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Where can I go now?

Amy

Hello

I am diagnosed with Autism. I was diagnosed in december 2011 when I was 15. With diagnosis a list of things that would help me was sent to my school. However 1 months after I was diagnosed I was 16 and suddenly this list was irrelevent. Things such as Speach and Language therapy and everything else on the list never happend because in my area when you are 16 all childs services stop and I suddenly do not need the help I needed a month ago. (or so I was told-everything is very confusing to me!) 

I moved up to collage in September 2012 and having not been diagnosed long school casually ignored my diagnoses and did not help me in any way all the way through my GCSE exams. It proved that having a diagnosis did not change anything as for years they said with no diagnosis they can not asses me for having any learning support needs. My diagnosis came from a unrelated place and they managed to ignore it for 6 months and send me off to collage which of course is the natural route for any 'normal' (yes I do hate that word but I am required to use it here) people.

4 months later and I am really struggling. I never wanted to leave school but my school having no 6th form and my age ment I have no choice-even now I would happily start year 7 again tommorow if I could. Ever since I arrived at collage it has been hard. All these promised things to help me ajust and settled in did not happen and indeed I was given a completly different tutor on the first day (when I had met my tutor once so at least I knew him-it was supposed to have been more) who of course knew nothing about me and made the day really hard! The rest of the days have not been much better.

Almost as soon as I started I started looking for alternative places to go disliking where I am so much. They apparently now give me all the support they can which is deffinatly not enough. I get 1 hour 1-2-1 a week with a learning support assistant who specialsises in English. (when I am studdying Maths, Sciences and Geography-he knows nothing and makes me teach him which I find really pointless and unhelpful. He also gives me really  mixed messages because he thinks he knows what he's talkin about when he doesnt) A local school specialising in Autism say I should get at least 14 hours 1-2-1 a week and would have done if diagnosed earlier and I went to that school. Although clearly my collage will not provide this, so I need to go somewhere with more support. 

Recently I went to visit a really specialist collage for people with all kinds of disabilities. I found their website months ago and found they run 4 courses. 1 of these is even called the 'ASC Course' and specificly for people with Autism Spectrum Condition. So 'perfect' I thought-that is what I need, I really want to go there. But the person showing me and my mum round did not agree. He said after getting the GCSE's I have and starting at a mainstreem collage I would not get into the special collage. Also he decided I have no communication issues or learning dificulty/disabilty. I thought this was really unfair having spent less than an hour with me. During this time I did not speak although did point and make some noises when we walked round. It was all very new and I was scared. When he said that I was too scared to speak and disagree with him, so as I will always do I will go very quiet and people just never understand-even this person at a specialist collage. I felt really disapointed and let down.  

Before I went I was also informed by my social worker (who is specialist in children with disabilities) that the collage would not have a course sutible for me (clearly a lie-even I know they do from the website) and a connexions advisor said that I would not get funding and be unable to go. Although we went to visit anyway and just got more bad news. I feel so stuck and alone. It just feels like I have no future because I can not get the support I need to succeed-but I succeded too much at GCSE with no support. 

I am now only doing 2 subjects from my origional 4 after I refuced to go to all but Geography lessons before Christmas and have now started Physics again. I am not optimistic I will succeed highly in any of these-but apparently I will because I really love Geography. According to the collage that makes me succed when I get SO confused in lessons and do not understand tasks so do not do them and the teacher goes to fast so I  miss things or get mixed up all the time. I have similar problems in Physics but I just keep going in because I have to. I feel constantly unhapy but what can I do when noone listens to me?

If anyone knows of anywhere else I could try because I can not stay where I am now and I can not go to the special collage. Please let me know because I just feel trapped.

Amy 

Parents

  • Amy, 

    Based on what you are saying, it does sound as if the current college is not the right place for you because you feel so let down by them that even if they were to make changes, it would be difficult to forget the past.  So I think you are right to look for another college.  Knowing you had ASD, people there SHOULD have kept an extra eye on you when you started to see how it was going and check up on you periodically to make sure there weren't problems.  This clearly has NOT taken place, so you have been let down.

    However, longer term, based on what you are saying about getting on better "online", I can suggest what you could do after college.

    1. Open University.  To be honest, as you are going to be 18 and this will give you recognizable qualifications, you could do this one instead of college. You don't have to do a degree if you don't want, but as the courses are "university" level, they could help you find employment later.  Their level 1 courses do not assume people have A levels and are there to help those who haven't been in education for years to get back into it.  They also have taster courses to try to see if it is suitable for you. This being said it is NOT free.

    2. Things such as Coursera, Udacity, and edEx which are completely free.  However many employers will not recognize certificaes earned because they do not know what it is. However, you can learn a lot for free int he areas you are interested in. 

    I am sorry that you have been so let down by society.  And I really think you have.  Social services have not made sure you understand the changes or given you the service you desreve.  Whoever your case worker is clearly does not understand ASD as keeping you informed would keep you less stressed.

    It sounds as if many NT people in your life are not communicating to you in an ASD friendly way.  And that is what is causing your discomfort at college.  Make sure when you go to your next college you let them know what went wrong this time around.  That way they will know that the interventions are necessary and not just say all of the right things and do none of them.  

Reply

  • Amy, 

    Based on what you are saying, it does sound as if the current college is not the right place for you because you feel so let down by them that even if they were to make changes, it would be difficult to forget the past.  So I think you are right to look for another college.  Knowing you had ASD, people there SHOULD have kept an extra eye on you when you started to see how it was going and check up on you periodically to make sure there weren't problems.  This clearly has NOT taken place, so you have been let down.

    However, longer term, based on what you are saying about getting on better "online", I can suggest what you could do after college.

    1. Open University.  To be honest, as you are going to be 18 and this will give you recognizable qualifications, you could do this one instead of college. You don't have to do a degree if you don't want, but as the courses are "university" level, they could help you find employment later.  Their level 1 courses do not assume people have A levels and are there to help those who haven't been in education for years to get back into it.  They also have taster courses to try to see if it is suitable for you. This being said it is NOT free.

    2. Things such as Coursera, Udacity, and edEx which are completely free.  However many employers will not recognize certificaes earned because they do not know what it is. However, you can learn a lot for free int he areas you are interested in. 

    I am sorry that you have been so let down by society.  And I really think you have.  Social services have not made sure you understand the changes or given you the service you desreve.  Whoever your case worker is clearly does not understand ASD as keeping you informed would keep you less stressed.

    It sounds as if many NT people in your life are not communicating to you in an ASD friendly way.  And that is what is causing your discomfort at college.  Make sure when you go to your next college you let them know what went wrong this time around.  That way they will know that the interventions are necessary and not just say all of the right things and do none of them.  

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