Newbie of 18 year old diagnosed son

My son is not doing so well at the moment. He has tried 3 college courses up to now, which have all gone wrong due to he suffers from severe depression which can last for 3 months, and then he swings to a manic phase. There is no inbetween mood for him. It was also due to the tutors at all the colleges total lack of understanding of autism. They all claim to understand, but when it all goes wrong they are quick to blame my son, and not themselves. He joined an employment agency for people like himself, but he refuses to go on any of the couses, as he says he is not like the other people. He still needs to accept he has ASD, and this is one of the consequences of him being diagnosed late. He did have atrial at a shop, but he was so quiet and introverted, and couldn't concentrate, he didn't get the job. The prblems we are having as well are the fact that he wants to go out with friends and drink,etc, but he cannot keep up with them socially.  

Hi Frazzle.  I am interested to find out how you are helping your son into the big bad world of work out there?  I recently )in a business I was doing some consultancy work for) met a lovely lad aged 22.  He had passed fairly easily through the college and University System with his high fuctioning ASD (Aspergers) and yet when it came to work experiences his expereinces had knocked his confidence so hard he had had to spend alot of time at home in his room before trying work experience once more. I think we all need to think about the system of supporting into work people with ASD as it is completely different to say a physical disability and indeed can often be complex and also come with physical support needs as well.  I have worked througout the welfare to work system for many years and simply have not met or worked with others who have the faintest understanding of ASD - admittedly even myself initially!  As I have a son with ASD this has totally transformed the way I think and act and has given me a great awareness of ASD.  I am looking into becoming a licensed Early Bird Practitioner to help those who come into contact with young people with ASD but feel the careers service need to have some awareness training and continuous professional development training and assessment of their skills in ASD awareness.

Hi Frazzle.  I am interested to find out how you are helping your son into the big bad world of work out there?  I recently )in a business I was doing some consultancy work for) met a lovely lad aged 22.  He had passed fairly easily through the college and University System with his high fuctioning ASD (Aspergers) and yet when it came to work experiences his expereinces had knocked his confidence so hard he had had to spend alot of time at home in his room before trying work experience once more. I think we all need to think about the system of supporting into work people with ASD as it is completely different to say a physical disability and indeed can often be complex and also come with physical support needs as well.  I have worked througout the welfare to work system for many years and simply have not met or worked with others who have the faintest understanding of ASD - admittedly even myself initially!  As I have a son with ASD this has totally transformed the way I think and act and has given me a great awareness of ASD.  I am looking into becoming a licensed Early Bird Practitioner to help those who come into contact with young people with ASD but feel the careers service need to have some awareness training and continuous professional development training and assessment of their skills in ASD awareness.

15 years of non-assistance and confusion, welcome Frazzle. Early 40's until diagnosed. CAN WE SUE the local health authority for damages, bet you could in America.

hi frazzle - welcome to the site.  There's lots of info here - via the home page and/or the posts so just ask anything you want.  How's your son doing?