The PAES® Lab Creates Pathways to Employment and Independence
At the Ackerman Center, preparing teens and young adults for the future means helping each individual discover their strengths, build confidence and develop the practical skills needed to pursue greater independence.
We are excited to expand our vocational programming, through the grant from MGM Resorts, with the installation of a new PAES® Lab — Practical Assessment Exploration System, an innovative, hands-on learning environment designed to help students explore their abilities, interests and potential for future employment.
Unlike a traditional classroom, the PAES Lab is designed to function much like a workplace. Students become “employees,” staff serve as “supervisors,” and participants clock in and out, complete assigned tasks, gather their own materials and practice working as independently as possible. The goal is not simply to teach students how to complete a task, but to better understand what they can accomplish with minimal assistance while developing behaviors and routines that translate into real-world employment.
Learning by Doing
Through PAES, students have the opportunity to explore hands-on jobs across multiple areas commonly found in community-based employment, including business and marketing, computer and technology, consumer and service, construction and industrial, and processing and production.
As students work through different tasks, trained staff evaluate important factors such as the level of assistance required, interest in the task, quality of work, work rate and the number of attempts needed. PAES also evaluates workplace “soft skills,” including communication, staying on task, following directions, interacting with supervisors and coworkers, safety and managing frustration.
This combination gives our team meaningful, measurable information about a student's strengths, interests and areas where additional support or skill development may be beneficial.
Preparing Our Team
As part of bringing PAES to the Ackerman Center, our team is undergoing specialized training to ensure the program is implemented effectively and consistently. PAES training prepares staff to manage the lab, assign jobs, accurately evaluate performance, track progress and interpret assessment reports that can help guide individualized transition planning.
For our team, this is another important tool to help turn vocational goals into practical, individualized pathways toward adulthood.
Creating Pathways to Possibility
For many neurodivergent teens and young adults, preparing for employment can require opportunities to practice skills in an environment where they can learn, explore and grow at their own pace. The PAES Lab provides that opportunity in a structured and supportive setting.
Most importantly, it allows us to focus on a question that is central to everything we do at the Ackerman Center: What is possible when an individual is given the right opportunity, tools and support to succeed?
By investing in PAES and expanding our vocational programming, we are helping our students identify what they enjoy, discover what they do well and develop skills that can open doors to meaningful employment and greater independence.
Because preparing for adulthood isn't just about finding a job. It's about building confidence, discovering potential and creating a pathway toward a future filled with possibility.