By Mencap
Meet Diviyha
Diviyha, 27, has
autism
Autism is a disability. Autistic people find it difficult to understand what other people think and feel. They also find it difficult to tell people what they think and feel. Everyone with autism is different.
and ADHD. She is currently in a paid job as a Teaching Assistant at the same school she used to go to herself.
What is a Teaching Assistant?
A Teaching Assistant (TA) helps both teachers and students in the classroom. They make sure everyone is learning and that the day runs smoothly. Their main jobs include helping with lessons, working with a few students at a time or helping one student by themselves, giving support to students who have special educational needs (SEN) and making sure students follow classroom rules and stay focused.
How did you get your Teaching Assistant job?
“I met someone from Mencap at the library, and they suggested I join the Mencap internship programme. I applied myself and they helped to job coach me. They showed me how to go online to look for jobs, but we couldn’t find anything suitable for a while. I knew I wanted to be a Teaching Assistant, so I contacted my old school. I emailed the head teacher to see if they had any roles I could do.
My Mencap Job Coach helped me to write a CV
A CV is also called a Curriculum Vitae. It is a document with information about: your skills, your qualifications and any jobs or volunteering you have done. You may have to send a CV when you try to get a job. and covering letter.
The head teacher invited me in for a meeting. She asked me what my skills are and what I would be good at doing in the school. She was impressed that I had already had a job at Kidzania so she offered me work experience
Work experience is when you try out a job to help you learn new skills. to begin with.
I did three months’ work experience Experience is when you have learned or tried something before. . Then a role came up as a lunchtime supervisor, so I increased my hours. I also started helping in after schools’ clubs.
The Head Teacher Celia thought I was capable enough, so I was then offered a paid job as a Teaching Assistant.”
What does your working day look like?
“I work with students who need more one-to-one support in the classroom. I support the teachers and I help set up tasks for the children. I get book bags ready and I help prepare the lunch hall. I put out lunch boxes, get cutlery and water bottles. I especially like reading to the children and playing with them at lunchtime.
I also make sure that children are not using unkind words against their friends, or the teaching assistants and teachers.”
How did you feel on your first day at work?
“I felt very excited but a bit nervous. It was good that I was going back to my old school as I knew it, but I didn’t know all of the other teachers or teaching assistants so that was all new to me. I can be shy when things are new to me. It took a little while for me to get used to.”
How have you changed since starting work?
“Before starting work as I was bored as I was stuck at home with nothing to do. I wanted to get a job to earn my own money and to be a bit more independent. Which I am now. I am more confident and I like being helpful. I am not as shy anymore.”
What do you love about your job?
“I like being a role model for other children with learning disabilities and I think it is important to support them the way I was supported when I was younger.
Because I have learning disabilities myself, I can relate to what the children are going through. I know what they might need a bit of help with. I can see that they need the same support that I did when I was young.
I'm very helpful and very friendly with all the members of staff and the students. I give them the right support. I try to be happy and friendly all the time. I think that is what makes me good at my job.
I think my colleagues would describe me as kind, friendly, helpful, thoughtful.
I also like having my own money to spend on what I want, like going out, watching movies, getting food and buying clothes.”
What would you say to employers about hiring someone with a learning disability A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things. ?
“We are so much more than our disability. We might just learn in a different way or take a bit longer to understand things.”
Supported employment
Diviyha was supported by Employ Me one of our supported
employment
Employment means having a job.
services.
Mencap's Job Squad are:
Help more people get into work
With your support more people with a learning disability can find jobs that give them confidence and
independence
Independence means doing things on your own. Making your own choices.
through the Mencap Training Academy (MTA) which offers
supported internships
A work placement for young people with additional needs, where they get support from a job coach.
and pre-internships to young people.