Looking for some hope for my daughters future education and career options.

sunflower71

I have a 17 year old daughter, who was assessed for ASD 2 years ago but was not given a diagnosis despite a previous initial assessment by Actions for Aspergers in school, that implied she demonstrated a combination of ASD traits that became heighten when she became anxious and depressed. She did get a diagnosis of GAD and now takes some medications to help with this. She was unable to take her GCSE's and left school before her exams, she went to Moulton College and passed her level 1 Animal welfare course but it was a daily struggle. She is a bright articulate, creative and  emapthetic teenager who loves animals and communicating online with a creative community that role play and write stories, draw characters and she also loves Dungeons and Dragons. She has just started the level 2 course at Moulton but has already began to find it difficult and overwhelming. I have signed up here to ask for some advice and look for some hope for her future education and career options.

thespiceman

Hello @sunflower71 Pleased to meet you welcome.

Thank you for joining thank you for sharing.

Have a look at our Talk about Specific Information and ASD.   Practical support and information. Education and learning.

Lots of advice, information from members there comments and experiences.

Hope that helps.

We are a supportive, friendly, community care and share.

Ask the community anything some one will know

Take care

@thespiceman

Ami2301

Hi @sunflower71
Welcome to the community! Would your daughter be interested in volunteering for an animal charity or maybe at a rescue centre as a companion for the animals

Sam_Alumni

Welcome to the community @sunflower71 I hope @melaniethorley will be along soon and be able to offer you some support.

You can also speak to the support to work team about advice on employment.

sunflower71

Thank you for the initial advice she did volunteer at a local animal rescue center but her anxiety and the uncomfortable feelings got the better of her, they were very understanding and said there would always be a role for her there when she feels ready. Thank you. Just spoken to Dr and now increasing her meds back to where they were in June and making contact with Prospects a careers advice service and Service Six both recommended by colleagues as places that can offer support in some way, also arranging appointments with her councilor from Action For Asperger's  charity. Think that is all I can do for now, as well as listening to her when she needs to unload, I know she holds it all in so as not to disappoint us. She said " I am lonely, wants friends to experience things with, fed up of living the life she has but dosen't have the motivation to make changes and the changes are the bits that she struggles with and become overwhelming". 

melaniethorley

Good afternoon sunflower71 and apologies for the delay in responding. The beginning of term is always ridiculously busy. I am sure the medication will take the edge off your daughter's anxiety. I work with many students who would not be able to complete their college and university without their medication. I am in the same situation - I would not be able to work or study without my antidepressants.

Hopefully, once her meds are stable, she can decide what she wants to do. There are so many options these days. There are a number of specialised colleges, some residential for students on the autisitc spectrum. You could try these links:

https://www.autism.org.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7aDJ4Imz3QIVGIjVCh3njAbCEAAYASAAEgL4-vD_BwE

https://www.autism.org.uk/services/nas-schools.aspx

Hope this helps. Your daughter is very welcome to juoin our STAART initiative which has social media she can tap into:

https://www.gre.ac.uk/for-schools/activities/accessibility-project

sunflower71

Thanks for the info but my daughter has no GCSE qualifications and has not been diagnosed with autism, despite having significant traits observed by staff and others who know her well. She is on the periphery of support and just has help with her depression and anxiety through medication, no therapy of any kind. She has access to  councilling from a local charity Action For Asperger's. While  attending a local college last year she passed an animal welfare course level 1 with entry level 3 functioning maths and some modules of the equivalent English course. So not ready for Uni or living away from home. Hope this clarifies her situation a little.