Abstract
By discovering the strengths of students with special educational needs (SEN), we can develop better ways of helping them gain self-esteem and empowerment. This chapter contests the notion of being ‘learning-disabled’ by indicating how students with SEN are actually ‘differently-enabled’ when career practitioners adopt a neurodiversity perspective. We provide a case study to illustrate how Hong Kong social workers in a community-based career development project supported three disadvantaged girls with SEN to consider their options more positively when making the transition from school to work. It represents an example of a ‘strengths-based’ and ‘empowerment-oriented’ approach that builds on the girls’ deep interest in digital drawing to pursue a meaningful learning process in career path exploration.
Both authors should be considered joint first authors of this chapter.
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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for the funding support for the manuscript (HKBU/HKJCCT/14-15/012). The logistic preparation of interviewing, intervention ideas sharing, and practice reflection of the case study for this chapter was partly supported by Mel Kwan and Simmy Yeung, social workers of the Hong Kong Children and Youth Services.
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Wong, V., Yip, T.C.Y. (2020). Social Workers’ Strategies for Supporting Career Transition for Disadvantaged Girls with SEN: A Hong Kong Case Study of a Class in Digital Drawing. In: Yuen, M., Beamish, W., Solberg, V.S.H. (eds) Careers for Students with Special Educational Needs. Advancing Inclusive and Special Education in the Asia-Pacific. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4443-9_8
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