NJJN.Com: Job-training center opens for adults with autism

On July 21 about 65 people gathered to celebrate “a dream come true” at the Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest in East Orange, a beneficiary agency of United Jewish Communities of MetroWest NJ. They were taking part in the dedication of the agency’s new career center for individuals diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The career center offers simulated work centers to enable clients to gain real-world-type experience and practice. In one area, a “clothing store” offers racks of garments on different kinds of hangers that need to be arranged in a certain way, as well as shelves on which clothing, after being folded on a folding board, can be put away. A “medical office” includes cabinets, a desk, and records that need to be filed according to medical office systems. The “cafe” offers tables and the cloths to cover them with as well as containers that need to be filled with condiments and placed on the tables. The “grocery store” is equipped with a pricing gun, as well as various kinds of food products that need to be stacked properly on shelves or checked out at a register. There is also a business office and a shipping and receiving center.

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