Will “Developmental Disabilities Specialist” be Automated?

Core Skills & Abilities

• Arrange for physical, mental, academic, vocational, and other evaluations to obtain information for assessing clients' needs and developing rehabilitation plans.

• Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.

• Collaborate with clients' families to implement rehabilitation plans, such as behavioral, residential, social, or employment goals.

• Supervise rehabilitation counselors and staff.

• Prepare and maintain records and case files, including documentation, such as clients' personal and eligibility information, services provided, narratives of client contacts, or relevant correspondence.

• Arrange for on-site job coaching or assistive devices, such as specially equipped wheelchairs, to help clients adapt to work or school environments.

• Collaborate with community agencies to establish facilities and programs for persons with disabilities.

• Locate barriers to client employment, such as inaccessible work sites, inflexible schedules, or transportation problems, and work with clients to develop strategies for overcoming these barriers.

• Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.

• Confer with physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other professionals to develop and implement client rehabilitation programs.

• Manage budgets and direct case service allocations, authorizing expenditures and payments.

• Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups.

• Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.

• Participate in job development and placement programs, contacting prospective employers, placing clients in jobs, and evaluating the success of placements.

• Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.

• Develop diagnostic procedures to determine clients' needs.

• Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.