What is a PAES Lab?
A PAES® Lab gives students with disabilities real, hands-on work experience. It also gives your IEP team standardized, defensible data for transition planning.
Watch: Introduction to PAES
A short overview of how the PAES Lab works.
Video: Introduction to PAES
A simulated workplace with an assessment built in
PAES is a hands-on assessment of employment potential. Rather than guessing from paper tests, students perform simulations of the jobs they might actually have in the future. The goal is to find out what a student can do on their own, with as little help as possible.
- Teachers become supervisors and students become employees
- Employees clock in and out, just like a real job
- Employees follow an independent work procedure
- The lab collects the data employers really want to know: work quality, rate, interest, trials and assistance required
Five career components, 264 jobs
Jobs are organized into five industry areas. Each category has six jobs at increasing levels of difficulty, so students build skills from one job to the next.
Business / MarketingComputer / TechnologyConstruction / IndustrialConsumer / ServiceProcessing / Production| Component | Example job categories |
|---|---|
| Business / Marketing | Alphabetizing, filing, numerical sorting, collating, making change, cash register, ten-key, typing |
| Computer / Technology | Data entry, word processing, email, information management, digital photos, PowerPoint |
| Construction / Industrial | Shop measurement, wrenches and bolts, hammers and screwdrivers, shop saws, wood, electrical and metal projects, parts identification |
| Consumer / Service | Food measurement and preparation, food service, kitchen appliances, sewing, cloth construction, housekeeping/custodial |
| Processing / Production | Bolt and pipe assembly, color assembly, peg and thread design, paper cutting, analog and digital time |
PAES jobs connect to real entry-level occupations such as file clerk, cashier, data entry keyer, mailroom clerk, food service worker and production assembler.
What's included with a new lab
Curriculum & equipment
The PAES curriculum plus equipment and materials for all five components, 7 shelving units and a heavy-duty workbench.Setup & training
Lab unpacking and a one-day on-site training by a certified PAES trainer, plus PAES training videos supervisors can revisit any time.PAES Scan software
A first-year PAES Scan license for real-time scoring, weekly planning and reports.Shipping
Shipping within the continental U.S. Ask me about premium tool packages, audio job cards and extra license years.Planning the room? Typical needs include about 25 feet of wall space for shelving, a sink with hot and cold water, about 10 electrical outlets, counter-height work tables, 2–4 computers and 2–4 tablets. I'll send the full facility checklist when you're ready.
Reports that feed the IEP
PAES Scan produces the PAES Summary of Performance, progress reports, Transition Summary, Transition Objectives and workplace soft-skills reports. These are designed for IEP transition planning and can be shared with families, outside agencies and potential employers.
How PAES supports Indicator 13 →
Validity and reliability research →
Ready to see a PAES Lab?
Book a 30-minute Zoom walkthrough, or ask me to set up a tour of a lab near your district.