October 2026: Go for the Goal this Fall

Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services sent this bulletin at 10/01/2026 10:00 AM CDT

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Oklahoma Rehabilitation Services - Transition

Oklahoma Youth are Reaching Their Goals

Every summer, BEST STEP promises to help students with disabilities build employment skills. The popular summer program keeps participants busy through June and July as they learn skills in a classroom setting and even have a chance to apply what they learned in a paid internship in their community.

By September, the dust has settled and we start to hear success stories from the summer. Yolanda Scott, with Loom, LLC, is a colleague who gets to work with businesses that employ BEST STEP interns across the entire state. She shared with us some exciting things from BEST STEP 2026. Here’s what we learned from Yolanda this year.

Employer Feedback at a Glance:

Interns learned the value of teamwork. 86% rated interns as 4 or 5 (out of 5) for their ability to work with others.
Interns took their jobs seriously. 91% of employers rated interns as 4 or 5 (out of 5) for attendance/punctuality.
Interns were generally successful. 81% rated interns as 4 or 5 (out of 5) for overall performance.
Interns proved they would be employable in the future. 79% of employers said they would recommend their intern for future employment. When “Maybe” responses are included, that increases to 95%.
BEST STEP Interns were good for business. 84% of employers said BEST STEP benefited their organization, with another 13% reporting that it benefited them somewhat.
Interns walked away from BEST STEP with actual jobs. Employers reported 10 interns hired following BEST STEP, with another 6 pending or under consideration for employment.

A Few Success Stories:

An intern at an animal shelter noticed a project to make cat hammocks that had been sitting unfinished for about a year. She brought her own sewing machine to work and completed the project. Her employer said she would be an asset to any employer.
One intern digitized 6,000 historic photographs and slides, helping preserve an organization's archives, and also created a survey to gather feedback from park visitors.
An intern used her ASL skills to assist a Deaf customer when staff were having difficulty communicating. She guided him through the entire process, and the employer said she made him feel welcomed, understood and valued.
One student progressed from being very quiet to working mostly independently, taking initiative and learning technical veterinary skills. He was hired as a part-time kennel technician.
Another employer described an intern who has autism and answered the business phone on her first day, quickly began identifying tasks that needed to be done without being asked, and performed so well that the employer said they wished they had more employees like her. Her school schedule was the only reason she was not hired following the internship.

In summary, the strongest theme across the evaluations is that BEST STEP was not simply giving students exposure to work. Students were contributing meaningful work that employers valued, while both students and employers were learning more about the skills, supports, expectations and environments that lead to successful employment.

Calendar

October 6-7: 2026 Oklahoma Transition Institute (OTI)

The 2026 Oklahoma Transition Institute (OTI) is coming up. The theme this year is "All in: The Power of the Team." The annual conference is focused on supporting students with disabilities in their transition to post-secondary life. This year, the idea of how different teams and team members come together to make it all happen is front and center.

OTI will take place this year in Midwest City at the Reed Center on October 6 and 7. Topics will include how to enhance transition planning, how to access resources and tools, innovative approaches to this work, and so much more.

Location:
The Reed Center
5750 Will Rogers Road
Midwest City, OK 73110

Select this link to register for the 2026 Oklahoma Transition Institute

Select this link to download the flyer for 2026 Oklahoma Transition Institute

October 13: Writing Meaningful Individual Plans, Virtual Training

The Center for Learning and Leadership | UCEDD and the Oklahoma Disability Law Center invite you to our newest training on writing Individual Plans (IP) for waiver services. In this training, you will learn how to be a part of writing your individual plan. They will cover some basics and help you better understand setting measurable goals.

*Registration for the Writing a Meaningful Plan is required.

Select this link to register for the Writing Meaningful Individual Plans virtual training

November 12-13: 2026 Oklahoma Autism Conference

Please join the Oklahoma Autism Network for the 2026 Oklahoma Autism Conference on November 12-13 at the OKANA Resort and Conference Center.

This year’s theme, “Strength in Every Story,” recognizes that every individual, family, educator and professional brings a unique perspective that strengthens our communities. Together, these stories shape how we understand autism, improve supports and build more inclusive systems across Oklahoma. Join us at the OKANA Resort & Convention Center in Oklahoma City for an engaging and inspiring conference experience designed to bring people together across disciplines and lived experiences. Attendees will gain practical strategies, hear powerful stories and leave with renewed energy to support meaningful outcomes across the lifespan.

Select this link to register for the 2026 Oklahoma Autism Conference

Nominate a Student to Spotlight

How to nominate a Student

If you know a current or former student who has participated in Transition events or who has found success through Transition services, please let us know by submitting this nomination form.

Click here to nominate a student

Resources

Sunhive Collective

SunHive is a day program for those needing higher support in specific areas and focuses on what they call, “meeting members where they are at."

Located on 20 acres in Northeast Norman, they provide a homestead (non-residential) with countless opportunities to help their “hive” operate.

Natural freedom to participate–guided by a daily routine of choices - create additional ways for their members to learn proper socialization, emotional regulation and learn more about themselves along the way. SunHive Collective also offers additional social events that are open to the community. Keep an eye on social media and their website for those announcements each month.

Those who are interested in volunteering or in learning more about SunHive Collective can contact:

Loralei Gann, Co-Founder and Director

Phone: 405-562-0457

Email: sunhivecollective@gmail.com

Website: www.sunhivecollective.com

Online: https://bio.site/Sunhivecollective

All Social Media: @sunhivecollective

Oklahoma School for the Blind

Located in Muskogee, the Oklahoma School for the Blind (OSB), also known as Parkview School, provides residential and day education, and outreach programs at no charge for Oklahoma children who are blind or visually impaired from infancy through 12th grade. OSB's goal is to help students reach their maximum potential.

OSB offers a comprehensive curriculum of reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, physical education, music and computer science for residential and day students. Specialized instruction includes braille, orientation and mobility, optimum use of low vision, adaptive equipment and technology, and tactile graphic skills.

The secondary school program includes college preparation, vocational training and a work-study program. In addition, students may receive assessment, counseling, physical therapy, speech and language therapy, hearing tests and health care services. Recreational activities include student organizations and interscholastic athletics.

Check out this Information for Parents document to find out about the specialized services OSB provides for Oklahoma's children who are blind or visually impaired. OSB programs serve students on campus as well as those attending school in their home communities. Open the Information for Parents PDF file or Information for Parents Word file.

Introducing...

Melissa Glover
Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist

Vocational Rehabilitation

ph. 580-338-2043

MGlover@okdrs.gov

Meet Melissa

Melissa Glover is a vocational rehabilitation counselor in Guymon's Vocational Rehabilitation office. She is a proud Oklahoma panhandle resident and has been with DRS for nine years. She originally worked as a rehabilitation technician before getting promoted to her counselor role three years ago.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Panhandle State University and is currently working towards a master’s degree in clinical rehabilitation counseling at Texas Tech University. As a person with a disability, she can help others from a unique place. She said the best part of her job serving transition age youth with disabilities is helping them discover how much they are capable of.

Melissa has seen many lives change through VR services and from people committed to disability advocacy. Even her own life has changed for the better, both as a recipient and as a provider of VR services and resources. She finds this line of work to be meaningful and genuinely rewarding. Even the toughest days on the job have not dissuaded her from continuing to serve DRS clients. In fact, she is eager to continue advancing in her career as a VR professional.

She is a dedicated, experienced and enthusiastic disability advocate. We are lucky to have her on the team.

What is Transition?

The Transition program provides services to prepare students with disabilities for employment and life after high school. Services may include career counseling, vocational evaluation, work adjustment training, on-the-job training, work-study, and job development and placement. The Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired divisions jointly run the Transition program so the youth can easily move into adult services when it is time.

Start the application process