to. The employment specialist may 
want to ask family members or friends to 
supply topics of interest that may put the customer 
at ease such as a favorite sport, love of 
animals, particular music interest, and so forth. 
Observe the customer's method of 
communication: verbal as well as nonverbal 
messages, mannerisms, gestures, and body 
language. Developing a sense of the person’s 
communication style with familiar topics will 
be a major advantage once the discussion shifts 
to information that the customer shares about 
herself or himself which the employment 
specialist may not be aware of and does not 
want to miss. Understanding the individual’s 
communication system will also allow the 
employment specialist to determine the best 
means of asking, responding, or speaking in a 
way that is meaningful for the customer. 
Under ideal conditions, the employment 
specialist should set up a situation such as 
going to a baseball game, to the mall, or other 
identified favorite activity. Actually engaging 
in the activity will stimulate more conversation 
and trust than simply talking about what the 
person likes to do. In addition, the 
51
employment specialist can begin to informally 
assess the customer's gifts and skills within a 
community environment. 
Sarah's Case Study Example 
Sarah and her employment specialist 
decided to meet at the mall's food court near 
Sarah's home. Prior to the meeting, the employment 
specialist went to the mall and made 
a list of skills that he might observe her 
completing during their visit. The employment 
specialist also realized that visiting the mall 
may provide information on Sarah's leisure 
interests that could stimulate ideas for jobs. 
The following table provides a sample of some 
of the items on his list. 
INFORMAL OBSERVATION 
CHECKLIST 
# Transportation & Safety 
1. How does Sarah travel to the mall 
(bus, special transportation, parent, 
friend)? 
2. Is she dropped off at the entrance 
or can she find her way to the door 
through the parking lot? 
3. Does she watch for cars? 
# Mobility 
1. Does Sarah open the mall door and 
maneuver her power chair through 
the door? 
2. Is she able to maneuver around the 
chairs and tables in the food court? 
3. Can she move through the mall 
without bumping into people, 
merchandise, or other barriers? 
(continued) 
# Visiting a Store 
1. What store does Sarah choose to 
visit? 
2. Can she find her way to the store? 
3. Can she "window" shop, or does 
she want to spend money? 
# Purchasing a Snack 
1. Which food stand does Sarah 
select? What are her food choices? 
2. How does she communicate with 
the server? 
3. Does she buy a snack based on 
how much money she has? Does 
she know how much change to 
expect? 
4. Can she physically manipulate the 
money? 
# Eating the Snack 
1. How does Sarah get her food to the 
table? 
2. Does she need any assistance with 
the food containers or eating? 
3. Who initiates conversation? 
4. What topics are discussed? 
Conduct an Initial Interview 
The purpose of an initial interview must 
be explained fully at the time of the appointment 
as well as during the initial few minutes 
of the meeting. Some people may not know 
what supported employment is, the role of the 
employment specialist, or why this meeting is 
taking place. As most would attest, it is difficult 
to respond to questions and initiate important 
information if you are confused or 
unsure of what someone will do with what you 
tell them. 
Describe the employment specialist’s 
role; describe what the customer can expect to 
52
accomplish with support; and why it is 
important to get to know the person before 
getting him or her a job. If the employment 
specialist explains that the information will not 
be used to exclude the person but to find that 
perfect “niche” in the job market, time will be 
well spent setting the stage for a rich and 
valuable information exchange. Sharing 
materials and resources about supported employment 
and the organization can further 
explain and clarify what the employment 
specialist is saying and provide an easy 
reference after the meeting is over. 
Similarly, the employment specialist 
should not rely on one method of asking questions, 
rather present the options in a variety of 
ways. For example, ask yes or no questions, 
phrase as multiple choice, provide true/false 
alternatives, present open-ended opportunities, 
and repeat answers back to the customer for 
verification. An individual may answer yes to 
every question, always choose the last response, 
or always agree with the false 
selection. This may not be the customer's real 
choice. Instead, the answer may be what the 
individual is familiar with, a reflection of his or 
her skill level, or the only choice that the 
customer remembers when the options are 
presented. The employment specialist can 
determine the individual’s response pattern by 
asking ques-tions about a subject that he or she 
knows the answer to and rephrasing and 
repeating the question several times to see what 
type of questioning format is the easiest and 
most effective for the customer’s particular 
style. Examples of types of questions 
important to explore are listed in the following 
table. Remember that a customer's advocate, 
friend, 
53
or family member also may be able to provide 
additional information in these areas if the 
customer has a difficult time making her or his 
wants and desires known. 
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK 
THE CUSTOMER 
# What do you like to do? 
(interests, preferences) 
# What skills do you have? 
(talents, gifts, abilities, education) 
# What experiences have you had? 
(employment, volunteer, training, personal 
development) 
# What work conditions would you 
like to have? 
(hours/schedule, job duties, work environment, 
supervision) 
# What financial and non-monetary 
benefits do you need or want? 
(wages, health insurance, vacation, 
personal time, sick time) 
# What kind of social environment 
would you like? 
(co-workers, opportunities for socialization, 
lunch/breaks) 
# What type of services do you need? 
(case management, independent living, 
employment, education) 
# What types of supports do you need 
or want? 
(personal, workplace, community) 
# What type of job would you like? 
(type of work, location, size of company, 
advancement) 
# What are your career/life goals? 
(employment, living arrangements, 
leisure activities, relationships) 
The Individual Supports Assessment 
Form located in the Appendix of this chapter 
provides a useful guide for the employment 
specialist in asking questions or for the customer 
and his or her family member(s) to 
complete on their own. Most individuals 
function on a daily basis with a multitude of 
supports that they rely on in their everyday 
lives. Because these routines and supports are 
so familiar, they are often taken for granted and 
not offered as pertinent information For 
instance, if a member of the church drives the 
individual to the YMCA several days a week, 
perhaps he would also drive him to work. A 
form such as the one provided in the appendix 
of this chapter can trigger the recollection of 
valuable information so that no support or 
indication of preference is overlooked. 
Before the end of the meeting, ask for 
questions and discuss what next steps can be 
anticipated. Make sure that contact 
information has been exchanged and each 
person's prefer-ences for communicating with 
each other have been discussed. One idea is to 
describe ways that information thought of after 
the meeting can be recorded so as not to be 
forgotten before the next conversation. For 
example, a great idea for a job noticed while 
passing by in the car with one’s parents is 
likely to be over-looked if a means of recalling 
or jotting it down are not explored and prearranged. 
Customer-Driven Support Teams 
Many supported employment customers 
are beginning to use support teams to assist 
them in identifying a career path. This has been 
referred to in the literature as a "Circle of 
54
Support" or "Circle of Friends" (Falvey, Forest, 
Pearpoint, Rosenberg, 1993; Perske, 1989). 
This chapter will refer to this group of 
individuals as a “customer-driven support 
team.” 
Typically, the team is made up of 
friends, family, professionals, and any other 
persons involved in the customer's life (O'Brien 
& Lovett, 1992; Pearpoint, O'Brien, & Forest, 
1993). A supported employment team may 
include the customer, her or his employment 
specialist, vocational rehabilitation counselor, 
case worker, friends and family members, and 
so forth. It is important to remember that teams 
consist only of those individuals selected by the 
customer. While an employment specialist may 
feel that a particular person should participate, 
he or she is not included if this is the wish of 
the customer. 
The customer-driven support team can 
use any number of person-centered approaches 
to assist the customer in identifying her/his 
employment interests and strengths. These 
strategies have been referred to as “personal 
futures planning”, “lifestyle planning”, 
“MAPS”, and “PATH”. Typically, a team 
meets to explore what the individual wants his 
or her future to be like. Planning sessions 
provide a forum for everyone to brainstorm and 
share their ideas and expertise to formulate a 
blueprint for making the customer's dreams a 
reality. Finding out what the individual would 
like to do, remembering that she or he may not 
be able to articulate specific careers, offering 
suggestions of jobs in that area, and determining 
whatever it takes for him or her to be 
able to pursue these interests and achieve the 
greatest degree of satisfaction is just one of the 
many major accomplishments resulting from a 
customer-driven approach to services. 
Identifying the Career Path 
Critical to implementing a personcentered 
philosophy is the concept of encouraging 
customers to "dream" about their 
futures. Professionals cannot make judgements 
about a customer's choices or career path. 
During one meeting, a team member almost 
stopped the “dreaming” process by telling the 
customer that his goals for the future were 
unrealistic. The customer was dreaming about 
being a lawyer or working in a bank. However, 
as the meeting progressed, the team realized 
that the customer had this dream, because he 
wanted to work in an office, wear a suit or nice 
clothes, and be around professional people. 
Typically, behind every dream is important 
information that will direct the customer and 
her/his team towards meaningful goals. 
MAPS as a Planning Tool 
Making Action Plans (MAPS) is one 
person-centered tool that has been used to 
assist individuals in planning their futures 
(Falvey et al., 1993). This is a facilitated 
process in which a facilitator and recorder work 
with an indi-vidual and his/her team to identify 
the person's gifts and strengths. There are eight 
key ques-tions that are addressed during a 
MAPS meeting. Usually, these questions are 
answered in order, but a group may choose to 
conduct a meeting differently based on the 
customer's needs. 
55
Participants at the meeting are selected 
by the customer who are willing and able to 
assist in identifying the customer's dreams, 
interests, and support needs. As previously 
stated, team meetings can be held anywhere, 
but the room used should be comfortable and 
provide a relaxed atmosphere for planning. 
Meeting at the supported employment agency 
is not recommended, unless this is specifically 
the choice of the customer. The eight questions 
that form the structure for the MAPS process 
are listed in the following table. 
MAPS AS A PLANNING TOOL 
What is a MAP? Question #1: 
Questions #2: What is the person's history 
or story? 
Question #3: What are the person’s 
dreams? 
Question #4: What are the person’s 
nightmares? 
Who is the person? Question #5: 
Questions #6: What are the person's 
strengths, gifts, and 
talents? 
Question #7: What does the person 
need? 
Question #8: What is the plan of 
action? 
(Forest & Pearpoint, 1992) 
The key to successfully completing a 
MAPS is to have a positive approach to the 
process. The individual's gifts and talents 
should be highlighted, and she or he should 
never be described in terms of a disability label 
or problem. If the customer is challenged by a 
specific issue, then the team needs to state this 
in terms of the person's support needs. 
The “nightmare” question allows the 
group to think about negative events that may 
happen. These nightmares also can provide 
some valuable insight into job characteristics 
that should be avoided. For instance, if a 
customer describes his/her nightmare in terms 
of never having any friends, this is a cue to 
avoid jobs with limited social interactions. 
Question number 7 asks the customer 
and her/his team members to consider what the 
customer will need in terms of people and 
resources to make his/her dream a reality. 
During the discussion of this question, the 
customer may begin to identify specific individuals 
who have not been invited to the 
meeting as key implementers in the plan. For 
instance, if the dream is to become employed 
using supported employment and the rehabilitation 
counselor is not present, the customer 
may realize that the counselor needs an invitation 
to become a team member. 
Question 7 leads nicely into question 8 
which asks the customer and team to identify a 
plan of action. The customer and team members 
will need to identify who will do what and 
when (Falvey et al., 1993). The following is a 
list of sample items off Susan's plan of action. 
# Janice, a family friend, will assist Susan in 
getting a new hairstyle for work that she 
can take care of independently before 6-11. 
# Susan and Bill, the employment specialist, 
will look through the classified section of 
56
the paper weekly to discuss job possibilities. 
Bill will update Susan during these 
weekly discussions on all job leads that he 
identifies. 
# Susan will talk with her case manager and 
schedule a meeting to discuss a new 
augmentative communication device by 6- 
15. 
# Chuck, a peer mentor, will assist Susan in 
obtaining information on adult literacy by 
7-1. 
PATH as a Planning Tool 
The Planning Alternative Tomorrows 
with Hope (PATH) process can be used to 
identify each customer's dreams and goals for 
employment, specify accomplishments which 
will occur in a one year time period, and establish 
intermediate three month, one month, and 
one week objectives and activities toward 
meeting the customer's career goal. Essentially, 
PATH developed from the MAPS process 
and was designed to put into place a plan 
of action for the focus person (Pearpoint, 
O'Brien, Forest, (1995). Literally, the process 
can identify an employment "path" for customers 
to pursue. 
A PATH is led by a group facilitator 
and a graphic recorder. These two individuals 
are preferably "neutral" and not members of the 
customer's support team. They guide a brainstorming 
meeting by recording the discussion 
pictorially. Eight steps are completed and must 
be discussed in order to preserve the integrity 
of the process. The following table lists these 
steps. 
PATH: PLANNING ALTERNATIVE 
TOMORROWS WITH HOPE 
Step 1: The North Star - The Dream 
Step 2: Sensing The Goal - Positive & 
Possible 
Step 3: Grounding in the Now 
Step 4: Who Do We Enroll? 
Step 5: Recognizing Ways to Build 
Strength 
Step 6: Charting Actions for the Next 3 
Months 
Step 7: Planning the Next Month's 
Work 
Step 8: Committing to the Next Step 
(Pearpoint, O;Brien, & Forest, 1995) 
The facilitator's responsibility is to 
assist the team in addressing each of these eight 
steps of the PATH. The customer should be 
encouraged to "dream" what her/his future 
looks like without any restrictions. Once this 
has occurred, the customer can talk about the 
goals that have been accomplished during a 
specified time period. This could be one year, 
six months, or any other length of time that is 
just past what the person can be predict. The 
facilitator encourages the customer to think 
about these events as if they have already 
happened. Goals identified in this step should 
be positive and possible (Pearpoint et al., 
1995). If the customer has difficulty communicating 
or is unable to think of events in the 
57
future, the facilitator should encourage the 
team members to assist by describing things 
that they feel have happened. Of course, these 
career goals or events should always be 
verified by the customer, before they are placed 
on the person's PATH. 
The next steps require the customer to 
think about how he/she feels now, who needs 
to assist in the PATH, and how the customer 
builds strength. Obviously, identifying individuals 
to enroll in the support team is a critical 
step towards assisting a customer in meeting 
his/her career goals. For instance, one 
customer realized that she would need to get 
her personal care attendants enrolled in order to 
successfully get dressed and be prepared to go 
to work everyday in a timely fashion. She also 
identified that she builds strength by going to 
bed every night by 10:00 p.m. and not getting 
out of bed before 8:00 a.m.. Since it requires a 
minimum of 1½ hours for the customer to get 
dressed, the employment specialist learned that 
working before 10:30 in the morning would not 
be feasible for this particular customer. 
The final three steps of the PATH ask 
the customer and his/her support team to 
actually set actions for the next few months. 
Again, the facilitator asks the group to talk in 
the past tense. Such as, "I have opened a 
checking account." "I have participated in three 
situational assessments to identify the type of 
career that I would like to pursue." The customer 
and the support team members should be 
specific about who does what and when it will 
be accomplished. The employment specialist 
may be the logical person to assist the customer 
in monitoring the progress that occurs towards 
meeting the customer's career path. 
The reader is encouraged to study the 
materials referenced in this section and others 
before implementing MAPS or PATH. There 
are several videotapes available through Inclusion 
Press which also are excellent resources. 
The following is an excerpt from one customer's 
PATH. The appendix of this chapter 
provides a pictorial representation of this work. 
Sample PATH: Career Planning 
Activities for One Customer 
Career Dream for the Future 
A job where I... 
# can help others. 
# can work around people. 
# work with animals (e.g, pet store, 
veterinarian's office, boarding facility, 
park, etc.); or 
# work with flowers such as at a florist; 
or 
# work in a department store. 
One Year Goals 
I have.. 
# selected a job, and I am working! 
# opened a checking and savings 
account. 
# bought new clothes with earnings. 
# joined a woman's group such as the 
Garden Club. 
I am... 
# earning enough money to pay my 
own bills (e.g., telephone bill). 
# making new friends. 
# going out into the community independently 
(e.g, attending concerts on 
own, going shopping, going out to 
dinner, etc.). 
58
Three Months Goals 
and Objectives 
I have... 
# completed a situational assessment at 
three different work sites based on 
my specific interests (e.g., pet store, 
florist, department store). 
# narrowed my job interests and 
choices (hopefully identified a job!). 
# gone on 3-4 job interviews. 
# identified where I want to go and 
used the accessible bus system at 
least 3 times by myself. 
# gone to a concert with friends at least 
once without assistance! 
# gone out to dinner with a friend at 
least once without assistance! 
One Month Goals and 
Objectives 
I have... 
# picked out my interview outfit. 
# identified the sites for my situational 
assessments. 
# ridden the accessible bus system with 
my mentor at least once a week. 
# attended regularly scheduled support 
group meetings. 
Next Week's Activities 
I will... 
# buy a day planner to keep up with my 
new schedule. 
# talk with my personal care nurses 
about my job goals. 
# visit at least one job site to begin 
narrowing my choices for situational 
assessment. 
# review the want ads to get an idea 
about available jobs. 
# role play having an interview with 
my mentor. 
# attend a support group with other 
project customers. 
ONDUCTING FUNCTIONAL 
ASSESSMENTS C 
It is important to remember that the 
reason for conducting an assessment is to 
determine a customers’s skills and interests, 
learning style, behavioral characteristics, and 
support needs so that employment and support 
decisions can be made with the person which 
accurately reflect what she or he wants and 
needs. The most useful information for an individual 
with a severe disability is obtained 
when a functional assessment approach guides 
all aspects of the process including the activities 
that are conducted, the methods that are 
used, and the manner with which they are 
interpreted. 
A functional assessment is not performed 
to “screen out” an individual from employment 
or deny access to a desired activity; 
rather, an assessment should be conducted to 
determine the level and intensity of support that 
the customer will need in order to achieve 
maximum independence. It is characterized by 
a reliance on obtaining information from a 
variety of sources, focusing on actual behaviors 
in real environments where they occur, and 
documenting the information in behavioral 
terms without value judgments. 
Looking at the functional abilities of the 
customer in the context of what is required by 
the environment where the skill is to be performed, 
allows an accurate assessment to be 
conducted under the natural circumstances and 
cues of the work environment where the skill 
will occur. Any gaps between what is required 
59
by the job site and what the worker is able to 
do can be lessened with the application of 
instructional techniques and individualized 
sup-ports that meet the customer's specific 
needs. Often, many of the gaps are resolved 
through negotiations with the employer and 
specific job carving during job development 
that eliminate the need altogether. Other times, 
assistive technology, compensatory strategies, 
rehabili-tation engineering, personal assistant 
services, or behavioral training techniques will 
reduce the difference between what is required 
and what the individual is able to do. 
However, if assessments are written in 
a way to screen someone from receiving services, 
then the chance to explore and apply 
these strategies will go undetected. For 
example, if the assessment indicates a stamina 
issue requiring the customer to build up 
endurance before becoming employed, then 
little information is relayed to the employment 
specialist to assist with employment decisions. 
Two very different pictures and support needs 
are suggested by the following functional information: 
1) Paul has a severe heart condition 
requiring a sit-down job or one that is not 
strenuous and offers frequent breaks 
throughout the shift; 2) Barbara has no physical 
limitations but has been sitting at home for an 
extended period of time and works for one hour 
before saying she is tired and requesting a 
break. Any information about an individual 
can be very misleading if not considered within 
the context of how it was obtained and perhaps 
more im-portantly, how it was interpreted. 
Individualized and Comprehensive 
A thorough assessment process offers 
the opportunity to develop an image of the entire 
person without overlooking small details 
which may significantly affect the choices 
someone makes regarding his or her employment 
situation. This involves the gathering of 
information from a variety of sources including: 
talking with the individual, meeting 
with the family, conducting community-based 
assessments, observing the individual in multiple 
environments, reviewing formal records, 
and any other activities that are relevant to that 
person’s life. Even though the methods of 
conducting assessments are similar for all individuals, 
the manner in which they are implemented 
may vary based on what is important 
for that person. 
For example, observing in multiple environments 
may mean home and school for one 
customer, the workshop and community volunteer 
experience for another, or home and paid 
work situation for someone else. Other customers 
may offer additional opportunities that 
are equally important in their life, such as 
going out for coffee, grocery shopping, 
working on the computer, or collecting 
recycling products from their home. A good 
rule of thumb is to keep in mind the guiding 
principles of assess-ment, plan on completing 
the specific strategies outlined for developing 
a customer profile, and remain open and 
flexible enough to make changes as directed by 
the customer. 
Observe in Multiple Environments 
Everyone acts differently depending 
upon the situation they are in and how familiar 
60
they are with the environment. For example, 
quite a different impression is presented in an 
interview with an employer than at the company 
sponsored softball game. Similarly, 
someone will appear very different in a workshop 
setting surrounded by other individuals 
with a disability than she or he would in a 
competitive business setting with other persons 
who do not have disabilities. It is important to 
arrange to visit the customer in a variety of 
different places and situations including the 
activities and settings he or she frequently 
participates in. Previously in this chapter, 
suggestions were made for assessing the customer's 
skills and interests by getting to know 
the person in an environment of his/her choice. 
These can include the individual’s home; the 
local community; his or her school; a volunteer 
job, vocational training site; or leisure/recreational 
activity. 
Ask the customer what kinds of things 
she or he is doing and if it would be alright to 
visit and observe him or her in that setting. 
Contact the person in charge, such as the 
teacher, employer, trainer, or staff member, and 
schedule a time that the observation will not 
interfere but will also will provide an opportunity 
to observe the customer’s typical routines 
and activities. The employment specialist 
should explain why he/she is coming as well as 
to request time to speak with the representative 
who knows the customer best to gain additional 
insight into his or her work interests and 
attributes. While the employment specialist is 
there, be sure to pay attention to: 1) specific 
tasks (e.g., delivering mail, bagging groceries, 
answering a telephone), 2) particular skills 
(e.g., discriminating among objects, orienting 
around the area, using a watch), 3) physical 
abilities (e.g. strength, mobility, agility), 4) 
per-sonality characteristics (e.g., shy, 
personable, tolerance for stress), 5) 
environmental condi-tions (e.g., noise, 
temperature, congestion), 6) interpersonal 
relationships (e.g., friendships, proximity, 
communication), and likes and dis-likes (e.g., 
location, schedule, nature of activity). This is a 
good opportunity to talk with the customer and 
have him or her describe and show what she or 
he is doing. 
OMMUNITY-BASED 
ASSESSMENTS C 
Two methods of conducting functional 
assessment activities include situational and 
community assessments. Both involve having 
the customer take part in actual events that 
occur in business settings and other community 
environments. In this way, an individual can 
indicate what he or she likes by visiting or 
participating in the actual environments where 
the events occur. This allows someone to express 
preferences that may not be communicated, 
exhibit abilities that may go undetected, 
and make choices from experiences that may 
never be known. 
Situational Assessments 
A situational assessment provides a customer 
with the opportunity to perform job tasks 
in real work environments in the community 
(Moon, Inge, Wehman, Brooke, & Barcus, 
1990). Usually, a situational assessment is 
61
conducted for a four hour period in two to three 
different types of jobs in the community which 
are representative of the local labor market. 
However, a general guideline for the length of 
an assessment is that it should reflect the 
customer's future work day. If the individual 
wants to work full time, then he or she should 
participate in assessments that reflect a full day 
of work. 
Any business can be a potential site; 
identified from any number of experiences, 
contacts, or resources that the employment 
specialist is aware of (e.g. past employment, 
personal contacts, job development, previous 
supported employment setting, newspaper, 
telephone book, and so forth). However, the 
sites selected for any specific customer 
depends on the choices of the individual. For 
instance, one customer during her PATH 
meeting identified that she thought a job at a 
pet store or florist may be something that she 
would like. The employment specialist then set 
up two situational assessments in the 
community to give her the opportunity to see if 
these were possible career paths for the 
customer. 
If the customer is unable to identify 
specific ideas about a career path, then situational 
assessments can be even more valuable 
to the individual and the employment specialist. 
A variety of job types should be explored, 
and the customer's reaction to each recorded to 
compare which may be the most appropriate 
and most preferred job choice. It is important 
to note that it is not necessarily assumed that a 
customer will choose to work in one of the 
types of businesses where the situational 
assessments are conducted, but an opportunity 
is provided to assist the customer with determining 
the career goal, work environment, job 
characteristics, or business that she or he might 
like. 
For example, one individual who chose 
to complete a laundry assessment began crying 
almost immediately and refused to fold the 
linens. The employment specialist quickly 
asked if she would like to do housekeeping, 
which she readily agreed to. The customer did 
an excellent job vacuuming, making the bed, 
and cleaning the room very quickly and somewhat 
independently. At first glance, it would 
appear that she loved to clean and would 
eagerly accept a job involving cleaning, however, 
she and her parents both confirmed that 
she hated doing any type of cleaning duties. 
After spending more time together and participating 
in additional assessment activities, it 
was discovered that she did not like the 
laundry, because it was hot, loud, and the stack 
of towels never ended. Whereas, in the hotel 
room the tasks were well-defined, there was no 
noise, no other people were around, and the 
room was cool. In addition to identifying some 
of the aspects of the job that the customer 
would be interested in, and those she would not 
like, the use of compensatory strategies that 
would allow her to self-monitor without coworker 
prompting and which would give her 
closure at the completion of a task were 
identified and put into place at her job. Incidentally, 
her job choice, a lobby attendant at a 
fast food restaurant, was decided for all of the 
reasons cited above from the assessments as 
62
well as the fact that the majority of her friends 
were working there. 
Situational assessments are useful in 
determining the type of employment services a 
customer can benefit from and the level and intensity 
of supports she or he will need. 
Observing an individual performing real work 
in multiple environments provides an indication 
of her or his work characteristics, interests, 
skills, abilities, learning style, and support 
needs. In addition, a situational assessment 
offers the individual an opportunity to witness 
different types of jobs and their requirements 
first-hand to assist him or her with making a 
job choice. A situational assessment form is 
located in the appendix of this chapter; however, 
programs are encouraged to develop their 
own forms based on the needs of their 
customers. 
Setting Up Assessment Sites 
Most employers are more than willing 
to participate in this type of activity. If an 
agency already has a relationship with the employer 
then probably the employment specialist 
will have an idea of the employer's receptivity, 
the positions to be targeted, and the general 
logistical arrangements. If the employment 
specialist is contacting a business for the first 
time in order to arrange a situational assessment, 
much of the information gathering can be 
completed at the same time that the employment 
specialist is requesting the employer’s 
participation. 
When talking with the employer it is 
very important to be clear about what the 
supported employment agency would like. 
Communicate in a professional manner using 
business terminology and avoid professional 
jargon. Most employers are not going to be 
familiar with situational or community-based 
assessment as this is not the typical practice 
when hiring most employees. However, employers 
understand the concept of hiring a good 
worker who can do the job, really wants to 
work there, and will be a loyal, reliable 
employee. Explaining that the best way to help 
someone find a job that they really want and to 
know how to support the individual and employer 
is to “try out” some brief work experiences 
is typically well-received. Tell the 
employer that the employment specialist would 
like to select one or more positions within the 
company, learn how to do them, select times 
that the presence of two additional people 
wouldn’t be disruptive to the regular workflow. 
Find out her or his needs, scheduling preferences, 
and capacity for conducting multiple 
assessments over time. 
Once agreement has been reached, 
several steps are suggested which have been 
found to be helpful. First, observe the different 
jobs being performed and decide which ones 
are representative of jobs or job characteristics 
in the community and offer variety in terms of 
work tasks, environments, demands, and employees. 
Second, talk over the identified job 
tasks with the employer, assess his or her receptivity 
to what has been chosen, and 
negotiate among all of the options presented. 
Third, observe the job being performed and 
write a task analysis for completing each duty 
63
while noting any other important aspects of the 
work area. Fourth, verify knowledge of the 
job, the employer’s expectations, and the rules 
which employees of the company must follow 
by reviewing what is known with the employer, 
front line supervisor, lead co-worker or any 
other designated representative. Fifth, make 
the scheduling arrangements including who 
will participate, names of the trainers, method 
of transportation, hours of the assessment, what 
clothing must be worn, job duties to be 
performed, rules of the work area, and critical 
“tips” to remember. Sixth, inform the 
individual and any other persons who may be 
affected by the assessment, such as his or her 
family, teacher at school, residential staff, 
vocational trainer, day program personnel, or 
others. Don’t leave anything to chance which 
could potentially jeopardize the present 
assessment and participants as well as the longterm 
arrangement with the employer. Seventh, 
communicate with the employer about conducting 
assessments over time based upon the 
number of persons to be served and the projected 
period in which job development 
activities are anticipated, such as every four or 
six months. Having everything prepared 
allows additional assessments to be conducted 
on a regular basis with just a telephone call to 
con-firm with the employer and verify the 
previous arrangements that have been made. 
Two issues frequently raised by 
agencies and employers concern liability and 
labor laws (Inge & Wehman, 1993). It is important 
to be well-versed in what these 
requirements are and the appropriate response 
to each of these questions. The U.S. Department 
of Labor has established specific criteria, 
which if followed, will not constitute an employment 
relationship in violation of the Fair 
Labor Standards Act. While there are numerous 
resources available which outline these 
criteria (Inge & Wehman, 1993) it is highly recommended 
that a contact be made with the 
Department of Labor for the information and 
any new guidelines which may affect your particular 
situation. Liability issues can be explained 
by describing the insurances that cover 
the customer and employment specialist and 
the responsibilities of all parties. For the employment 
specialist, her or his worker's compensation 
insurance covers him or her on the 
job site since that is part of the position’s job 
description. The customer is covered by his or 
her private insurance or Medicaid/Medicare 
benefits. If it is a school situation and 
community-based training/assessments are included 
in the student’s educational program 
then the school’s liability insurance covers the 
student at the business. Finally, if accident or 
injury occurs due to negligence of the employer 
or circumstances beyond her or his control then 
the company’s insurance would be liable as for 
the other employees, the public, or anyone else 
affected by the incident. 
Community Assessment 
Community assessments have been described 
earlier in this chapter. As previously 
mentioned, a community assessment provides 
an excellent opportunity to become familiar 
with the local area where the individual lives 
64
both to identify potential support resources and 
to determine job preferences. Additionally, it 
allows the employment specialist the chance to 
identify businesses to target for job 
development. For example, one person said he 
wanted a job with computers and office equipment 
and asked to see one business which was 
very formal in its appearance with employees 
dressed in a suit and tie and very little customer 
traffic. Another location was identified to 
allow him to see several similar types of businesses, 
however, this one was staffed by persons 
his own age, dressed casually, with trendy 
music playing in the background. After the 
first company, the individual thought he had 
chosen the wrong type of work and said he 
wanted to do something else; however after 
visiting the second business, he quickly 
changed his mind and eagerly pursued a job in 
an office supply store with similar features. 
For customers who have never worked or who 
have had limited experiences, making choices 
about a job or the features of a workplace often 
can be difficult. The community assessment 
opens up new and old environments to explore 
and observe thereby expanding the wealth of 
possibilities from which they will be making a 
selection. 
The Situational Assessment Summary 
Form (Moon et al., 1990) located at the end of 
the chapter is a useful tool for recording 
observations and impressions noticed during 
the situational and community assessments. 
The form offers a listing of 30 characteristics 
found to be important when assisting someone 
with employment. Five spaces are provided 
beside each item to allow summaries of 
information from multiple observations and 
interviews. The “other” column is often used 
to summarize observations in another environment, 
community assessment activity, or additional 
interviews with key persons. The third 
situational assessment column can be modified 
to describe a community assessment or other 
activity if only two situational assessments are 
conducted. It is important to write down the 
functional behavior that is observed without 
adding interpretations of what is recorded. 
However, additional comments which explain 
the context or further clarify the information 
which may be useful for finding the right job 
are certainly encouraged. If multiple employment 
specialists are participating, the lead 
person should complete the form first and pass 
it on to the other(s) to add their comments or 
impressions. 
AMILY SUPPORT AND 
INVOLVEMENT F 
For some individuals, parents or a 
family member may not be involved in their 
life while others may have very close ties. It 
must be determined by the customer based 
upon his or her relationships with other persons 
as to who will be involved in the assessment 
process. What is important to consider is that 
in regards to going to work, the individual’s 
entire life, including family members, must be 
an essential part since everyone in that family 
unit is likely to be affected. Families have their 
own lives, schedules, and priorities, and while 
going to work is a number one concern, the 
reality of day-to-day life and circumstances 
65
outside of work are major factors for them. 
Finding out their expectations, dreams, and life 
routines are a critical element that cannot be 
ignored. Often family members are viewed as 
not wanting their son or daughter to go to work 
and therefore, labeled as resistant and not 
supportive. The reality is that they may never 
have considered employment before because 
all their life they have been told that their son 
or daughter won’t work. Perhaps, they are concerned 
about their family member being able to 
perform the job, fitting in with the other coworkers, 
the permanency of the position, 
transportation, loss of Medicaid/Medicare, or 
safety. It is important to remember that many 
of these family members may never have heard 
about supported employment or the employment 
specialist and are expressing concerns 
that are quite valid particularly under traditional 
vocational rehabilitation models. They 
may present a very different picture if once 
informed of the information which employment 
specialists have to share. 
Be prepared to respond to family member 
concerns regardless of whether they are 
spoken or not. The truth of the matter is that 
parents may not know what to ask or may be 
interested but not want to jeopardize their 
daughter or son’s chances of going to work or 
may feel they know the answer but have been 
misinformed in the past. It is important for you 
to share information in a way they can understand 
so that an informed choice can be made. 
Many of the issues are addressed by simply 
describing the job coaches’ role and explaining 
what he or she is responsible for. For example, 
throughout the entire process, the ability to do 
the job, getting along with co-workers, safety, 
and responding to supervision can be alleviated 
by knowing what the employment specialist 
will be doing. Other issues, such as scheduling, 
hours, transportation, after work 
activities, alternative arrangements should the 
job not work out, and the responsibilities of the 
family, can be addressed during the assessment 
process by finding out what the family would 
like and the range of options that would be 
satisfactory for them. Finally, one of the 
greatest concerns, namely health insurance, 
should be discussed in depth with estimated 
calculations completed indicating the effect 
work would have on benefits, arranging and/or 
accompanying on a visit to Social Security and 
Medicaid/Medicare in order to accurately 
deter-mine the impact of employment, and 
finding out their needs to be considered during 
job development (e.g., full or part time employment, 
company-sponsored medical insurance). 
Because the family is so important both 
in assisting the customer with employment as 
well as being a tremendous resource of support 
options that may be available, including them 
in the supported employment process and encouraging 
their involvement are crucial. Just 
as with the customer, take time to get to know 
the family by visiting them at home on several 
occasions. What the employment specialist is 
presenting to the family can be overwhelming 
not to mention that some very important decisions 
are being asked of them all of which 
cannot be expected to occur with just one 
66
meeting. Take time to build a relationship by 
sharing information, describing who the 
employment specialist and organization are, 
encouraging them to share their dreams, 
finding out their expectations, asking their 
opinions, and exploring the resources they rely 
on. If family members seem hesitant, slow 
down and give them time to think. Keep the 
channels of communication open by telephone 
and addi-tional meetings to allow opportunities 
for questions and more detailed explanations. 
An excellent way to foster family support is to 
arrange linkages with other parents whose sons 
or daughters are working and can describe firsthand 
what their experiences were like and the 
benefits they encountered. Another suggestion 
is to conduct a parent resource night with 
written materials, slides and/or videos, speakers 
who are individuals and family members involved 
with supported employment, presentations 
by other agency representatives, and a 
period for questions and answers. 
EVELOP A CUSTOMER 
PROFILE D 
One of the challenges of the assessment 
process is pulling together all of the information 
which has been obtained from the variety 
of sources. It is not uncommon for different information 
gathering techniques to yield differing 
information about the same thing. While 
this can be confusing, it is extremely helpful to 
be able to paint a larger picture of who the customer 
is and what her or his range of abilities, 
interests, and preferences really are. The key 
to making this information useful for the job 
development, job-site training, and long-term 
support services that follow is to synthesize the 
information in an easy reference format. In 
addition, extrapolating pertinent information 
and highlighting it in a functional resume offers 
a tool for employment specialists and customers 
to use for their job searches and career 
advancement efforts. 
Synthesize Assessment Information 
Once all of the assessment activities 
have been completed, the employment specialist 
should have a general sense of who the 
customer is, what kind of job he or she would 
like, and the types of supports that may be 
needed. Summarizing the information onto the 
Customer Profile Form will help to make it 
more manageable when approaching a job and 
assisting the customer with making employment 
decisions. This form, located at the end 
of this chapter, contains 28 questions that have 
been found to be critical elements to consider 
from a customer and employer perspective. 
This form includes many of the same items that 
were previously thought about on the 
Situational Assessment Summary Form. The 
Customer Profile Form allows you to select one 
response for each item that best matches what 
the customer does under typical circumstances. 
If opposite extremes are 
witnessed under certain conditions, it is 
important to note them in the comment section 
but really does a disservice to everyone if 
indicated as the customer’s primary way of 
doing something. 
For example, a person who lifts 10 to 
20 pounds regularly (item 3) while working at 
67
a job for three or four hours and during that 
time was observed lifting 50 pounds with a 
great deal of exertion on two separate 
instances, then selecting strong will give the 
impression that the individual can lift and carry 
50 pounds or more throughout her or his work 
shift. How-ever, checking fair, and writing in 
the comment section that the person is capable 
of lifting up to 50 pounds but not on a 
continuous basis opens up many more 
opportunities within jobs requiring strength 
without putting the customer in a situation that 
exceeds his or her physical abilities. Similarly, 
a very different picture is presented if under 
transportation (item 2) it is checked that the 
family would drive when, in reality, the family 
only will transport in an emergency or back-up 
situation. 
A similar Job Screening Form described 
in the Job Development Chapter includes the 
same items focusing on the requirements of a 
job to assist with making training and support 
decisions essential for bridging the gap 
between the two. It is important to remember 
that this synopsis is completed to assist with 
finding a job that matches what the individual 
would like. Adding or eliminating bits of information 
in order to alter the impression of the 
individual as being more or less capable is not 
the purpose of the form. Since no judgements 
are being made and no one is at risk of being 
excluded as a result of the information obtained, 
the need to go beyond behaviorally 
describing the individual’s skills and characteristics 
is not necessary and actually poses a 
disadvantage. 
F UNCTIONAL RESUME 
Resumes are the means by which many 
people and employers get a job or hire their 
workers. Often, supported employment customers 
do not compete well on paper as represented 
on a job application or standard resume 
format. However, exploring the paid and unpaid 
work experiences and other work-related 
activities that the customer has been involved 
with and translating these into language an 
employer understands can significantly boost 
their advantage in the labor market. For 
example, special skills, talents, work behaviors, 
use of equipment, and exposure to different job 
duties can be presented in a way that lets the 
employer know the individual has had some 
vocational experience and offers many qualities 
to the business despite the fact that she or he 
may never have held a paid job before. A 
worksheet is attached for the customer and if 
desired, his or her family, to use, to brainstorm 
and remember activities and experiences that 
the person may have had but never considered 
to be relevant to becoming employed. It is a 
good idea to present this to them during an 
initial visit so they can begin thinking of 
information to include. Once the worksheet is 
completed, the employment specialist can word 
the information in a way that would be 
meaningful to an employer. An example of a 
completed functional resume is located in the 
Appendix of this chapter. This is useful to give 
to employers by the individual looking for a 
job, the employment specialist during job 
development, or by attaching it to an 
application or enclosing it with a cover letter 
68
and mailing or delivering them to an employer. 
Pulling it All Together 
Michael is 25 years old and has cerebral 
palsy and mental retardation. He has limited 
use of his right hand, poor vision, and unclear 
speech. Michael attended a special education 
center and finished school three years ago. He 
participated in several work experiences while 
in school, some of which were paid. Michael 
worked in the school greenhouse for one year, 
in the school cafeteria for four months, and in 
the school library for two months. He obtained 
a competitive job in the garden center at a 
department store during his last year of school 
and was laid off after three weeks. Since 
Michael finished school, he has been sitting 
home watching television and video movies. 
He wants to work and thinks that janitorial 
work in an electronics store would be fun. 
Vocational Evaluation Report 
Michael was able to follow verbal, 
demonstrated, and pictorial directions. Instructions 
needed to be very specific and repeated 
each time the task was completed. Michael 
tried the following work samples: engine service, 
information processing, mail sorting, 
medical service, and assembly. He was observed 
to have a positive work attitude, perseverance, 
ability to work with others, 
acceptance of constructive criticism, an understanding 
of safety rules, adjustment to repetitive 
tasks, and care of equipment and materials. 
The following negative work behaviors were 
noted: slow work rate, poor accuracy, an 
inability to adapt to change, and a frustrated 
reaction to supervision. It is recommended that 
Michael receive work adjustment training with 
the goal of supported employment in the area 
of food service, office worker, or custodian. 
Medical Report 
Michael has spastic right hemiplegia 
resulting in flexion contractures of the right 
wrist, hip, and knee. The left arm and leg have 
fair muscle strength. He can walk independently. 
Michael cannot lift heavy objects, 
walk long distances, twist, stoop, or climb. 
School Records 
Michael gets along with everyone, is 
very polite, and usually goes along with whatever 
his teachers or peers say. He is an excellent 
worker, very motivated, and gets the work 
done. Michael learned how to do the greenhouse 
job and was able to work independently 
with minimal supervision and reinforcement 
after two months of intensive training. He likes 
to work alone and gets very frustrated if he 
cannot complete a task without assistance. He 
will try very hard to figure out a way to do 
something rather than ask someone for help. 
He did not perform as well in the kitchen or 
library jobs with frequent off-task behavior 
noted, however, even though he worked 
slowly, he persevered until the job was 
finished. 
Home Visit 
Michael and his mother were extremely 
excited and eager for him to start work. His 
69
mother was very supportive and offered to 
drive Michael or help in any way she could. 
She said Michael helped around the house with 
light cleaning and taking out the trash but only 
after repeated requests. Michael said he 
watched TV and taped movies on the VCR all 
day. He said he wanted to work and would do 
anything. Michael recently had knee surgery, 
but both he and his mother did not feel that he 
had any physical limitations that would 
interfere with work. Although, his mother did 
express concern that he would need frequent 
breaks to rest throughout his work day. His 
mother is very worried about Michael’s inability 
to read or understand math. Michael 
says he wants to work and will do anything. 
Situational Assessments 
Michael participated in two situational 
assessments; one as a bagger at a grocery store 
and the other as a janitor in a department store. 
In both situations, Michael initiated working, 
insisting on doing the jobs his way even if it 
was incorrect, the employment specialist tried 
to show him the correct way to do the tasks. 
Michael was polite to the customers and 
greeted them appropriately. If a customer 
could not understand Michael and asked him to 
repeat what he said, Michael would throw 
down what he was working on and walk away. 
He lifted bags in the grocery store and loaded 
them into cars with no physical difficulties. He 
worked for three hours in the grocery store 
before requesting a break to get a soda. 
When Michael was dusting and vacuuming 
the men’s and stereo departments of the 
store, he asked to rest often, would stop 
working to look around, and kept asking what 
he should do next. Michael said he liked 
bagging groceries but liked being in the 
department store better. He said he just wants 
to work and get away from his mother. 
Community Assessment 
Michael eagerly went with the employment 
specialist initiating conversations about 
his neighborhood. He pointed out the video 
store where he walks to get movies, the 
restaurant that he and his family go to, and his 
friend’s house whom he likes to listen to music 
with. Michael sang and moved with the music 
on the car radio frequently requesting for it to 
be turned up. When asked what his favorite 
activity was, he quickly said listening to music 
and watching videos. The employment 
specialist drove to a mall where a video store, 
electronics store, and music store were all 
located. Michael darted to the music store and 
began pointing out and naming the different 
artists and types of music. After repeated 
coaxing, he visited the video store and again 
shared a great deal of movie trivia explaining 
the storyline and performers in many of the 
movies. Michael exhibited a tremendous 
degree of knowledge and enthusiasm when 
involved with music and videos that was not 
evident in any other settings. Michael said he 
would like to listen to music more at home but 
70
only had a radio and the stations “keep playing 
the same old thing”. 
Based upon the above assessment 
information, a customer profile is developed to 
guide the entire supported employment 
process. A completed Customer Profile Form 
demon-strates how the varying information, 
represen-tative of the entire person, can be 
summarized into a usable format to assist with 
finding a job that best matches what the 
individual would like to do and offers the job 
characteristics she or he is interested in. 
S UMMARY 
The importance of developing a customer 
profile cannot be overemphasized or 
ignored. Without this critical step, it is likely 
that the entire supported employment process 
will be affected. Specifically, job development 
activities must be driven by the customer's 
support needs and preferences. This can be 
accomplished by completing a comprehensive 
customer profile which includes personcentered 
planning, interviews, observations, 
review of the customer's records, communitybased 
and situational assessments. In addition, 
the profile will be important during job-site 
training, since it specifies the customer's 
support needs, which will provide information 
for developing and implementing effective 
customer support plans. 
71
R EFERENCES 
Brooke, V., Barcus, M., and Inge, K.J. (1992). Consumer advocacy on supported 
employment: A vision for the future (Monograph). Richmond, VA: Virginia Commonwealth 
University, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Supported Employment. 
Falvey, M.A., Forest, M., Pearpoint, J., Rosenberg, R.L. (1992). All my life’s a circle: 
Using the tools of circles, MAPS and PATH. Toronto Canada: Inclusion Press. 
Inge, K.J. and Wehman, P. (1993). Designing community-based vocational programs for 
students with severe disabilities (Monograph). Richmond, VA: Virginia Commonwealth 
University, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Supported Employment. 
Moon, S., Inge, K.J., Wehman, P., Brooke, V., and Barcus, M.J. (1990). Helping persons 
with severe mental retardation get and keep employment. Baltimore, MD: Paul Brookes Publishing 
Co. 
Pearpoint, J., O’Brien, J., and Forest, M. (1993). PATH, a workbook for planning positive 
personal futures. Toronto, Canada: Inclusion Press. 
Perske R. (1989). Circle of friends: People with disabilities and their friends enrich the lives 
of others. Nashville, TN: Abington Press. 
72
A PPENDIX 
# Functional Resume Worksheet 
# Customer Profile for Michael 
# Customer Profile Form 
# Situational Assessment Form 
# Individual Supports Assessment Form 
73
Name: 
Address: 
I. Job Objective 
II. Education
Major/Program 
III. Skills 
Skill: 
Accomplishment: 
Skill: 
Accomplishment: 
IV. Experience (most recent) 
Job Title 
City 
Job Title 
City 
V. Interests/Hobbies: 
Functional Resume Worksheet 
Location of School 
VI. References (available upon request) 
© Virginia Commonwealth University, Rehabilitation Research and Training 
Center on Supported Employment, 1997 
Phone: 
School 
Employer 
State 
Employer 
State 
74 
Month/Year 
Years Employed 
Years Employed
1. Availability: (check Yes or No for each item) 
Will work weekends: 
Will work evenings: 
x Yes No 
x Yes No 
2. Transportation: (check Yes or No for each item) 
x Yes No Transportation available: 
Access to specialized travel 
services: 
Lives on bus route: 
x Yes No 
Yes x No 
3. Strength — Lifting and Carrying: 
Specifics/Comments: 
4. Endurance: (without breaks) 
Customer Profile Form 
Months per year: 0 
Customer Name: Michael Social Security #: 226-30-1212 
Staff Completing Form: Susan Smith I.D. Code: 
Date of Screening (month/day/year): 08 / 26 / 93 
Types of Screening: Initial x Ongoing/Employment Ongoing/Unemployment 
Total number of hours per week presently working: 0 
General Directions: PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY ITEM UNANSWERED 
Indicate the most appropriate response for each item based on observations of the customer and interviews with 
individual who know the customer (i.e., family members, adult service providers, school personnel, employers). 
Will work part-time: x Yes No 
Will work full-time: x Yes No 
Specifics/Comments: Dependent on specialized transportation 
Family will transport: x Yes No 
Provides own transportation 
(bike, car, walks): x Yes No 
Specifics/Comments: Mother will transport if possible 
Poor (< 10 lbs) Fair (10-20 lbs) x Average (30-40 lbs) Strong (> 50 lbs) 
Works < 2 hours Works 2-3 hours Works 3-4 hours x Works > 4 hours 
Specifics/Comments: Slow, steady pace however. 
75
5. Orienting: 
Small area only One room Several rooms Building wide x Building & ground 
Specifics/Comments: 
6. Physical mobility: 
Sit/stand in one area Fair ambulation Stairs/minor obstacles x Full physical abilities 
Specifics/Comments: Limitation right arm, unsteady gait when walking appears to have limited flexibility. 
7. Independent work rate: (no prompts) 
x Slow pace Steady/average pace Above average/sometimes fast pace Continual fast pace 
Specifics/Comments: Works at a very slow and deliberate pace. 
8. Appearance: 
Unkempt/poor hygiene 
Unkempt/clean 
Specifics/Comments: 
9. Communication: 
Uses sounds/gestures 
Unkempt/clean 
Specifics/Comments: Sometimes difficult to understand. 
10. Appropriate social interactions: 
Rarely interacts appropriately 
Polite, responses appropriate 
Specifics/Comments: 
11. Unusual behavior: 
Many unusual behaviors Few unusual behaviors x No unusual behaviors 
Specifics/Comments: 
Neat/clean but clothing unmatched 
Neat/clean and clothing matched 
x Speaks unclearly 
Communicates clearly, intelligible to strangers 
Initiates social interactions infrequently 
x Initiates social interactions frequently 
76
12. Attention to task/perseverance: 
Frequent prompts required 
Intermittent prompts/high 
supervision required 
Specifics/Comments: 
13. Independent sequencing of job duties: 
Cannot perform tasks in sequence 
x Performs 2-3 tasks in sequence 
Specifics/Comments: Situation dependent. 
14. Initiative/motivation: 
Always seeks work x Sometimes volunteers Waits for directions Avoids next task 
Specifics/Comments: 
15. Adapting to change: 
Adapts to change 
Adapts to change with some difficulty 
Specifics/Comments: Appears to accept criticism but becomes easily frustrated w/continued supervisor comments. 
16. Reinforced needs: 
Frequent required 
Intermittent (daily) sufficient 
Specifics/Comments: 
17. Family Support 
x Very supportive of work 
Supportive of work with reservations 
Specifics/Comments: 
18. Customer’s financial situation: 
Financial ramifications no obstacle 
Requires job with benefits 
Specifics/Comments: Receives SSI — Mother concerned with potential loss of SSI. 
Intermittent prompts/low supervision required 
x Infrequent prompts/low supervision required 
Performs 4-6 tasks in sequence 
Performs 7 or more tasks in sequence 
x Adapts to change with great difficulty 
Rigid routine required 
Infrequent (weekly sufficient) 
x Pay check sufficient 
Indifferent about work 
Negative about work 
x Reduction of financial aid is a concern 
Unwilling to give up financial aid 
77
19. Discrimination skills: 
Cannot distinguish between work supplies x Distinguishes between work supplies 
Distinguishes between work supplies with 
an external cue 
Specifics/Comments: 
20. Time awareness: 
Can tell time to the hour 
x Can tell time in hours and minutes 
Unaware of time and clock function 
Identifies breaks and lunch 
Specifics/Comments: 
21. Functional reading: 
None Sight words/symbols x Simple reading Fluent reading 
Specifics/Comments: 
22. Functional math: 
None Simple counting x Simple addition/subtraction Computation skills 
Specifics/Comments: Can not make change, will use calculator, very limited math skills. 
23. Independent street crossing: 
Crosses 4 lane street with light 
Crosses 4 lane street without light 
None 
x Crosses 2 lane street with light 
Crosses 2 lane street without light 
Specifics/Comments: Slow speed, causes of great concern with mother. 
24. Handling criticism/stress: 
Accepts criticism/does not change behavior 
Accepts criticism/changes behavior 
x Resistive/argumentative 
Withdraws into silence 
Specifics/Comments: Depends on situation, some inappropriate behavior observed. 
25. Acts/speaks aggressively: 
Hourly Daily Weekly x Monthly Never 
Specifics/Comments: Can be very stubborn. 
78
26. Travel skills: (check Yes or No for each item) 
Requires bus training 
Uses bus independently/no transfer 
Uses bus independently/makes transfer 
Able to make own travel arrangements 
Specifics/Comments: 
27. Benefits consume needs: (check Yes or No for each choice) 
0 = None 
1 = Sick Leave 
2 = Medical/health benefits 
3 = Paid vacation/annual leave 
4 = Dental benefits 
5 = Employee discounts 
6 = Free or reduced meals 
7 = Other (specify): 
28. Check all that customer has performed: 
x Bus tables 
Food prep. 
Buffing 
x Dusting 
x Stocking 
Medications? None. 
Medical Complications/Conditions? Eye therapy. 
Additional Comments: 
x Sweeping 
Assembly 
x Vacuuming 
x Restroom cleaning 
Washing equipment 
© Virginia Commonwealth University, Rehabilitation Research and Training 
Center on Supported Employment, 1997 
x Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes x No 
x Yes No 
Yes x No 
x Yes No 
x Yes No 
x Yes No 
x Yes No 
x Keeping busy 
x Clerical 
x Pot scrubbing 
Other: (specify) 
x Dish machine use 
x Mopping (indust.) 
Food line supply 
x Trash disposal 
Food serving 
79
1. Availability: (check Yes or No for each item) 
Will work weekends: 
Will work evenings: 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Specifics/Comments: 
2. Transportation: (check Yes or No for each item) 
Yes No Transportation available: 
Access to specialized travel 
services: 
Lives on bus route: 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Specifics/Comments: 
3. Strength — Lifting and Carrying: 
Specifics/Comments: 
4. Endurance: (without breaks) 
Customer Profile Form 
Months per year: 
Customer Name: Social Security #: 
Staff Completing Form: I.D. Code: 
Date of Screening (month/day/year): / / 
Types of Screening: Initial Ongoing/Employment Ongoing/Unemployment 
Total number of hours per week presently working: 
General Directions: PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY ITEM UNANSWERED 
Indicate the most appropriate response for each item based on observations of the customer and interviews with 
individual who know the customer (i.e., family members, adult service providers, school personnel, employers). 
Will work part-time: Yes No 
Will work full-time: Yes No 
Family will transport: Yes No 
Provides own transportation 
(bike, car, walks): Yes No 
Poor (< 10 lbs) Fair (10-20 lbs) Average (30-40 lbs) Strong (> 50 lbs) 
Works < 2 hours Works 2-3 hours Works 3-4 hours Works > 4 hours 
Specifics/Comments: 
80
5. Orienting: 
Small area only One room Several rooms Building wide Building & ground 
Specifics/Comments: 
6. Physical mobility: 
Sit/stand in one area Fair ambulation Stairs/minor obstacles Full physical abilities 
Specifics/Comments: 
7. Independent work rate: (no prompts) 
Slow pace Steady/average pace Above average/sometimes fast pace Continual fast pace 
Specifics/Comments: 
8. Appearance: 
Unkempt/poor hygiene 
Unkempt/clean 
Specifics/Comments: 
9. Communication: 
Uses sounds/gestures 
Unkempt/clean 
Specifics/Comments: 
10. Appropriate social interactions: 
Rarely interacts appropriately 
Polite, responses appropriate 
Specifics/Comments: 
11. Unusual behavior: 
Many unusual behaviors Few unusual behaviors No unusual behaviors 
Specifics/Comments: 
Neat/clean but clothing unmatched 
Neat/clean and clothing matched 
Speaks unclearly 
Communicates clearly, intelligible to strangers 
Initiates social interactions infrequently 
Initiates social interactions frequently 
81
12. Attention to task/perseverance: 
Frequent prompts required 
Intermittent prompts/high 
supervision required 
Specifics/Comments: 
13. Independent sequencing of job duties: 
Cannot perform tasks in sequence 
Performs 2-3 tasks in sequence 
Specifics/Comments: 
14. Initiative/motivation: 
Always seeks work Sometimes volunteers Waits for directions Avoids next task 
Specifics/Comments: 
15. Adapting to change: 
Adapts to change 
Adapts to change with some difficulty 
Specifics/Comments: 
16. Reinforced needs: 
Frequent required 
Intermittent (daily) sufficient 
Specifics/Comments: 
17. Family Support 
Very supportive of work 
Supportive of work with reservations 
Specifics/Comments: 
18. Customer’s financial situation: 
Financial ramifications no obstacle 
Requires job with benefits 
Specifics/Comments: 
Intermittent prompts/low supervision required 
Infrequent prompts/low supervision required 
Performs 4-6 tasks in sequence 
Performs 7 or more tasks in sequence 
Adapts to change with great difficulty 
Rigid routine required 
Infrequent (weekly sufficient) 
Pay check sufficient 
Indifferent about work 
Negative about work 
Reduction of financial aid is a concern 
Unwilling to give up financial aid 
82
19. Discrimination skills: 
Cannot distinguish between work supplies Distinguishes between work supplies 
Distinguishes between work supplies with 
an external cue 
Specifics/Comments: 
20. Time awareness: 
Unaware of time and clock function 
Identifies breaks and lunch 
Specifics/Comments: 
21. Functional reading: 
None Sight words/symbols Simple reading Fluent reading 
Specifics/Comments: 
22. Functional math: 
None Simple counting Simple addition/subtraction Computation skills 
Specifics/Comments: 
23. Independent street crossing: 
None 
Crosses 2 lane street with light 
Crosses 2 lane street without light 
Specifics/Comments: 
24. Handling criticism/stress: 
Resistive/argumentative 
Withdraws into silence 
Specifics/Comments: 
25. Acts/speaks aggressively: 
Hourly Daily Weekly Monthly Never 
Specifics/Comments: 
Can tell time to the hour 
Can tell time in hours and minutes 
Crosses 4 lane street with light 
Crosses 4 lane street without light 
Accepts criticism/does not change behavior 
Accepts criticism/changes behavior 
83
26. Travel skills: (check Yes or No for each item) 
Requires bus training 
Uses bus independently/no transfer 
Uses bus independently/makes transfer 
Able to make own travel arrangements 
Specifics/Comments: 
27. Benefits consume needs: (check Yes or No for each choice) 
0 = None 
1 = Sick Leave 
2 = Medical/health benefits 
3 = Paid vacation/annual leave 
4 = Dental benefits 
5 = Employee discounts 
6 = Free or reduced meals 
7 = Other (specify): 
28. Check all that customer has performed: 
Bus tables 
Food prep. 
Buffing 
Dusting 
Stocking 
Medications? 
Medical Complications/Conditions? 
Additional Comments: 
Sweeping 
Assembly 
Vacuuming 
Restroom cleaning 
Washing equipment 
© Virginia Commonwealth University, Rehabilitation Research and Training 
Center on Supported Employment, 1997 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Yes No 
Keeping busy 
Clerical 
Pot scrubbing 
Other: (specify) 
Dish machine use 
Mopping (indust.) 
Food line supply 
Trash disposal 
Food serving 
84
Situational Assessment 
Date: Person Completing Form: Customer: 
Directions: Indicate the response for each item in the appropriate category based on information gathered from the customer’s parent, teacher, and 
observations during the situational assessments. For each item describe the behavior, characteristics, or activity. When applicable, include 
the frequency of its occurrence and the environment where it occurs (antecedent, consequences, location, people). 
PARENT OR SITUATIONAL ITEMS LOCATED ON THE CUSTOMER 
EMPLOYMENT SCREENING FORM 
SITUATIONAL SITUATIONAL 
OTHER ASSESSMENT III ASSESSMENT II ASSESSMENT I GUARDIAN 
Strength: Lifting and Carrying 
# Poor (<10 lbs.) 
# Fair (10-20 lbs.) 
# Average (30-40 lbs.) 
# Strong (>50 lbs.) 
Endurance 
# Works < 2 hours 
# Works 2-3 hours 
# Works 3-4 hours 
# Works < 4 hours 
Orienting 
# Small area only 
# One room 
# Several rooms 
# Building-wide 
# Building and grounds 
Physical Mobility 
# Sit/stand in one area 
# Fair ambulation 
# Stairs/minor obstacles 
# Physical abilities 
(Moon, Inge, Wehman, Brooke, & Barcus, 1990)
PARENT OR SITUATIONAL ITEMS LOCATED ON THE CUSTOMER 
EMPLOYMENT SCREENING FORM 
SITUATIONAL SITUATIONAL 
OTHER ASSESSMENT III ASSESSMENT II ASSESSMENT I GUARDIAN 
Independent Work Rate (no prompts) # 
Slow pace 
# Steady/average pace 
# Above average 
# Sometimes fast 
# Continual fast pace 
Appearance 
# Unkempt/poor hygiene 
# Unkempt/clean 
# Neat/clean but clothing unmatched 
# Neat/clean and clothing matched 
Communication 
# Uses sounds/gestures 
# Uses key words/signs 
# Speaks unclearly 
# Communicates clearly, intelligible 
to strangers 
Social Interactions 
# Rarely interacts 
# Appropriately 
# Polite, responses appropriate 
# Initiates social interactions infrequently 
# Initiates social interactions 
Attention to Task/Perseverance 
# Frequent prompts required 
# Intermittent prompts/high supervision 
# Intermittent prompts/low supervision 
# Infrequent prompts/low supervision 
(Moon, Inge, Wehman, Brooke, & Barcus, 1990)
PARENT OR SITUATIONAL ITEMS LOCATED ON THE CUSTOMER 
EMPLOYMENT SCREENING FORM 
SITUATIONAL SITUATIONAL 
OTHER ASSESSMENT III ASSESSMENT II ASSESSMENT I GUARDIAN 
Independent sequencing of job duties 
# Cannot perform tasks in sequence 
# Performs 2-3 tasks in sequence 
# Performs 4-6 tasks in sequence 
# Performs 7 or more tasks in sequence 
Initiative/Motivation 
# Always seeks work 
# Sometimes volunteers 
# Waits for directions 
# Avoids next task 
Adapting to Change 
# Adapts to change 
# Adapts to change with some difficulty 
# Adapts to change with great difficulty 
# Rigid routine 
Reinforcement Needs 
# Frequent required 
# Daily 
# Weekly 
# Paycheck sufficient 
Level of Support 
# Very supportive of work 
# Supportive of work with reservation 
# Indifferent about work 
# Negative about work 
(Moon, Inge, Wehman, Brooke, & Barcus, 1990)
PARENT OR SITUATIONAL ITEMS LOCATED ON THE CUSTOMER 
EMPLOYMENT SCREENING FORM 
SITUATIONAL SITUATIONAL 
OTHER ASSESSMENT III ASSESSMENT II ASSESSMENT I GUARDIAN 
Discrimination Skills 
# Cannot distinguish between 
work supplies 
plies with an external cue 
supplies 
# Distinguishes between work sup- 
# Distinguishes between work 
Time Awareness 
# Unaware of time and clock function 
# Identifies breaks/lunch 
# Can tell time to the hour 
# Can tell time in hours/minutes 
Functional Reading 
# None 
# Sight words/symbols 
# Simple reading 
# Fluent reading 
Functional Math 
# None 
# Simple counting 
# Simple addition/subtraction 
# Computational skills 
Independent Street Crossing 
# None 
# 2-lane street (with or w/o light) 
# 4-lane street (with or w/o light) 
Handling Criticism/Stress 
# Resistive/argumentative 
# Withdraws into silence 
# Accepts criticism/does not 
change 
(Moon, Inge, Wehman, Brooke, & Barcus, 1990)
PARENT OR SITUATIONAL ITEMS LOCATED ON THE CUSTOMER 
EMPLOYMENT SCREENING FORM 
SITUATIONAL SITUATIONAL 
OTHER ASSESSMENT III ASSESSMENT II ASSESSMENT I GUARDIAN 
Acts/Speaks Aggressively 
# Hourly 
# Daily 
# Weekly 
# Monthly 
# Never 
Travel Skills 
# Requires bus training 
# Uses bus independently (with or 
w/o transfers) 
# Able to make own travel 
arrangements 
Work Experience 
# Employment site 
# Job tasks performed 
# Dates, hours, wages 
Physical Limitations 
# Impairment 
# Medications 
# Medical restrictions 
Responding to Survival Words 
# Street signs 
# Restrooms 
# Danger, stop 
Hurtful to Self/Others 
# Banging head, pulling hair 
# Biting, scratching 
# Hitting, pinching 
Destructive to Property 
# breaks, burns, tears things 
(Moon, Inge, Wehman, Brooke, & Barcus, 1990)
PARENT OR SITUATIONAL ITEMS LOCATED ON THE CUSTOMER 
EMPLOYMENT SCREENING FORM 
SITUATIONAL SITUATIONAL 
OTHER ASSESSMENT III ASSESSMENT II ASSESSMENT I GUARDIAN 
Disruptive Behavior that Interferes with 
Activities of Others 
# Yelling, screaming 
# Clinging 
# Laughing/crying for no reason 
# Interrupting 
Usual or Repetitive Behavior/habits 
# Pacing 
# Rocking 
# Twirling fingers 
# Twitching 
Behavior that is Socially Offensive to 
Others 
# Talking too loud 
# Burping, picking nose 
# touching, hugging 
Withdrawal or Inattentive Behavior 
# Keeping away from people 
# Expresses unusual fears 
# Shows little interest in activities 
Uncooperative or Noncompliant 
Behavior 
# Refusing to attend school/work 
# Refusing to follow rules/requests 
# Acting defiant/pouting 
Leisure Skills/Interests 
Chores or Responsibilities 
(Moon, Inge, Wehman, Brooke, & Barcus, 1990)
PARENT OR SITUATIONAL ITEMS LOCATED ON THE CUSTOMER 
EMPLOYMENT SCREENING FORM 
SITUATIONAL SITUATIONAL 
OTHER ASSESSMENT III ASSESSMENT II ASSESSMENT I GUARDIAN 
Activities, Foods, and Items that are 
Reinforcing 
Money Skills 
# Discriminates between coins 
# Makes minor purchases 
# Makes major purchases 
# Amount of spending 
# Money given to customer 
# Willingness of family to give 
customer money from paycheck 
Asking for Assistance 
# Peers 
# Co-workers 
# Acquaintances 
# Persons in authority 
Other: 
From: Moon, M.S., Inge, K.J., Wehman, P., Brooke, V., & Barcus, M. (1990). Helping persons with severe disabilities get and keep employment: Supported 
employment issues and outcomes. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes. 
(Moon, Inge, Wehman, Brooke, & Barcus, 1990)
Individual Supports Assessment Form 
Provider ID: 
SS#: 
ID Code: 
Initial: 
On-Going: 
Date: 
Customer Name: 
Employment Specialist: 
Street: 
City/State/Zip: 
Please answer each question regarding the customer’s current goals, preferences, and experiences. 
Information needed to respond to each question should be obtained from the customer during a face-to-face 
interview prior to employment or while working if a change in employment is desired. 
I. Vocational Goals and Experience 
1. What are your career and life goals? (Describe the job or position you would like to have and any 
other goals you would like to pursue, e.g., school, independent living, etc.) 
2. Where might you like to work? (check all that apply) 
_____ 1) restaurant 
_____ 2) grocery store 
_____ 3) retail store 
_____ 4) hospital/nursing home 
_____ 5) office building 
_____ 6) hotel/motel 
_____ 7) university/school 
_____ 8) day care facility 
_____ 9) factory 
_____ 10) service provider/agency (e.g., church, park) 
_____ 11) don't know 
_____ 99) other (Describe: ________________________________________) 
92
3. a. What type of job might you like to have? (check all that apply) 
) 
_____ 1) dishwasher/kitchen utility worker 
_____ 2) food prep person 
_____ 3) food server 
_____ 4) bus person/lobby attendant 
_____ 5) janitor/housekeeper 
_____ 6) laborer 
_____ 7) assembler 
_____ 8) laundry worker 
_____ 9) stock clerk/bagger/warehouse worker 
_____ 10) machine operator 
_____ 11) clerical/office worker 
_____ 12) groundskeeper/landscaper 
_____ 13) human service worker 
_____ 14) don't know 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
b. Is there anyone you know who works in the places or in a position that you might like to have 
that you wouldn't mind us contacting? 
Employment Phone # Relationship Name 
4. What types of things might be important to you in working in the position of your choice? (check 
all that apply) 
) 
_____ 1) hours 
_____ 2) benefits (e.g., paid vacations, sick leave, employee discount) 
_____ 3) health insurance 
_____ 4) wages 
_____ 5) location of business 
_____ 6) co-workers 
_____ 7) work environment 
_____ 8) nothing/don't know 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
5. Have you ever been employed in a paid job before? 
_____ 2) no _____ 1) yes 
93
If yes, a) where did you work? 1) __________________________________ 
2) __________________________________ 
3) __________________________________ 
b) what was your job title? 1) __________________________________ 
2) __________________________________ 
3) __________________________________ 
6. Have you participated in any other work experiences (e.g., volunteer work, vocational training, 
etc.)? 
_____ 2) no _____ 1) yes 
If yes, describe the work that you did. 
7. Who might you like to assist you in finding a job? (check all that apply) 
_____ 1) parents 
_____ 2) brother/sister 
_____ 3) relatives 
_____ 4) girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse 
_____ 5) friends 
_____ 6) community member (Describe: 
_____ 7) professional (Describe: 
_____ 8) no one/don't know 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
8. In what ways would you be willing to help with finding a job? (check all that apply) 
_____ 1) identifying job leads 
_____ 2) looking at the newspaper 
_____ 3) contacting employers 
_____ 4) picking up job applications 
_____ 5) developing a resume 
_____ 6) none/don't know 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
9. What means of transportation would you be willing to use in order to go to and from work? 
(check all that apply) 
_____ 1) drive self 
_____ 2) friend or family member transport 
_____ 3) walk 
_____ 4) ride a bicycle 
_____ 5) ride the bus 
_____ 6) use a taxi 
94 
)
)
)
)
_____ 7) carpool 
_____ 8) ride with co-workers 
_____ 9) use specialized transportation 
_____ 10) none/don't know 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
) 
_____ 1) yes 
II. Interests 
10. What do you do during your free time? 
_____ 1) watch television 
_____ 2) shop/go to the mall 
_____ 3) participate in organized recreational or sporting activities 
_____ 4) go to sporting events 
_____ 5) go bowling 
_____ 6) roller skate/ice skate 
_____ 7) read books or magazines 
_____ 8) go to movies 
_____ 9) listen to music 
_____ 10) go to concerts 
_____ 11) hang out with friends 
_____ 12) go dancing 
_____ 13) talk on the telephone 
_____ 14) hobbies 
_____ 15) arts and crafts 
_____ 16) nothing 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
11. Are there other things you would like to do during your free time? 
_____ 2) no 
If yes, what kinds of things would you like to do? (check all that apply) 
_____ 1) watch television 
_____ 2) shop/go to the mall 
_____ 3) participate in organized recreational or sporting activities 
_____ 4) go to sporting events 
_____ 5) go bowling 
_____ 6) roller skate/ice skate 
_____ 7) read books or magazines 
_____ 8) go to movies 
_____ 9) listen to music 
_____ 10) go to concerts 
_____ 11) hang out with friends 
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_____ 12) go dancing 
_____ 13) talk on the telephone 
_____ 14) hobbies 
_____ 15) arts and crafts 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
12. Who do you usually spend your free time with? (check all that apply) 
_____ 1) friends 
_____ 2) girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse 
_____ 3) parents 
_____ 4) brothers/sisters 
_____ 5) relatives 
_____ 6) neighbors 
_____ 7) peers (e.g., students, workshop participants) 
_____ 8) general public 
_____ 9) no one 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
13. Do you participate in any clubs or organizations? (check all that apply) 
_____ 1) 4-H clubs 
_____ 2) church/synagogue 
_____ 3) health/fitness club 
_____ 4) hobby clubs (e.g., card or stamp collecting, bingo, etc.) 
_____ 5) community recreational programs 
_____ 6) sports teams 
_____ 7) school clubs/groups 
_____ 8) YMCA/YWCA 
_____ 9) civic organizations (Describe: 
_____ 10) special interest groups (Describe: 
_____ 11) none/don't know 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
14. Are there any clubs or organizations you would like to belong to or participate in? 
_____ 2) no _____ 1) yes 
If yes, what clubs or organizations would you like to become involved with? 
_____ 1) 4-H clubs 
_____ 2) church/synagogue 
_____ 3) health/fitness club 
_____ 4) hobby clubs (e.g., card or stamp collecting, bingo, etc.) 
_____ 5) community recreational programs 
_____ 6) sports teams 
_____ 7) school clubs/groups 
_____ 8) YMCA/YWCA 
_____ 9) civic organizations (Describe: 
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_____ 10) special interest groups (Describe: 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
15. a. Does a family member or friend belong to or participate in any of the following clubs or 
organizations? (check all that apply) 
_____ 1) American Association of Retired Citizens 
_____ 2) American Red Cross 
_____ 3) Big Brothers/Big Sisters 
_____ 4) Chamber of Commerce 
_____ 5) church/synagogue 
_____ 6) Civitans 
_____ 7) community or neighborhood association 
_____ 8) Cooperative Extension Service 
_____ 9) Elks Club 
_____ 10) hobby clubs 
_____ 11) Jaycees 
_____ 12) Junior League 
_____ 13) Junior Women's Club 
_____ 14) Kiwanas 
_____ 15) Knights of Columbus 
_____ 16) Lions 
_____ 17) Masonic Temple 
_____ 18) Mocha Temple 
_____ 19) Moose Club 
_____ 20) recreation and park department 
_____ 21) Shriners 
_____ 22) sport team (Describe: 
_____ 23) special interest group (Describe: 
_____ 24) union (e.g., Teamsters, AFL-CIO) 
_____ 25) United Way (continued) 
_____ 26) volunteer work (Describe: 
_____ 27) YMCA/YWCA 
_____ 28) none/don't know 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
b. Are there any individuals who belong to the above clubs or organizations that you wouldn't 
mind us contacting? 
Phone # Relationship Name
III. Potential Support Options/Support Needs 
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Organization
16. Who do you live with? (check all that apply) 
_____ 1) no one 
_____ 2) parents 
_____ 3) girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse 
_____ 4) brothers/sisters 
_____ 5) relatives 
_____ 6) friends 
_____ 7) roommates 
_____ 8) personal assistant 
_____ 9) professionals/paid staff 
_____ 10) residents 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
17. Who usually assists you when you need something or have a problem? (check all that apply) 
_____ 1) parent/guardian 
_____ 2) brothers/sisters 
_____ 3) girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse 
_____ 4) relatives 
_____ 5) friends 
_____ 6) community members 
_____ 7) neighbors 
_____ 8) teacher 
_____ 9) rehabilitation counselor 
_____ 10) case manager 
_____ 11) no one 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
18. When you want to go somewhere, how do you usually get there? (check all that apply) 
_____ 1) drive 
_____ 2) friend or family member transports 
_____ 3) walk 
_____ 4) ride a bicycle 
_____ 5) ride the bus 
_____ 6) use a taxi 
_____ 7) use specialized transportation 
_____ 99) other (Describe: 
19. a) Do you receive Social Security benefits (e.g., SSI, SSDI)? _____ 1) yes 
b) If yes, is the potential loss of Social Security benefits due 
to future employment a concern? 
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_____2) no 
_____ 1) yes _____ 2) no 20. a) Are there any types of services or supports that you 
would like or are in need of and are not receiving? _____ 1) yes _____ 2) no 
b) If yes, identify the type of assistance you would like. 
© Virginia Commonwealth University, Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Supported Employment, 1997 
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