Inclusion Matters: Valuing Vocational Training and Employment in our US Products Department

by Rayna Bondy, MSW

When Pyramid Educational Consultants first opened its doors for business in 1992, the co-developers of PECS® (Picture Exchange Communication System®), Andy Bondy, PhD and Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP, provided training and consultation for schools and programs looking for better ways to help their learners communicate. At the time, Lori recalls, “Our products were originally things I ‘made’ when I was working in classrooms as a Speech Pathologist. When I went from classroom work to consulting work, I ended up making the products over and over again so that teachers could implement my recommendations and eventually it got to the point where it was easier (and prettier) to have the products made professionally.” Eventually those products became the foundation of the wide range of colorful and durable items in our current product lines.

Almost three decades later, the Pyramid US office is based in New Castle, Delaware and is comprised of both the Operational and Product Departments. Product Manager, Roxanne Hunter, has been with Pyramid for over 19 years. Her duties include product procurement, securing outside vendors, and overseeing the fulfillment of product orders, assembly, and shipping/receiving. One part of her role is managing her team which consists of full-time employees, Amir Smith and Ryan Handy. Additionally, Pyramid partners with the vocational training programs from the Brennen School/Delaware Autism Program and Autism Delaware’s POW&R Program to provide community-based work experience for a wide range of learners with varying needs and abilities. Supervising this diverse group of students and employees seems to come naturally to Roxanne. Knowing how to respond and communicate effectively with her employees is a skill set she has honed over time. Along with consistent praise and encouragement, Roxanne provides a balance of routine, offering a variety of tasks, and making sure her team takes breaks throughout the day.

Ryan, age 24, first participated in the vocational program as a student ten years ago. After graduating from Glasgow High School, he began his part-time employment four years ago. Amir, age 28, has been a part of the Product Team for eight years following his graduation from Del Castle High School. Both Ryan and Amir spend a large part of their day on product assembly. Amir also assists with fulfilling product orders from start to completion, getting them ready to be shipped out to customers across the country. “It’s an exciting process,” Amir shared, “putting everything together and completing the orders,” is something he enjoys and looks forward to each day. He also independently uses the public bus service everyday. Ryan is proud of his ability to complete tasks on time and enjoys taking the transportation bus on his own each day to and from work. Early on in their employment, each had to learn all of the product components and full assembly directions for every item included in the wide range of products. Today, Ryan and Amir can state specifications for any product with impressive ease. They credit their manager, Miss Roxanne, for teaching them how to put together each product and showing them everything they needed to know.

On working with one another, Amir stated, “It’s good that we can work together as a team to complete the orders and help each other out,” and Ryan agreed. This team approach is echoed throughout the US Operational Department, where Amir’s and Ryan’s contributions are highly regarded. Pyramid US Director of Operations, David Battista, explains, “Ryan and Amir have been great to work with over the years. They are an integral part of our team and their hard work is truly valued. I would encourage other companies, of all sizes, to connect with vocational programs and job placement services in order to better their organization and jump start a young person’s transition into the working world.”

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Brennen School’s Vocational Training Program sent students ages 14- 21 to work in the New Castle office each day as part of their community-based work experience. The students are accompanied by staff and teachers who provide constant support and supervision, managing individual challenges such as staying on-task, physical limitations, or sensory distractions. Brennen students typically work on assembling bags of Velcro to accompany the a range of Pyramid products including our popular PECS Communication Books, as well as bags of reinforcers which are used as training materials at PECS and Pyramid Trainings by our clinical team of consultants. Special Education teacher, Justin Bittner, has been teaching at the Brennen School for over 10 years and chooses job sites for his caseload based on his learners’ needs and abilities. Off-site vocational training provides a great opportunity for learners to generalize the skills they have been practicing in class, Justin explained. Over time, the goal is for students to build enough skills and stamina to be employable upon graduation from the Brennen School. Justin advises his staff to find where learners excel and then help develop those skills by understanding their individual needs and wants. Direct support professional, Larry Katz, has worked for Autism Delaware’s POW&R program for three years. He notes seeing considerable growth in his clients as they build relationships and increase their life skills through work and recreational experiences. Larry believes that his clients can do much more than people might realize and he says they “should not be underestimated!” Working in the vocational training field has been very rewarding, and he is proud of helping his clients feel a sense of belonging in the community.

When talking to the Pyramid Product Team, it is clear each member feels a sense of pride not only in the work they do but in the products they are helping to deliver to those who use them. “It’s a powerful feeling,” Roxanne shared, to produce and prepare products that can be life changing for the individuals and families who use them. She also takes pride in helping employees like Ryan and Amir grow in their careers and develop their long-term goals. For Ryan and Amir, work presents an opportunity for independence and a sense of accomplishment. When asked how their families feel about their jobs at Pyramid, both indicated their parents are very proud of how hard they work. Althena Ellis, Amir’s mother, added, since Amir began working for Pyramid he “has grown up into a young man who produces high quality work” and has a “commitment to exceptional service” that he continues to develop. Ryan’s mother, Antoinetta Handy, says working for Pyramid has been “an amazing opportunity” for her son which “has played a pivotal role in Ryan’s life as he has transitioned to adulthood. Having more emotional and financial independence has helped him mature greatly.”

The benefits of vocational training and permanent employment are felt not only by the participants and employees but by all who have the opportunity to share in this experience with them. Pyramid co-founder and author of the Pyramid Approach to Education®, Dr. Andy Bondy, recalls, “When I started to work in the Delaware Autism Program in 1983 virtually no one thought someone with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) could work in the community. Over the 14 years there, we began to focus on community based training for all students with an aim of finding real jobs in the local community throughout Delaware. I’m still aware of some former students who have maintained their jobs for over 25 years! And I’m proud that Pyramid Educational Consultants has a steady history of hiring adults with ASD.” For the Pyramid US team, the active participation and inclusion of individuals on the autism spectrum is not just a concept- it’s a reality we are proud to take part in and continue to expand every day.

If you are interested in learning more about vocational opportunities in our US office email us: pyramidus@pecs.com

© Pyramid Educational Consultants, LLC. 2021 (The original version of this article appeared in our Pyramid Picture Newsletter in April, 2019. Some information has been updated).