Re: What Happens After High School?

[Guest guest]

Great news, Pam!

Roxanna

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

Re: ( ) What Happens After High School?

My 19 year old with Asperger's has also completed his first year of community college. He did well overall. He picked and signed up for a few classes that didn't work out. He seems to enjoy the fact that he can "pick and choose" what interests him. Seems that he is leaning towards Psychology. He got a part time job in April and that has worked out very well for him. It is at a hotel and he sets up and breaks down rooms in preparation for events. He is also in a band (plays drums) and they have just recorded and produced their second cd with a producer in Boston. I feel overall my son is doing well. He does not have his license to drive yet but admits he is not ready for it. There has been a lot of maturity within the past year though. Pam

In a message dated 7/19/2010 11:54:06 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, PLBarrettcomcast (DOT) net writes:

Hi, I am new to this list and have a bit of a different scenario of college:

Our oldest son is in college now... he has had the diagnosis of Asperger's since 3rd grade. He has had a one-to-one aid with him since the middle of second grade for focus and safety. He was without an aid a couple of times, but just wasn't able to self manage well enough to get an education. He is very lucky to have a high IQ and live in an area that offered services to meet his needs. He worked very hard (complaining all the way) in OT, speech throughout HS in pragmatics. He has had play therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, etc. He still takes medications to help him succeed.

He has made it through the first year with many successes. He falls through yet another crack, and there are not many services to help at the college level for him. He does not qualify for service through the regional center... so I am still working with teachers/professors behind the scenes (with my son's written permission) to get him through. I even took one class with him and it was starteling to see how his disabilities are so present in class.

He would like a part-time job, but was not a very willing participant in the Workability Program the Department of Rehabilitation assigned him to.... and they deemed him unemployable in 3 short days.... so we are trying to find an appropriate service that will help him become more employable.

Just to complicate his existence, in his opinion, his younger brothers who turn 18 in a couple of weeks have autism and are non-verbal.... that's a whole different story.

Pam B.

( ) What Happens After High School?

I have never posted anything before but want to share information with parents who have children graduating high school soon. Our son Nick has Aspergers; a learning disability in math and a low IQ along with symptoms of OCD. He went through our public school system as a regular student with remedial help. When Nick began his senior year we started worrying about what he would do after school. My husband started researching universities that have "special programs". Let me tell you there aren't many. He visited one in Illinois and was very impressed, so he kept looking. In February of his senior year he & Nick visited Eastern New Mexico University at Roswell. My husband was impressed with the director's compassion and her assurance that their program would help him two ways: 1. He would leave with a job skill and 2. He would learn to live on his own. At that point Nick had never spent more than a week away from us and to decide to send him over 1,400 miles away to schoo l was a little unnerving to say the least. But we applied and in August of 2007 we put him on a plane (something else he had never done on his own) that would land in Dallas. He would then have to transfer to the plane that would take him to Roswell. I would be kidding if I said he made it entirely on his own, or that he wasn't neurotic about doing that, but he called his dad and my husband who flies a lot walked him through every step of the way. The first year he lived in a dorm-like setting and took the stock & inventory program. Our hope was when he finished he would be able to find employment at someplace like Wal-Mart or Sam's in our home town. Fast forward to today. He asked to do a third year and the Ace Hardware he did a practicum at has hired him, and he and his first year roommate now live in an apartment on campus. They are responsible for buying groceries and keeping their apartment clean. They must pass weekly checks in order to keep their privileges. He ha s made the Dean's list every semester which has helped him to have faith in himself. When he returns home next year my husband & I are certain he will find a suitable job and eventually be able to live on his own. My point in sharing this information is to say, there is life after high school! If anyone would like the list of the three schools we found please let me know.