Teen with SEN - which course

[elfreda69]

My 18 yr is going into college this autumn. Like many youngsters with ASD he is a fantastic artist. He is very keen to undertake a course in Art, his teachers are also keen for him to pursue this. Art is really his passion and he is very much looking forward to doing the course.

My only concern is that for him to pursue a career in the arts he will need to be quite dynamic and and self motivated - and he is not.

I would love him to do something more practical, like painting and decorating. I think he is more likely to get a job in this field than in art. But he is so fixated on doing a course in art.

Unsure what to do. Advice welcome

[peekyboo]

Hum, well it can be good to have the practical skills but if he's on the spectrum, he may need some more time between now and when he is finally ready to join the workforce.
My son is doing Art and I can say that the course isn't a walk in the park. It has some academic work involved and they have to do elements of art they won't necessarily like or be interested in, so there is some discipline involved. But because it's all art based it is easier to take than doing a more intensive or practical course where they'll have little interest in anything.
I notice this is an older post so you may have resolved the problem by now, but if not I would say to try the art as it's a good way to get them into a more organised way of thinking about their talent and the teachers are usually good at putting across practical uses for art.

[Nat38]

What about painting murals on walls?? Surely there is some sort of job out there that incorporates some thing like that??
If he does his art course & then a painting & decorating course hell have a broader scope of jobs? He gets what he wants & youll know he has some sort of back up qualification as well