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Hi from mum in Scotland with 15yr old

MrsBoo

Hello all,

I have a 15 yr old son in S4 who has fairly recently been finally formally diagnosed with Aspergers. It's been a long battle, but now we are facing an even bigger one... his exams! Let alone the fact that his year group is the first to sit the new style! He is really testing my patience (hence my cry for help/advice) as is so stressed out with the pressure of the coursework & impending exams. His approach now is to simply switch off & refuse to do anything! Is there anyone out there who has recently been through this & can reassure me that qualifications are not the be all & end all??! He absolutely loves engineering & was lucky enough to get a work experience at Rolls Royce which he loved & did well at (no surprises there), but I fear he will not get the grades required (definitely not in English) in order to do any further engineering course (after doing S5) or apply for an apprenticeship. He would leave school tomorrow if he had the choice as the thought alone of having to write an essay, even on science for part of his final exam grade is too much.

Thanks in advance & sorry for the rant Embarassed

Parents

  • As Longman says English isn't usually a critical requirement in Engineering jobs (more often added by the HR department to tick thier boxes!). I also agree that the norm is a noisy shared office with constantly conflicting demands, not the favoured environment for an Aspie (usually). Engineering's advantage is that it feeds the endless curiosity and love of logic which at least keeps the grey matter usefully occupied.

    We run an apprenticeship scheme at our works and I am very impressed at how well it works. The emphasis is on gradual learning both on the job and at college. The engineering courses all build up in stages and you can follow it through to a masters or further with the support of your employer. The other advantage is that it allows those who struggle with exams to shine through. That way when you finish the apprenticeship you're not viewed as a list of pass grades but as a valuable member of the team.

    I did an apprenticeship myself and then followed up with a degree. I feel that the apprenticeship was by far the more rewarding route and the degree was little more than a painful paperwork exercise with little value compared to the apprenticeship.

    I know that doesn't really help in the current situation but I would have to say that when we interview folks the thing that stands out to an engineer is if the person is interested and eager to learn. Most other things can be sorted out along the way.

    Dunk

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  • As Longman says English isn't usually a critical requirement in Engineering jobs (more often added by the HR department to tick thier boxes!). I also agree that the norm is a noisy shared office with constantly conflicting demands, not the favoured environment for an Aspie (usually). Engineering's advantage is that it feeds the endless curiosity and love of logic which at least keeps the grey matter usefully occupied.

    We run an apprenticeship scheme at our works and I am very impressed at how well it works. The emphasis is on gradual learning both on the job and at college. The engineering courses all build up in stages and you can follow it through to a masters or further with the support of your employer. The other advantage is that it allows those who struggle with exams to shine through. That way when you finish the apprenticeship you're not viewed as a list of pass grades but as a valuable member of the team.

    I did an apprenticeship myself and then followed up with a degree. I feel that the apprenticeship was by far the more rewarding route and the degree was little more than a painful paperwork exercise with little value compared to the apprenticeship.

    I know that doesn't really help in the current situation but I would have to say that when we interview folks the thing that stands out to an engineer is if the person is interested and eager to learn. Most other things can be sorted out along the way.

    Dunk

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