Massive amounts of anxiety. Help!

[Inaflap]

Flyingboy had his Annual Review yesterday. He's had a tricky time since my father died in March and has had a bit of a rollercaster ride. In year12 he was at school but supported by them in his level 1 course at college. This year, the school are running the Level 2 course in house. Flyingboy really wants to stay at school another year but they don't have the expertise to run a level 3 course and are not going to support students in college. They can't offer him anything more and actually the teachers and us think its time he moved on and this be his last year at school.

He's now gone into a puddle of anxiety. He went to an open day at college today and it seems that one to one support (that I think he might need particularly just at the start) isn't available. There is no support in the practicals (which he is good at). He also said that last year the behaviour of some of the other students was poor which he finds stressful and means he can't concetrate. He's putting up barriers left right and centre. We have anoter couple of horticultural colleges to look at (neither of the local or easy to get to). I'm almost thinking he would be better off working for somwhere.

I'm also wondering if he needs some medication for his anxiety, which is extreme at te mo. any suggestions gratefully received.

[Inaflap]

Bump. Still anxious. Him and me!

[nothinginthefridge]

inaflap I have no answers for you, but just to say that this is causing me a lot of worry even though DS2 is only in yr8. DS1 is currently in yr11 and is going through all the careers sort of stuff for college, and whilst helping DS1 along, in the back of my mind I'm thinking there is no way DS2 will cope with any of this. So you must be really stressed, and I'm sorry you are both finding it tough.

Hope someone comes along to give you some support.

[EllenJaneisstillnotmyname]

Oh dear, I wish I could help as well, but bumping for you.

[Ineedalife]

Hi inaflap,

I dont know if this will help you but my Dd2 has just gone to college, she is not very academic and is dyslexic.

Her college is totally vocational and so far we have been very impressed. The groups are small and support with written work is definitely available. There is a massive variety of courses available.

Am honking for you.

Good luck

[Inaflap]

Thank you. The thing is, if he is positive then he can achieve and will cope but if he is negative and thinks that support won't be available then he's going to have heebie jeebies and its all going to go pear shaped. I'm going to quiz two other agricultural colleges. The problem as well is thathis handwriting is crap so he might need a scribe for note taking. I wasn't exactly impressed by the college he went to. They made him do entry level functional skills at level 1 when he has entry 3 gcse
, far higher. No one seemed to bother that he and others in the group had way better qualifications from year11 and they were also not very pro active following the death of his grandfather. I can understand his trepidation.

I've seen locally that there are loads of volunteering opportunities in gardening so I think I might get him doing that in the hols or at weekends and then he might be able to find himself a little job.

[Ineedalife]

I would definitely talk to some more colleges, it sounds as if the one he attended before didnt really float his boat, or meet his needs.

I think a weekend or holiday job would be great but dont give up on the college idea, there are good ones out there. The one Dd2 goes to definitely provide scribes because Dd2's friend has one.

Good luck