Camelot Teacher Profile: Dana Wyzard
Dana found her calling, working with special needs children right after high school. This passion led her to Camelot where she has worked in various capacities since 2004.
Dana Wyzard is in her second year as Vocational Coordinator at Camelot’s Northwest Center for Autism in DeKalb, IL, having begun her career as a paraprofessional with Camelot in 2004. She earned her associate’s degree from Kishwaukee College and will graduate in 2014 from Grand Canyon University with a dual degree in Education and Special Education. She says after high school she took a position working with a little girl with special needs, found her calling and has been hooked ever since.
In her capacity, she helps students gain volunteer job experience outside of school. She keeps in contact with local restaurants, stores and other community members that invite NWCA students to come in and do different jobs such as cleaning, folding clothes, stocking shelves and other needs the employer may have. One thing that becomes clear as you talk with Dana, she has an infectious level of enthusiasm and loves her work.
Vocational training seems like a great complement to the academic courses NWCA students take. How and why does the arrangement work?
It’s a win-win situation. These businesses get help and our students gain skills so that when they graduate at age 22 they have job skills to use. I had one business, a frozen custard place, that was a little nervous about having us come in but they agreed to give us a try and after about a month of us working there the manager pulled me aside and thanked me for bringing the students in and said that our students did a better job than her paid employees! I pick our students specifically for each job. If there’s a job that’s too loud or has a lot of movement I know that some students don’t react well to that so I won’t put those students in those situations. I have one student who is particular about picking things up. Even if it’s the smallest piece of food he will pick it up and I knew he would be perfect for the job because one of the things the manager asked us to do was to pick up the grounds around the shop. The student does a phenomenal job.
What do you like most about your role at Camelot?
I love the ability to see these students do jobs that maybe at one point we thought they wouldn’t be able to do. The best feeling is having parents tell me that it feels awesome to be able to say that my son or daughter has a job. Sometimes a parent looks and says, oh they have autism or they may be aggressive and they won’t get a chance. And I want to prove that there are so many things that we are capable of doing. That’s my favorite part – watching a student who may have a struggle with behavior but can run a vacuum like no other.
What’s the upside for your students?
They can accomplish social skills. They can accomplish being able to go into and out of the community and learn to control their behavior. They can also teach the world that autism is not scary; it’s something that they have but are able to work with it and when they turn 22 they can have job skills to help them obtain positions.
Is there a misperception of autistic kids that you would like to address?
People hear the word autism and they think these kids are aggressive or anti-social when sometimes it’s the complete opposite. I have many students who are very social but sometimes are TOO social and that’s a good reason we work on job skills. You go to a job to work, not to talk about your favorite TV show or your favorite video game. These students are verbal and like to interact and I like when people see and appreciate that.
Do you feel we as a society have made advances in how we deal with autistic students?
I think we have. Schools like Camelot and the kind of activities I am involved with are getting the word out. I feel like people are now giving autistic kids a chance. Even TV is doing a better job of portraying people with autism. There’s a show called Parenthood in which there’s a son with Asperger’s Syndrome and I think it shows what a typical student with Asperger’s is like.
Why has Camelot established a school that handles only autism? (The other Therapeutic Day Schools accept children with various learning disorders.)
We are really responding to what the area school districts want. Most of the referrals we were getting were for students with autism and the districts appreciated the fact that we specialize in that area.We are giving their students the kind of education they are not able to give themselves.
What do you like about working for Camelot?
I really love the team aspect of it. I’ve never had a day where I felt lost or unsupported. The staff members in my classroom are amazing. If I tell them about a new job they are excited to suggest students who would want to work there. I go with them and make sure it’s a perfect fit. The principal and the assistant principal come up to me with ideas or sometime say hey, we don’t think this would be a good idea and I always try to change it to make it better. The level of support is fantastic. I never feel like I’m by myself, taking on the classroom.
Dana is so proud of her students’ accomplishments that she made a video about them. You can see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwp4Y_vb8e4&feature=youtu.be.
