THE CAREER COUNSELLOR
A Publication of the Canadian Guidance and Counselling Foundation

Issue No3

Fall 1992

OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES: CAREER PLANNING AND LEARNING DISABILITIES

This issue is the first in a series of theme-based issues to
feature articles written by the Canadian Guidance and
Counselling Foundation in collaboration with one of a
number of national associations. This issue highlights
career challenges faced by youth with learning disabilities,
and profiles the efforts being made by CAMCRY and
partners across the country to help these young people to
confront and overcome some of the obstacles.
Below, Ms. Eva Maria Fisher-Bloom, Executive Director of
the Learning Disabled Association of Canada (LDAC)
shares some of her expertise in the area of employment and
learning disabilities.

The ability to manipulate the symbols of language skillfully
is taken for granted by millions of Canadians. For
individuals with learning disabilities, however, despite their
normal intelligence, school requirements, such as reading,
writing, calculating, are approached with fear or avoidance.

Learning disabilities are estimated to affect 10% of the
population. Within a school setting, however, given the
academic, personal and employment difficulties often
associated with learning disabilities, the percentage of
clients with a learning disability on a counsellor’s caseload
is likely to be much higher than 10%.
Learning disorders may be manifested by delays in early
development and/or difficulties in any of the following
areas:
attention, memory, reasoning, coordination,
communicating, reading, writing, spelling, calculation, social
competence and emotional maturation.
Individuals with a disability in one or more of these areas
will often experience serious difficulty as they try to move
into or within the labour market. In today’s work place
where machinery is replacing manual labour, and where
manufacturing jobs now require an understanding of
technical equipment and skill in reading and comprehending
instruction manuals, youth with learning disabilities will be
challenged more than ever before to obtain and sustain
employment.

Recognizing the signs of a learning disability and arranging
for a professional evaluation are the first steps a counsellor
can take in improving the employment possibilities for these
youth. The LDAC suggests that the presence of one or
more of the following characteristics may indicate a learning
disability among adolescents:
• poor and laborious handwriting and/or unusual
spelling mistakes, disorganized books and notes
♦ poor social skills, few friends, or socializing with a
younger group
• lack of insight into future and self
• often very literal, rigid, humourless and gullible
On average, individuals with learning disabilities maintain
employment for no longer than three months. They often
become resigned, therefore, to drifting from one job to
another without direction or goal. Research findings have
indicated, however, that through appropriate career
preparation, planning and counselling, individuals with a
learning disability can learn to develop the coping strategies
necessary to become independent, successful mangers of
their own careers. In fact, a large number of Canadians
with learning disabilities have succeeded in achieving this
balance.

Success in the work place for individuals with a learning
disability may also be supported with appropriate job
accommodations. An employer can provide cost efficient
assistance such as: computer monitors that check spelling
and grammar, tape recorded instructions or an office buddy
to clarify or repeat instructions.

The LDAC develops support materials for employment
counsellors on learning disabilities, and for the adult with
learning disabilities. The Association is encouraged by the
work being done by CAMCRY for youth with learning
disabilities. For more information on the LDAC, contact:
Learning Disabilities Association of Canada
323 Chapel, Suite 200
Ottawa, Ontario, KIN 772
Tel (613) 238-5721 Fax (613) 235-5391

BUILDING SUCCESS (con’t)
Brenda Porter is a Resource Teacher and Counsellor at
Prince Edward Collegiate Institute in Picton, Ontario. She
has worked as a special education teacher, guidance
counsellor and co-op teacher for 18 years.
Brenda
delivered Pathways Modules 3, 4 and 5 with her Special
Education class over a two-year period.

Reflecting upon her experiences in delivering Module 4 "Maintaining Employment", Brenda said, "I really enjoyed
doing that one with the students... it gave them a chance to
run through real life situations which they would encounter.
It tended to build self confidence as well. I must say that
the students really appeared to enjoy it too."
Response from students involved in Pathways has been
equally encouraging. Ian Bailey is a grade 11 co-op student
at Prince Edward Collegiate Institute who has participated
in Pathways modules 3, 4 and 5. Ian commented that
"during the interview module, I increased my skills for doing
interviews, what to do, what not to do."
Other students have expressed their increased confidence in
being able to solve problems on the job. Some have
reported successful application of anger management
strategies outside the classroom environment. For many of
these young people, their Pathways experience represents
the first time that they were able to discuss their learning
disabilities.

Pathways was originally intended for use solely by youth
with a learning disability. However, a number of pilot tests
in high schools have found that Pathways has relevant
application to low achieving youth, and those at-risk of
dropping out The program has also found a home in a
high school that is using it as part of a stay-in-school
initiative with regular grade nine and ten students.
In conjunction with the Pathways program, Dr. Hutchinson
and Ruth Anne Taves are completing the book, Why Not
Me?. Designed as a paperback, the book contains case
studies and practical methods for providing career
development assistance to youth with learning disabilities.
The stories are told from the perspectives of successful
youth, parents, counsellors, employers, teachers and helpers.

The expected completion dates for these projects is March,
1993. The Career Counsellor will keep the counselling
community updated on the availability of these and other
CAMCRY projects. For more information on any
CAMCRY project, please contact the Canadian Guidance
and Counselling Foundation and request a copy of
CAMCRY Projects At A Glance.

THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON
CAREER COUNSELLING
The CAMCRY Advisory Committee has been instrumental
in directing the development and success of the CAMCRY
Program. Listed below are the 11 counsellor’s associations
represented on the committee:
Canadian University and College Counselling Association
Canadian Rehabilitation Council for the Disabled
Ontario Municipal Social Services Association
(OMSSA)
Canadian Association for Vocational Evaluation and
Work Adjustment (CAVEWA)
Corporation professionnelle des conseillers et
conseillères d’orientation du Québec
Ontario Association of Youth Employment Centres
Ontario Teachers’ Federation
ACCIS - The Graduate Workforce Professionals
Canadian Association of Rehabilitation Personnel
Cooperative Career Work Education Association of
Canada
Ontario School Counsellors’ Association

Each association provides advice to CAMCRY about the
needs of the counsellor population it represents and assists
in further developing the counselling profession. If you
would like more information on the CAMCRY program
and its partners please contact your association (if listed
above) and ask for the CAMCRY representative.
Otherwise, please contact CGCF and request a copy of
CAMCRY Partners At A Glance.

CONFERENCE CALENDAR

► Ontario School Counsellors’
Association *92 - Waterloo, Ontario,
November 5-6, 1992. Contact: Ruth
Kennedy, (519) 570-0300
* Alberta Guidance Council Edmonton, Alberta, November 5- 7.
Contact: Diane Anderson, (403) 458-8585

* Ontario Society for Training
Development - Toronto, Ontario,
November 30-Dec 1. Contact: Phyllis
Simon, (416) 367-5900

* National Consultation on Career
Development - Ottawa, Ontario,
January 25-27. Contact: Lou Hawkes,
(416) 978-8089

CAMCRY - BUILDING SUCCESS
The Creation and Mobilization of Counselling Resources
for Youth (CAMCRY) program of the Canadian Guidance
and Counselling Foundation is comprised of 41 R&D
projects, three of which are specifically targeted at the
career development needs of youth with learning disabilities.
As we have learned, career counselling must be an integral
part of transition planning with these youth.
Dr. Fred Reekie and a team of researchers at the University
of Saskatchewan are developing a CAMCRY project
entitled Strategic Career Counselling with Low Achieving and
Learning Disabled Youth. The goal of this project is to
assist counsellors in recognizing youth with learning
disabilities during the initial career counselling interview, in

adapting the interview so that the youth are able to process
the information being explored, and, further, in creating
step-by-step strategies which can be taught to these young
people to empower them to become successful career self­
managers.

The initial intake interview and information processing stage
of Dr. Reekie’s project has been developed and pilot tested
in Saskatchewan. The response from counsellors has been
very encouraging.
Lynne Peterson, a counsellor with the Prince Albert Rural
School Division in Saskatchewan and a graduate student in
Educational Psychology has had years of experience working
with youth with learning disabilities. Ms. Peterson has pilot
tested the interview process with grade nine and ten
students and has incorporated it into her daily work. When
asked for her reaction to this interview model, Lynne
expressed, "it is very easy, simply a new way of organizing
what I already do. If I had had this five years ago, I would
be further ahead [today]."

Some interview models emphasize the role of the
counsellor. Dr. Reekie’s model "takes away focus from the
helper and places it back on the client where it belongs.
I’m delighted with the difference in how people relate with
me when they feel in control", said Lynne. The program
has far exceeded Ms. Peterson’s expectations. She uses the
program "all the time" with her clients and encourages other
counsellors to adopt it too.
Loretta Sinclair, a Special Education teacher at Elrose High
School in Saskatchewan, is also very pleased with the
outcomes of Dr. Reekie’s interview process and its ability to
"clarify and identify problems otherwise assumed [but not
established]".

In a discussion, she highlighted the program’s capacity to
involve parents in the career development of students with
a learning disability. She described one situation where a

student, his parents and a helper worked through the
interview outcomes together to construct a career direction
for this youth that he and his parents felt comfortable with.
According to Loretta, this same young man today is
"thriving" in an educational/training program suited to his
needs and his interests. This anecdote exemplifies the type
of success that can be achieved when counsellor, client, and
parents, equipped with the appropriate tools, work together
to overcome barriers.
Dr. Nancy Hutchinson of Queen’s University and her team
of researchers have also received tremendous support for
their CAMCRY career counselling program entitled,
Pathways for Youth. The project is based on cognitive
behavioural theory, and uses modelling techniques, role

playing and pair or group activities to demonstrate and
practice strategies for effective career development and
planning.
The Pathways program is made up of five modules which
can be delivered independently, in any number of
combinations, or as a full credit course for grade ten and
eleven students. The modules include: #1 - Career
Options, #2 - Securing Employment, #3 - Successful
Interview, #4 - Maintaining Employment, #5 - On the Job
Issues. Each module involves acquiring and practising
successful strategies for managing a learning disability.

Youth, teachers and counsellors have responded very well
to the Pathways program. Those involved have shown a
desire to continue with the program. According to Dr.
Hutchinson, "teachers have found that Pathways provides
the kind of materials they have been looking for. Not only
do we deal with activities that they want to teach their
students, but they appreciate that the content is Canadian
and that it is particularly relevant and interesting to their
students."

TODAYS REALITY
* 50% of youth with a learning
disability are early school leavers
* The unemployment rate among high
school graduates with a learning
disability is double that of graduates
without such disabilities

• The majority of youth with a
learning disability working full time
earn wages hovering around the
poverty line

HELPING US HELP YOU
Making one’s way through education, training and
employment to a successful career is a really difficult
process for many Canadians. Given that our labour market
is constantly in flux, we can anticipate that this problem is
not likely to go away in the near future.

The Canadian Guidance and Counselling Foundation has
been working to develop a training program for counsellors
everywhere who are helping Canadians with career
preparation and transitions.

To achieve this objective, CGCF circulated an important
survey to over 2,000 counsellors across the country. The
sample was representative of a variety of communities and
populations and included practitioners from the following
counsellor constituencies:

education
rehabilitation
private industry
provincial and federal governments
youth employment centres
community agencies
The Foundation would like to extend a warm "thank you"
to the many national and regional associations and
organizations who provided us with the mailing addresses of
these counsellors.
As mentioned above, the primary purpose for delivering
this survey was to facilitate the development and delivery of
a CAMCRY training program.
The more specific
objectives, however, include: determining the kinds of
populations served by counsellors in different settings;
discerning the sorts of training counsellors have already
taken; understanding the kind of training counsellors feel
they need and would like to pursue; and knowing what sort
of lime commitment counsellors are willing to give to
training and how these opportunities would be funded.

The number of responses to the questionnaire has been
overwhelming. Participants were encouraged to return their
completed questionnaires by October 15, 1992, in order to
be eligible to have their names entered into a draw for the
following prizes:
1st Prize:

2nd Prize:
3rd Prize:

Registration fee at NATCON,
1993 or $200.00
$100.00
$50.00

By 5pm on October 15th, only three weeks after the mail
date, the Foundation recorded a 22% response rate: a
very significant response for a nation-wide survey.

The Foundation was proud to have Mahesh Shah of Gary
Phomin Chartered Accountant draw three prize winning
names. The winners are:
1st Prize:
2nd Prize:
3rd Prize:

Carol Timlin, Lindsay, Ont
Serge Milot, Dieppe, NB
Claude Belzile, Baie-Comcau, PQ

Congratulations!!!

Upon an initial review of the data collected, CGCF is very
encouraged by the commitment expressed to ongoing
professional development It is apparent that counsellors
across the country are eager to enrich their professional
knowledge base.
The Foundation will continue to compile and analyze the
survey data. An official report of our findings will be
written as soon as possible. Counsellors may look forward
to receiving greater details in the next issue of The Career
Counsellor.
The Foundation sincerely appreciates your efforts to help
us help you.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION
CAMCRY is committed to keeping counsellors, educators,
policy makers, associations and all those involved in
counselling across the country up-to-date on the progress of
the CAMCRY program.

Of the 41 CAMCRY projects under development, the
majority are currently undergoing field testing and final
revisions with a target delivery date of March, 1993.
One CAMCRY project has final products ready for sale:
Occupational Videos in Demand Skill Trades - York
Region Education/ Industry Foundation, (416) 660-1076
THE CANADIAN GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING FOUNDATION IS
GRATEFUL TO EMPLOYMENT AND IMMIGRATION CANADA FOR
ITS SUPPORT

If you are interested in receiving
information on any of the CAMCRY
projects or publications, please contact:
The Canadian Guidance and
Counselling Foundation
202-411 Roosevelt Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario, K2A 3X9
Tel: (613) 729-6164 Fax: (613) 729-3515