For almost 40 years, Michael Laharty has served students with special needs, their families, and the staff who support them. He has been a teacher, mentor, master teacher, principal, university lecturer, provider of staff development, and a vocational specialist. He is recognized as a statewide leader in providing transition services for youth with special needs. He coined the phrase “school to world, not just work” as a reminder that successful transition to the adult world includes post-secondary education and training, independent living, community access and participation, as well as employment. Michael works for the Sacramento County Office of Education as a Vocational Specialist and lives in Sacramento with his wife and three children.
Michael Laharty mlaharty@scoe.net
Presentation: IT'S NOT WHO YOU KNOW; IT'S HOW YOU TREAT THEM
Strands: Transitions, social skills
Social skills are those communication, problem-solving, decision making, self- management, and peer relations abilities that allow one to initiate, build, and maintain positive social relationships with others. One's social competence is linked to peer acceptance, teacher acceptance, and post school success. These include post-secondary education and training, employment, independent living, and community access and participation. Deficits in social skills remain high among the reasons why many students with disabilities have serious difficulties transitioning successfully from “school to the world.”
