We are a very small business that has been in operation since June of 2001.  We offer part time facilitator and assistant facilitator positions during each of our four eight-week social skills group sessions, as well as for day and night camps, therapeutic recreation, community adventures, and sleepovers during and between sessions. 

Because our clients do best with consistency, employees and volunteers are expected to make a commitment for certain hours for an entire session:  fall, winter, spring or summer. The eight-week commitment can be for anywhere from 1 ½ - 20 hours per week depending upon needs and availability. Employees and volunteers may also sign up to be on call as a substitute or additional helper as needed.  

See calendar for specific activity dates.

The majority of our clients are high functioning individuals who need direct teaching, guided practice, and reinforcement to learn appropriate social, emotional, behavioral, coping, self-management, and independent living skills.  They have average to way above average IQ’s, but still experience difficulty in a variety social communication and social cognition areas. They may have a very difficult time interpreting and understanding nonverbal social communication, assessing and understanding social situations and social cues, discerning and responding to others' perspectives, comprehending and communicating with abstract language, inferring from situations, making sense of details and putting them together to see the “big picture”, etc.

Potential employees or volunteers should be very patient, upbeat, positive, and skilled in demonstrating and modeling a variety of social and related communications and behaviors. They must be people who are extremely honest and ethical and able to work successfully with minimum supervision. Skills related to being able to participate in and model healthy communication, assertiveness, and conflict management are also crucial.  Available opportunities involve direct contact with clients and/or clerical work.

Adults with experience as Personal Care Attendants, Educational Assistants or other health or education backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply, especially those with ASD experience.  A background check, at a cost of $15, is required for all adult employees and volunteers. Employees and volunteers must also purchase at least one uniform shirt at a cost of $5-$18. We have a pay scale with rates from $5.25 - $17.00 per hour depending upon level of education and relevant experience.  Starting pay is from between $5.25 and $12.00 per hour.

Students ages four and up may volunteer to participate in social skills groups as neurotypical peers.  We have found that having typical peers, (children through young adults of about the same age as clients), sitting in as members of the friendship groups is very beneficial to clients’ progress. Peers can role model social skills, as well as give a perspective of the “typical” child, his/her behaviors, reactions, answers, etc.  Typical peers should be personable and outgoing.

The social skills groups, while providing essential skills for clients, are also very beneficial to all individuals, including the typical peers who serve in them. We have had parents of typical peers comment on what a difference being in these groups made for their child’s success in school and with friends. One parent thanked us for the “gift” of the social skills therapy group because of the difference it made to her child. Even if a child doesn’t need any social skills help, the boost to self esteem being a typical peer brings can be fun!

As a side note, while parents generally know who our typical peers are, our clients usually do not. They will see children serving as typical peers as new friends at West Metro Learning Connections, and that seems to be best from a self esteem point of view. Still, the fact that your children work/volunteer at WMLC and do not have a disability is not a secret or something we work to hide…it’s just not something we make a point of mentioning.

Regarding pay, we have done this a variety of ways…

1.      Typical peers with no ASD diagnosis, but perhaps with a related condition, e.g., ADHD, or mild social skills need, can participate in the social skills groups at no charge to them and also receiving no payment, but gaining benefit from the group, while providing a service to peers. This determination of participation is made by WMLC with parental input and is contingent upon a child’s being able to serve as a role model and not requiring too much instruction and intervention him/herself and not detracting from clients’ progress in any way.

2.      Some parents have simply chosen to decline pay, even though their child has no social skills needs whatsoever and is overwhelmingly successful in enriching clients’ lives and enhancing their progress. In this case, we like to give a small thank you gift at the end of the session. We usually determine what this is with parental help.

3.      Some typical peers have used their service at West Metro Learning Connections to meet community service requirements of their high school classes and their confirmation or other religious classes. In this case, we provide a letter documenting the service.

4.      Typical peers can be employees on payroll after meeting the following requirements:

       1.  Age ten or older

       2.  Completed three sessions at WMLC as a volunteer

       3.  Completed WMLC peer training

       4.  Approved application with a WMLC teacher's recommendation

      We start typical peers at the small employer's minimum wage, which is $5.25 an hour.

We consider the payment option your choice entirely. We present the options just so you know. We do have to reserve the right to discontinue typical peers’ participation if the situation interferes in any way with clients’ progress.  We also generally discourage siblings from being in a group or activity with their own family member.

Benefits:  WMLC, Inc. does not offer formal benefits, i.e. medical or dental insurance; holiday, vacation, sick or bereavement pay; profit sharing, 401K or retirement to temporary part time employees.

We do provide opportunities to:

·        Make a difference by helping others

·        Gain life perspective

·        Work with a diverse group of people

·        Have fun exploring the metro area

·        Gain valuable work experience

·        Develop leadership and other professional skills

·        Meet new friends

·        Make connections between classroom learning and “real world” practice

·        Further an important cause

·        Investigate career options

·        Give back to the community 

If you are interested in applying for a paid or volunteer position, please download and complete an Application for Employment or send a resume to mwyatt@wmlearningconnections.com.  If you send a resume in lieu of an application, please include your salary requirements.