Deer Creek Students With Special Needs Working Jobs In Preparation Of Life After High School

Deer Creek’s special education program is committed to teaching kids with special needs life skills to prepare them for life after high school. 

From cooking and cleaning, to filling out a timecard, depositing checks, saving money, and even paying bills. 

The partnership is currently with three organizations, The Deer Creek School District, Spike Enterprises, and The Oklahoma City Energy soccer team. The school has already been contacted by more companies wanting to get involved. 

That has a lot to do with the positive attitude of the students. 

Sydney Gonzales is entering her senior year at Deer Creek. She worked this summer with the preschool program in the district. 

“I helped them with snack, I helped them get on the bus, I helped them get their seatbelts on, I helped them get off the bus. And I helped them with like work, and I loved working with them,” Gonzales said. 

Lizzy Dodd works at Spike Enterprises. She said she did a lot of document scanning and shredding, but she has bigger plans for her future. 

“I have drumming going on, because I plan on working at this place called CIY, where they take care of middle schoolers and I’m hoping to do that once I’m at the age of 20. As well as being a YouTuber gaming you know,” Dodd said laughing. 

Cameron Dawson is a player and manager of his school’s soccer team. And right now, he works for The Energy. 

“So, in training for the Energy I helped inflate the balls and do laundry and carry the stuff onto the practice field. I was pretty awesome at it. And it was fun,” Dawson said. 

Dawson is also proud of the fact he scored three goals this season with his high soccer school team. 

Nick Pettit is the special needs teacher and soccer coach at Deer Creek. And seeing the kids succeed is everything for him. 

“It just brings such a smile to our faces because we know that we have done our job in preparing them for life after high school,” Pettit said. 

The district is building a transitional center for the students. It will consist of a kitchen to help with students with cooking and culinary skills, as well as bedrooms to help them with cleaning and making the bed. It is expected to be finished in the spring.