Daniel is 15 years old, and has been at NECC for 4 years. Unable to cope with the transition to middle school, Daniel's behavior deteriorated, and it was difficult to get him to go to school. Daniel was initially placed in one of the Intensive Day Classrooms by his local school district. Daniel has progressed to the point that, with his behavior under better control, Daniel's team thought it was time for him to begin to work in a small group setting, with an increasing focus on the development of vocational skills.
Now, in one of the Regular Day Classrooms, Daniel and Mark, his fellow student, work together with their teacher Molly. Their morning is spent in the classroom working on social communication skills, banking and managing money, and other functional life skills. In the afternoon Molly is beginning to prepare both boys for the vocational curriculum, by establishing good work habits through scheduled "chores" around the school, such as paper and can recycling. Molly has also spent time examining the boys' interests, in order to explore future employment opportunities. Daniel, has a pet dog at home, and enjoys looking at books about animals. Since both boys are not old enough yet to have a paid job, Molly worked with the vocational department to establish a relationship with a local animal shelter. Daniel and Mark go with Molly 2 afternoons each week, and volunteer their time to help feed and care for the animals.

According to Molly: "We need to teach our students the importance of working in the community. My goal is for Daniel to sample a variety of work options that are based on his interests, so that by the time he is eligible for supported employment, we will have identified the type of position where he can be the most successful."