natsupports

Research has shown that more hours of direct support provided by employment specialists actually produces poorer work outcomes, unless co-workers have been trained and are involved in supporting the supported employee. In addition, providing information and support to coworkers and supervisors in the person’s immediate work area tends to relate with better wages and integration […]

Some employment situations do not make a clear distinction between the role of co-workers and supervisors; but, in general, supervisors have responsibility for evaluating and directing employee performance. Supervisors have more authority to make workplace decisions than co-workers, and also are usually less regularly available on an hour-by-hour basis. The most important factor for the

Workplaces often contain complex personalities and interrelationships. Not all coworkers are effective trainers, nor do they all provide useful support and assistance. Typically, supportive co-workers are those people who already interact with the supported employee. They tend to be stable employees respected by others. It helps if they work nearby and perform similar duties, as

While it takes a great deal of skill, knowledge and practice to be precise with systematic training, the truth is that anyone can learn the technology basics within a reasonable time to become a more effective trainer. Some coworkers already have either a natural talent or some experience. One worker at a department store, a

Helping to develop coworker relationships is one of the main functions of job support. Some of these connections will develop on their own as the supported employee interacts, and some will be more helpful than others. Employment success, productivity, and social connections are all inter-related. The reasons people succeed in their work has as much

If a job coach or employment consultant is always providing the solutions needed by a worker with a disability on the job, it becomes difficult for the worker to succeed without the coach. The best source of regular assistance with something is often a person who is naturally part of the setting and can easily

If a supervisor does need some sort of assistance – and many will because of accommodations needed by a worker with a disability – employment consultants should act in the capacity of advisors. If a company has an established format and schedule for employee performance reviews, it should follow the same procedure for an employee

A personal relationship and mutual interests with one’s supervisor can be important. Such nonperformance factors as personal connection, perceived similarity of values and “fit” with the organization play a large role in a supervisor’s performance evaluation of the worker with a disability. Research has shown that supervisors reward employees with higher performance ratings if they offer

Natural supports can be defined as having two key components: Click on each tab below:

The use of natural supports implies that human service interventions artificial to the work setting are minimized. However, there is still a need for employment consultants to maintain a regular, ongoing relationship with the employer and supported employee. This relationship helps to design the most effective means of internal work supports available as the job,