Employ210

Considered the most common language-based learning disability, dyslexia affects an estimated 20% of the population in some form. Frequently, dyslexia is mischaracterized as a condition that results in people seeing words and letters backwards. Broken down in a TED-Ed talk presented by dyslexia expert and advocate Kelli Sandman-Hurley, dyslexia is rooted in a phonological processing issue — meaning that people affected by it have trouble not with “seeing” language but with “manipulating” it. While people with dyslexia may see words in a neurotypical way, they may need to “decode” unfamiliar words by breaking them into familiar segments — which can be a time-consuming process.

Although dyslexia is lifelong and exists on a broad spectrum, evidence-based interventions and accommodations can be highly effective. As the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity points out, “Accommodations can be low tech or high tech — or no tech at all. Indeed, the most critical accommodation for a dyslexic reader is simply allowing extra time to take a test or complete an assignment.” On the more technical side of accommodations are devices such as speech-to-text software and smartpens that capture spoken and written words and convert them into digital documents.

Among the local resources listed by Employ 210 business partner San Antonio Community Resource Directory (SACRD), the nonprofit Celebrate Dyslexia upholds a mission to “foster a community that celebrates, educates and empowers the one in five with dyslexia.” Last year alone, Celebrate Dyslexia helped provide strength-based programming to more than 20,000 students in San Antonio and offered Dyslexia 101 training to nearly 400 Bexar County Educators. Visit celebratedyslexia.org to learn more about their programs, which include a learning center and a school that aims to “celebrate, educate, and empower every learner.”

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

A San Antonio native, UT San Antonio alum, and board-certified behavior analyst, Kiana Leal holds master’s degrees in both business and behavior analysis, giving her a unique perspective on two key components that make Employ 210 tick. “I have always had a passion for helping others learn, grow, and reach their full potential,” Leal explained. “I love the science of behavior analysis and educational psychology, and I love being able to put the science of learning into practice not only with neurodivergent individuals, but also with businesses and organizations.”

Leal’s own ADHD diagnosis has given her a deeper understanding of the full spectrum of learning styles. “Having ADHD myself has helped me understand that some people just simply need more time to process information, or may need instructions presented in different ways — especially when acquiring new skills,” Leal said. “Everyone’s brain works differently, and we all learn differently, whether we are neurodivergent or not. I wish people were more open-minded and could recognize that different does not mean less capable, it just means different. At the end of the day, we are all different, and that’s what makes us who we are.”

Since joining Employ 210 as a Graduate Research Assistant in January of 2025, Leal has moved into a new role as a Special Research Associate. Her passions for training, teaching, behavior analysis, and business collectively inform her work.

“My background in business allows me to understand what employers are looking for in an ideal employee, as well as the challenges business owners and managers face on a daily basis,” she said. “My background in behavior analysis, training, and performance improvement allows me to help participants develop the skills, confidence, and workplace behaviors needed to be successful in employment settings. Combining my business experience with my expertise in behavior analysis allows me to understand and support both the participants and the employers we serve through Employ 210.”

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

As part of our recent virtual training sessions for aspiring instructional assistants, we encouraged our participants to volunteer at Camp Durango — a UT San Antonio summer program geared for autistic youth and their siblings. Directed by the university’s Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) department, the program benefits volunteer counselors with disabilities by providing real-world experience organizing camp activities and supporting campers as they play games and engage with arts and crafts.

During our first week of volunteer slots, Employ 210 Special Research Associate Kiana Leal and Graduate Research Assistants Rubi Garcia and Kassandra Smith supported four “graduates” of our instructional assistant training. Volunteers including Darius and Mia got a chance to put some of their new skills into practice, including utilizing an evidence-based strategy called pairing to build better rapport with students, and incorporating varying levels of prompts during activities to help students be more independent. Paired with feedback from the Employ 210 team, this aspect helped participants feel more confident working with children.

“Darius really enjoyed playing basketball with his camper,” Employ 210 Project Manager Sierra Stegemann reported. “And Mia made lots of new connections with campers and counselors alike.”

With hands-on experience under their belts, participants 18 and up with high school diplomas or GEDs are better equipped to apply to work as instructional assistants in public schools for the upcoming school year.

Next week, we’re excited to welcome a second round of instructional assistant trainees as Camp Durango volunteers!

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

Earlier this week, Employ 210 Project Director Dr. John Davis, Project Manager Sierra Stegemann, and Special Research Associate Kiana Leal welcomed Chick-fil-A managers and representatives for a workshop exploring neurodiversity in the workplace. During three presentations, they highlighted the goals of our grant-funded program and ways they align with Chick-fil-A’s “Winning Hearts Every Day” initiative — a customer service and operational strategy that aims to make the brand the “world’s most caring company.”

In addition to outlining the various types of neurodivergence, the presentation “Foundations of Neurodiversity” covered the advantages of tapping into an underutilized talent pool and fostering a workplace that combines neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals.

“Function of Learned Behavior” shed light on ways reinforcement and punishment shape workplace behavior; best practices for applying the A-B-C model (antecedent, behavior, consequence); and the importance of providing positive feedback.

And “Supporting Neurodivergent Talent” looked at challenges employees with disabilities face in the workplace along with accommodations that can empower them to perform their best. These accommodations can span from devices like noise-canceling headphones to implementations like quiet zones and flexible work schedules.

When the workshop wrapped up, one attendee expressed their gratitude, saying, “This information was wonderful for everyone, understanding behaviors, autism, ADHD, and everything that we employers may come across in our daily lives.”

If your business is interested in scheduling a free training session with Employ 210, email us at [email protected] or call us at (726) 842-3895.

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

Please join us in congratulating Employ 210 Graduate Research Assistant Rubi Garcia on her recent graduation from UT San Antonio with a master’s in higher education administration! A Los Angeles native who earned a bachelor’s degree in child development before relocating to San Antonio, Rubi drew inspiration from personal experiences when carving out her professional path.

“Working with individuals with disabilities has been a passion for me since I was young,” she said. “My brother was diagnosed with Down syndrome, and I have always been around therapists. I struggled knowing what I wanted to be growing up, but I always knew my goal was to create a welcoming place for individuals with disabilities.”

Since joining Employ 210 in July of last year, Rubi has contributed to various aspects of our grant-funded program — from prepping training materials and recording data to supporting participants as they fill out paperwork. “My role involves being flexible and willing to learn many skills,” she said. “It’s definitely helped increase my professional development.”

Congratulations Rubi, and cheers to great things ahead!

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

Helping others is a driving force that led Dr. Felicia Castro-Villareal to pursue a career in educational psychology. A native of Robstown, Texas, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from St. Mary’s University before earning a Ph.D. in school psychology from Oklahoma State University.

“I’ve always enjoyed listening to people and helping in any way that I can,” Castro-Villareal said. “My passion is to help youth experiencing mental health, learning, and behavioral concerns.”

Now a Licensed School Psychologist and a psychology professor at UT San Antonio, Castro-Villareal joined the Employ 210 team during the grant-funded program’s conceptualization and writing stages. In her role as Employ 210’s School Partner Liaison, she connects and partners with K-12 schools and universities and works within those partnerships to train individuals for competitive and meaningful employment. “With employers, I work to identify high vacancy needs and help develop blueprints for training in these high vacancy areas,” she explained.

Another aspect of her role is partnering with UT San Antonio’s Center for Military Affiliated Students (CMAS) and supporting military students with disabilities. “With this partnership we work with CMAS to identify workforce and career readiness needs to inform training,” she said. “Similarly, we work with CMAS employer partners to identify high vacancy need areas and build training blueprints around those areas.”

When asked about her goals for the future of Employ 210, Castro-Villareal says she hopes to see our reach expand. “My hope is that we can place an increasing number of Employ 210 participants in meaningful and competitive employment,” she said. “I wish more people understood that different is beautiful, different is unique, and different is brilliant. I wish people would focus on and find the brilliance in neurodivergence.”

Although there are no definitive statistics about the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in the U.S., the National Center for PTSD has found that about 5% of the population has PTSD in any given year. In San Antonio, that number is higher due to our large military population. Nicknamed “Military City USA,” San Antonio is home to 160,000 veterans and more than 80,000 active-duty service members.

Thankfully, San Antonio boasts a wealth of support for individuals with PTSD. A generally effective component of treatment, trauma-focused talk therapy is offered free of charge through several local organizations including the Military Veteran Peer Network, the Warrior Group, the San Antonio Vet Center, and the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The online database and Employ 210 partner San Antonio Community Resource Directory (SACRD) also maintains listings for various support outlets, including the PTSD Foundation of America, which runs the 24/7 Combat Trauma Help Line at (877) 717-7873.

UT Health San Antonio is also dedicated to addressing PTSD and other veteran issues. In April, the university reported a breakthrough that significantly reduces symptoms for PTSD victims. During a monthlong study, researchers complemented psychotherapy with a patented MRI-guided, robotic-controlled form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMI) and found that 85% of recipients experienced symptom reductions significant enough to improve quality of life.

Another valuable resource, UTSA’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs supports students in many ways and also hosts Coffee with Vets — a monthly program that takes place every second Wednesday in UTSA’s Veterans Lounge.

But PTSD isn’t bound by military issues. If you or someone you know is struggling with PTSD in any form, help is available at no cost through the UTSA Sarabia Family Counseling Center and around the clock via the National Institute of Mental Health’s crisis hotline, which can be accessed by calling or texting 988.

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

As a grant-funded program with ambitious goals, Employ 210 thinks quite a bit about numbers. But each number represents a person — and specifically a participant we’ve supported on their journey to finding competitive employment in San Antonio. As we prepare for a busy summer ahead, we’re happy to report that 135 individuals with varying disabilities have completed one of our specialized “blueprints” — free job-training programs that incorporate hands-on learning and simulated workplace scenarios. Of those 135 participants, 36 have been placed in jobs with one of our San Antonio business partners. As encouraged as we are by those numbers, we’ve got plenty more growing and expanding to do — and we’re always looking for the next opportunity.

If you or someone you know could benefit from one of our completely free job-training programs, we encourage you to fill out the general interest form on our website (Employ210.com), email us at [email protected] or call us at (726) 842-3895.

And if you’re a San Antonio business owner who’s interested in tapping into an underutilized talent pool of pre-trained job seekers, we would love to hear from you as well!

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

Currently Recruiting for: Instructional Assistants

Employ 210 is currently recruiting job seekers with varying disabilities and support needs for free virtual training sessions that will prepare them to apply for positions as Instructional Assistants in public schools. An Instructional Assistant supports students with special needs by assisting with instruction, behavior management, personal care, safety, social skills, and the implementation of individualized educational goals in the classroom. Applicants may choose between two virtual training schedules:

Monday, June 1 & Wednesday, June 3 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

OR

Tuesday, June 2 and Thursday June 4 from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Following the virtual training, participants are encouraged to volunteer at Camp Durango at the UTSA Downtown Campus to gain experience working with children with disabilities in a fun, educational setting with support from Employ 210 staff. Applicants may choose between two in-person volunteer schedules at 501 W. César E. Chávez Blvd.

Monday, June 8 - Thursday, June 11 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

OR

Monday, June 15 - Thursday, June 18 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

After completing the training, participants 18 and up with GEDs or high school diplomas will be prepared to apply to work as an Instructional Assistant at their desired school district for the upcoming school year, with opportunities for both full-time and substitute positions that offer flexible scheduling.

To register, visit Employ210.com/events, email [email protected] or call (726) 842-3895.

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

Last week, Employ 210 hosted a series of four training sessions developed in partnership with RK Catering, a San Antonio hospitality industry titan that produces thousands of events each year. During the sessions, Employ 210 Project Manager Sierra Stegemann, Special Research Associates Kiana Leal and Marie Conant, and Graduate Research Assistants Colleen Hale, Rubi Garcia and Kassandra Smith supported a cohort of six job seekers with varying disabilities as they learned and practiced new skills during simulated workplace scenarios. In addition to event preparation exercises such as folding napkins and setting banquet tables with silverware and glassware, the participants practiced lifting and carrying heavy service trays and serving hors d’oeuvres — all skills that will help them stand out when applying to work with RK Catering.

“All our participants were attentive and eager to learn, and they took feedback well,” Sierra said. “This group had a really positive attitude about working, and they are all super excited to apply to RK Catering!”

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.