My son is not an academic achiever. With an enormous amount of support he has made Bs and Cs in high school. Without the support he has failed. He has struggled his entire academic career. I don’t think he can do college. He could if he desperately wanted it, but the desire is not there and I believe he is just tired of working so hard. Truthfully, I understand. I have researched many of the colleges mentioned here that are known for special ed support and I don’t understand why anyone would pay 25,000 dollars a year and more for an associate program that trains for a minimum wage career. Perhaps there is something I am missing. Does anyone have any recommendation for trades that someone with a winning personality, poor motor skills, stuttering, and a low normal IQ could master that would also support an independent life that has more potential than the working poor. I am looking for ideas.
ideas other than college
I would take the 100,000 bucks you would otherwise spend on his college education, and use it to buy a small business. Think of something along the lines of a laundromat or a dry cleaning establishment.
speical gifts?
What is a child has no special gift? My child is very special to me and I see many wonderous qualities that the casual observer may not see, but special gifts - no. Maybe the most a child has to offer is a winning personality. I think the “special gift” is one of the many myths that are perpetuated to make people feel better. I have had people insist that my child must be brillant in something because he is so severly LD, I wish this is true, but it is nonsense.
good luck!
I love the winning personality and with one, one can’t go wrong in life. I’m particularly impressed that though he stutters, his winning personality comes through.
I think too many people go on to college these days costing their families too much money for too little return on it. I applaud your decision.
We all start somehow so rather than think of what he does first as what he does last, I’d just focus on helping him find a job he might enjoy for a while and where he could use that winning personality.
good luck!
Re: ideas other than college
Start with small circles and spiral outward.
Start with asking some friends or associates at your church or any other community or social outlets (a book club even) if they know someone who need s a hand. Then spiral out to store owners that you patronize, if they would give your son a shot at working around the store. Hardware stores may be good. That winning personality may land him a managers job or better, as one poster suggested he can develop hands on skills that would let him run his own business.
There are other routs to sucess other than the main stream.
Best to you all.
Aside from the “winning personality” what are his strengths? WHat would that winning personality enable him to do? How are his organizational skills?
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