As you know, my son Evan has Autism, but he is mainstreamed in his classes and has been in the culinary arts Pathways program at Blair High School since 9^th grade.  He is now entering his senior year.   School hasn’t been easy for him, but he works very hard and is well regarded by his teachers.  When he received the invitation to participate in the internship program, to work in a real job at a real company for the summer, he was so excited!  It was a chance for him to have more independence, and to interact with new people in a way that he never did before.  In that way, it was no different for him than for any other student offered the internship – this was the first time they would take instruction from an employer, the first time they would shoulder the responsibility of being on time, making a good impression, and getting the sense of accomplishment that comes with hard work in a non-academic, real world setting.  This is especially important for students that aren’t natural academics.