A practical webinar exploring what makes or breaks effective teaching on the job, and how to support people with disability to thrive in valued roles at work.
About this presentation
In the 1970s, Dr Marc Gold introduced “Try Another Way,” overturning long-held assumptions about the potential of people with intellectual disability. His pioneering work demonstrated that with the right instruction, people could master complex tasks, setting the stage for people with disability to take their rightful place in valued roles in society.
The values that Marc Gold instilled remain foundational today in the work of Marc Gold & Associates (MG&A). Over time, these practices have evolved to meet the realities of modern workplaces. In 1986, Mike Callahan published “A Technology Evolves: What Happened when Try Another Way Met the Real World,” showing how Systematic Instruction could be applied within typical businesses. By 1992, MG&A had further refined this approach with the introduction of the Seven Phase Sequence for Balancing Naturalness and Individual Needs. This framework helps job supporters honour typical workplace practices while still providing the individualised support needed for success.
This framework was the focus of this webinar, with practical case examples showing how it can be applied in real workplaces.
This webinar explores what we’ve learned through decades of applying these approaches in real workplaces:
- How to recognise and respect the valued instructional practices already present in businesses.
- When to step in with tailored support and when to step aside, so the employee is seen first and foremost as a coworker.
- How to avoid the pitfalls of over-supporting or unintentionally reinforcing the “client” role.
- Practical examples of how the 7-Phase Sequence has been applied in workplaces, showing how to balance natural supports with individualised instruction.
We hope you’ll gain both inspiration and practical strategies to help people with disability thrive as employees, not “program participants.”
Download a copy of the slides (PDF, 1 MB)
Resources
- Callahan, Michael. The Seven Phase Sequence for Balancing Naturalness and Individual Needs.
- Callahan, Michael. What Happened When “Try Another Way” Met the Real World.
- Nisbet, Jan & Hagner, David. Natural Supports in the Workplace: A Reexamination of Supported Employment.
Meet the presenters
Milton Tyree
Milton TyreeMilton has professional and personal experience over decades of helping people with disabilities have strong, valued work roles. He draws on the principles of Social Role Valorisation (SRV) and works with Marc Gold & Associates, pioneers of Customised Employment. Milton lives in Kentucky, USA, and has partnered with Imagine More on multiple Customised Employment initiatives.
Julia Shumaker
Julia Shumaker is a former Canberra-based Job Mentor with hands-on experience supporting young people with disability into meaningful employment. She now draws on this background to share real-world insights about applying Marc Gold & Associates’ instructional approaches within Australian workplaces.