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Employment Services

Employment Services

Little Friends offers a variety of Employment Services to meet the unique needs of the individuals we serve.

Connecting Adults with Communities

Connecting Adults with Communities bridges the gap between post-secondary neurodiverse adults and competitive integrated employment within underrepresented sectors of employment like technology, data analyst, logistics, manufacturing, and more. Through experiential learning our program instills confidence, creating independence!

This program’s goal is to prepare each individual for competitive employment through individualized assessment, extensive career exploration, and skills development leading to on the job training. Throughout this individual development program, young adults will gain the necessary skills to secure and maintain meaningful competitive employment within their communities.

For more information, contact Program Director, Cassidy Kaput, 630.929.2725

Explore jobs you never thought possible in a safe and enriching virtual environment at our Career Exploration VR Boot Camp!

1 – week Program, Dec. 2-6, 2024 OR Jan. 13-17, 2025

Monday – Friday, 10am-12pm

Little Friends Adult Services Building, 27545 Diehl Road, Warrenville

Contact Program Director, Cassidy Kaput for more information 630.929.2725


Interested in pursuing a career in supply chain or logistics? Want to work in manufacturing or warehouse? Need a confidence boost or competitive edge? Join our CAC Supply Chain Certificate program

2 – week Program, Dec. 9-20, 2024

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 8am-12pm

Little Friends Adult Services Building, 27545 Diehl Road, Warrenville

Contact Program Director, Cassidy Kaput for more information 630.929.2725


Join our Skill Development Program! Neurodiverse young adults will find assistance as they navigate the skills necessary to secure competitive integrated employment!

12 – week Program, January 21-April 11, 2025

Monday-Friday, 9am-12pm

Little Friends Adult Services Building, 27545 Diehl Road, Warrenville

Contact Program Director, Cassidy Kaput for more information 630.929.2725

  • Self Advocacy: including self monitoring, coping skills and disclosing disability information
  • Communication and Social Interactions: communicating with peers, reading the intentions of others and collaborating as team
  • Work Related Social Skills: conflict resloution, time management, and workplace etiquette
  • Job Skills: resume building, job searching, interviewing, work readiness

Through individualized assessments and career exploration, CAC staff assist neurodiverse young adults in employment planning to better understand their interests, talents, and what kind of training they might pursue to lead them to competetive employment.

CAC uses national best practices and educational opportunities through our partnerships with HAAPE and other organizations to offer neurodiverse learners education and certificate programs in technology related fields to support opportunities for competitive integrated employment.

Little Friends has invested in technological resources (virtual reality, job readiness applications, etc.) in order to best understand our clients unique strengths, interests, and abilities. Our partnerships with community businesses lead to job opportunities for neurodiverse young adults.

Young adults with a formal diagnosis that falls into the category of neurodiverse

Ready for post-high school experience, obtaining a high school diploma, certificate, or equivalent

Desire to competitively work in the community and interest in maintaining a job

Ability to access transportation independently

Ability to take direction, follow professional code of conduct

Functional communication skills

Independent ADLS and medication administration

Little Friends Connecting Adults with Communities program hosted its first Skills Development cohort this Spring, helping neurodiverse young adults bridge the gap between educational services and post-secondary integrated employment.  We were excited to catch up with one of the participants, Natalia, who is interning in the front office at Little Friends Center for Autism.

What part of your internship do you like the most so far?

The part of my internship that I like the most so far is spending time in my office preparing materials for the kids and creating and organizing files.

Is there something you learned while at CAC that has helped you so far in your internship?

Something I learned while at CAC that has helped me so far in my internship is requesting reasonable accommodations and taking breaks to make my work more productive.

What advice would you give another young person who might be considering participating in a program to work on skills like CAC?

It’s helpful for you to consider taking and completing assessments because those assessments will help you figure out your strengths and narrow down your employment job choices. Also, figuring out your own unique personal strengths that you feel a workplace could benefit from.

What is your dream job?

My dream job is a receptionist.

Supported Employment

Little Friends Supported Employment Program helps adults with disabilities find jobs in businesses throughout their community and provides training, in the form of job coaching, to assist the individual to learn the skills to become independent at their job. Our staff helps individuals identify suitable employment opportunities, looking at a range of factors such as interests, skills, past work experience, and available transportation. Each person is then assisted in finding a job that suits their interests and abilities.

Once an individual is hired, staff work closely with employers so that they can comfortably and efficiently train their new hire. Individuals in our Supported Employment Program work in a variety of settings, including restaurants, hotels, retail stores, manufacturing plants, offices, and more.

  • Career counseling
  • Job search and application assistance
  • Job interview preparation
  • Job coaching and follow up services
  • Trial job assessments
  • Vocational advocacy and counseling
  • Transportation training

The Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) funds these types of services. To obtain a referral to our supported employment program, contact your local DRS office or visit www.dhs.state.il.us/drs. Under the referral source, chose community provider and list our contact information.

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I love my school

“I love my school because I have great teachers and friends.”

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I like to socialize and laugh

“I like to socialize and laugh with my friends every day.”

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Little Friends staff are remarkable people

“As parents, we feel truly thankful and blessed for the opportunities that Little Friends has provided and offered.  Little Friends staff are remarkable people who are dedicated to what they do and those they serve.”

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Good times with friends and people who care

“For my son, this has not been just a school but the place where he spends good times with friends and people who care about him.”

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How grateful we are

“How grateful we are to all the angels who work with our son at Little Friends. This is his home.”

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Krejci means so much to Us

“Krejci means so much to us because it’s been the one place that has truly helped my child excel and grow; the place that he is not judged or made to feel different but accepted. I am so appreciative of the patience, care, and hard work from all the Krejci staff.”

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Positive Impact on our Family

“Respite has had such a positive impact on our family. We love that our kids can socialize with other families that share our similarities. It gives me comfort knowing he is in good hands”