16 year old...autistic..aspergers..etc etc..advice please for home schooling..college..

Good to see some insight into the college system. I think though it varies a lot, and your college sounds pretty switched on to disability support, from the provisions you describe.

I think a lot of colleges fall well short of this. Concern should apply to both secondary colleges and Further Education colleges, and to Universities.  Towards the latter end teaching staff cannot talk to parents because the contract is with the student and it breaches confidentiality. Support staff may be able to talk to parents.

The other thing is what is communicated between the disability support team and the tutor/lecturer working directly with the student. This remains problemmatic. Because of the Social Model a lot of universities try to work on the principle that disability support sorts out the reasonable adjustments, and the teaching staff shouldn't need to get involved.

It just doesn't work that way and invariably leads to disaster. Teaching staff are not just going into a teaching room and talking, they are often in one-to-one roles and they are assessors (marking coursework). In the latter I've seen so many strategies where the markers get bald instructions about allowances for a given student as if that is all the marker needs to know.

Students often assume their teachers know their problems when even internally that information is only passed on on a need to know basis, and the information the teacher gets may be very uninformative. This leads to very strange discussions between tutor and teacher.

Quiet places are rare, and privacy to unwind even rarer. Amnazing the number of colleges and universities that put up an area of seats in a busy corridor as a designated "quiet place". Or seats outside are used by smokers. Or that hardly used room supposedly set aside is where staff go to eat their sandwiches, or where a class is taken to when there's a double booking.  Another daft thing is the designated refuge in event of fire is also the designated quiet place when these are often next to the fire alarm.

On the student retention side of things these days resources are tight and many institutions are thinking time lost chasing after disabled students is less time trying to keep the majority enrolled. And despite all the scare stories few colleges have been prosecuted or sued for failing to support a disabled student. So provisions hard won are now unravelling.

Good though that you've demonstrated how a good college responds.

Hi Jane - I'm new here, but thought I'd comment as I actually work in a college teaching 16-19 year olds, many of whom come to us with a wide range of needs. I totally agree with the previous poster, the system is failing our kids and college support can be patchy. What subject would your kid be studying, if you don't mind me asking? Learning support, as suggested, can be really helpful. 

Also - communicate clearly and often with your child's college tutor. I have encountered parents who won't speak with me at all about their child, and that makes it awfully hard to support them. Don't assume that school will have passed on all the info - schools (at least in our area) are really bad at passing on information, you must do this yourself. 

Arrange to meet with the tutor, and the curriculum leader too if possible - we do this where I work and it basically means myself and my boss are aware of the issues that the child has. Offer to support the child in working at home if there are days where they are not up to attending, but little and often with attendance can be important rather than big chunks of non attendance. 

See if your college has a quiet area where you're child can go if they are overwhelmed and need to calm down. This can be really useful for students on the spectrum, who are overwhelmed by lots of people. 

Colleges don't want to lose students, for the simple and unpleasant reason that they are penalised for poor retention. So if the college can see that you are committed to working with them in getting your child settled, that can only be a good thing. Also, if you are working with CAMHS to look for new strategies for non attendance, make sure the college know this. 

I hope at least some of this has been useful. Good luck and don't give up.

Kat.xx

I don't know if you guys with school refusers have seen the other recent threads about kids who have dropped out of college and become recluses?

Home school may be a short term strategy but it really shows, in my eyes at least, that something has gone wrong and that problem needs to be sorted. Taking a refuser and sending him to college without sorting out his problems is not likely to go smoothly. College can be better than school in some ways but it is also a major disrpution and support and assistance from colleges can be patchy or non-existant.

I have a 15 year old Autistic son non attender of school spent his whole school life in main stream. Managed 67% attendance last year. Since start of new school year (his final year I have got him in maybe 5 days if that. I am absolutely terrified he will leave school with nothing and the school have been little help if non to be honest. I too am looking for help with home tutoring for him for his last few monhs of high school. He is incredibly clever and still prodicted B grades but due to lack of attendance i dont even think i will get him to attend the exams. He wants to go to college i hope you don't mind me watching this thread and i will add to it where I can to tell you if his school or CaMHS have sorted anything. As I have asked CAMHS for some support with this. Ideally i think he needs a home tutor and to sit his exams at home. I am really hoping i havent run out of time for him. I have only just had his diagnosis and although a sad moment also an intense relief. Just dont want his intelligence to be missed because of a piece of paper. 

Hi Pogleswood,

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Sofie Mod

Hi Jane,

I have a 16 yr old too & would love to know more about where to go next. Do you mind me asking what area you live ? I'm North West.

I'll follow this thread & maybe learn something that will help my daughter too.

best wishes,

Jane 

My daughter (18 in Jan 2016) has really struggled through college. my advice would be to really check out the colleges Learning Support - My daughters college have bben brilliant, but she still struggles with attendance. It really depends on their willingness to attend, how learning support can help - never be afraid to ask. It can work but depends on so many things.