For many the end product of education is a good job.
Still, that isn't always the case for special needs students. Post-graduation many of them are faced with lives helping out at home without the promise of any real career fulfilment.
But that's something that Autism Belize and its international partners are hoping to change. And this summer that starts with skills training in tourist village sales for students from Stella Marris.
7News stopped by their stall last week to get a glimpse of the sales team in action.
Cruise ship day last week meant skills training for Stella Maris student Alexander Alvarenga.
He was one of the kids chosen to learn customer service and money exchange while selling artwork made by his fellow classmates.
Jasmine Gallegos, Therapist/Translator
"We're here to provide, we're selling these items for individuals who are special needs here in Belize and he's doing a lot of practicing with the money exchange and selling these products for these individuals."
And as you can see Alexander was out there doing an awesome and inspiring job. We asked him about his interactions with the customers.
Cherisse Halsall:
"Que es lo que dices a la gente cuando vienen?"
Jasmine Gallegos, Therapist/Translator
"So all the little figurines he said his friends do them at school: Zacharia and his brother the twins, another young lady in Dangriga, and another in PG."
Cherisse Halsall:
"Come es vender estas cosas te estas divertiendo?"
Jasmine Gallegos, Therapist/Translator
"Yes, we're having a good time here selling it and just learning about these students and what they can provide."
And Alexander's skills training is all thanks to Autism Belize partner Therapy Adventures, a Chicago based company looking to do some good in Belize.
Asha Moonjely, Occupational Therapist, Therapy Adventures
"We're just here to help students get some vocational training, and life skills training, and help all the profits go back to them."
"So three of us out here are occupational therapists and the other two therapists are speech-language pathologists and behaviour training and so we're here using our set of skills and our disciplines to help him learn how to do money exchange, customer service training and we'll have another student in the afternoon to do really similar skills training. So they can go out after high school and do something with the skills that they learn here."
Alexander worked the morning shift and one of his classmates worked the afternoon shift.
