DD floundering in college, can anyone help?

[QuickFetchTheCoffee]

DD was struggling to do her course, not only the part in college (because it is mainly group work and she is skitty and anxious around groups of people) but also struggled to understand what was expected from homework and how to get what she wants to say organised and into words.

She has asked to change from the Level 3 to a Level 2 course in a different subject (Computing) but to do this she's been asked to do two assignments to assess how good her English skills are and whether she'd be suited to the subject.

Trouble is, she's not invested in this new subject At All, has no knowledge to draw on so has to research what to write... and the whole issue rears it's head again. She doesn't have any idea how to approach the assignment or how much/what detail to include.

She is autistic, dyspraxic and has several hypermobile joints (so not very physically fit, also includes fingers so handwriting illegible), has some hearing impairment, and a bunch of other issues.
But she is also very bright and got good GCSE results so people expect a lot.
During a meeting with her original tutor we decided she should do a Level 2 course plus some extra curricular with support to improve her social skills and confidence, but meeting with the potential new tutor they have said she may not be able to do Level 2 as she doesn’t need to resit English or Maths, as it wouldn't be enough hours.

Can anyone help with a bit of knowledge of her options if we can't find a suitable full time course?

Then she is not an L2 student. Try the other college, this one is not suitable for her

It really is that simple. Their suggestions are not in her best interests, if they cannot offer her anything better then they cannot meet her needs in any way at all.

What does she want to do at 18? That might be key to choosing her next steps. Doing a level 2 in a subject she isn't interested in and is choosing because that's all there is will not be very inspiring and may see her just give up.

Plenty of students do level 1 and 2 in technical subjects, despite having good GCSE's, because they have to (motor mechanics or hairdressing for example - you can't just start at level 3), education if free if started before they turn 19 - so if she started level 3 at 17 it would be fully funded for 2 years.

Has she looked at the BTEC Level 3 extended diploma in science? Does that appeal. A levels might be a decent alternative but really she needs to be supported to complete her work. Does she have a laptop? Vocal soft wear, scribe support in exams etc - all would help with the hand writing issues, and academic support out side of lessons (most colleges have staff available to book with for 1-1's) - she sounds like she needs to careers guidance to help her focus

Kids just doing college/courses 'because' tend not to be the most motivated

@ghostyslovesheets thank you, all good suggestions. One of her alternatives was the BTEC in Applied Science but its at the Sixth Form college further away and she chose the closer college because they do three days a week rather than spreading the lessons over a five day week with lots of unstructured time (which she hates) in between. I think I will just have to discuss this with them.

Forgot to add... she doesn't know what she wants to do at 18/19, she thinks University but I can't see it happening (two years can change a person though!).

@QuickFetchTheCoffee please don’t be shocked by the link. The hyper mobility making writing difficult struck a chord with me. There are ring splints that may help https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/community-resources/ring-splints-for-ehlers-danlos-syndrome-hypermobility-spectrum-disorders/#1655293831784-d783ee3b-6646

How to structure assignments a simple approach:

• Introduction - a short explanation of what the assignment is about. She may find it easier to write this last.
• Body - break into sub sections with headings. This will be the longest part and include research, data etc. to back up what she has found
• Conclusion - summarise what she has found and depending on the assignment make recommendations.
• References - it is good practice to reference sources e.g. a bibliography or these days a list of websites.

If your DD Google’s assignment on xyz there are usually examples - make sure she understands plagiarism and only copies the structure not the content.

She definitely need so careers guidance - did she get any in school? If science and maths are subjects she enjoys then start there - looking at careers related to these.

Careers in science - BBC Bitesize

Science and research | Explore careers (nationalcareers.service.gov.uk)

Science Careers List | Careers with STEM

Home - Maths Careers

Why on earth isn't she doing A levels? And why are you thinking about her doing a Level 2? She needs you and college to support her executive function (planning homework etc) not doing a dumbed down curriculum. With grade 9s she shouldn't find Maths Physics Chemistry/computing A level particularly difficult. But she will need you to go through what homework is set and when it is due and to plan when she does it every night.

Agree with those GCSE grades A levels looks more suitable than BTEC, and certainly than BTEC L2.

You don't need to wait for a school/college to help you with applying for an EHCP, we applied for one for DD in y12. The SEN board here on MN are very helpful, but the bar to getting an assessment is relatively low.

Also for A levels it isn't just about homework, she will need help identifying what additional work she needs to do to keep up.

@Sisterpita we've looked at those but she has such slim fingers we weren't sure if they'd fit! Tried the cheaper elasticated ones and they were much too wide for her.

She isn't doing A-Levels because she chose a BTEC hoping it would be different to school where everyone pressured her so much that she was close to burnout at by GCSE time and I had to tell the school she was coming home to revise not doing it in school.
At home she did a little revision but concentrated on keeping herself mentally well (ie calm enough to go to the exams to get the grades that made her seem so capable).

I'm the parent of a dyspraxic young man at university now - he's doing a sound eng/music production degree with a specialist university. (I have his permission to share his story as he feels that it's important for people to hear it/his experience)

I offer up our experience of how he progressed through FE - it wasn't a linier progression. Basically he started a BTEC L3 Eng Dip with an added physics A-level. He was academically able, but both emotionally and organisationally behind where his peers were at this age.

We had several meetings with his year tutor and the senco - where he was assured that he would get appropriate scaffolding with a mentor to enable him to skill up in study and time management and the other soft skills like structuring assignments ect.

Unfortunately the promised support didn't happen as the year tutor left and then the senco lead also left in term two, We attended parent's evening in the March and were assured that he was on track and able. In April we were called into an emergency meeting to say that he's not handed in any assignments and that he's be failing the year if he didn't submit them at the end of the Easter break. We looked at the outstanding work and we thought that he wouldn't be able to do that.

Luckily all young people in FE get 3 years to complete the L3 qual, so he decided that he wanted to leave this college and start again. We kept him in the college for the summer term, tried to get some of the coursework done and he re-took his GCSE English (Oh, yeah - he's got dyslexic traits too) Anyway long story short - he applied for a music arts diploma ~ same level/style as a BTEC and he completed it gaining a merit. This time he declared his learning difference to his tutors and asked for the accommodations he needed.

In uni a similar thing happened - he failed his first year because he decided that his disability was too trivial for him to access the Disabled Students Award, but after a disastrous first 6 months he accepted my help to apply. He was awarded some software and crucially mentoring. He's passed the first year second time around. It's taken him a long time to find acceptance in his heart of his learning differences. Intellectually, he knew there was a problem, but he'd internalised the "not good enough" mantra that was fed him subtilty at school. He's now entering his second year with a much more balanced view of himself and his abilities.

I hope you find a way through this - college and university are not easy to navigate when ND

@jlpartnerrs thank you for sharing your son's story, yes it does help to know there are ways through it and they're not necessarily the straight path that the lucky few find themselves on.

So has she still been attending the course she first started?

@LynetteScavo no she hasn't been attending the first course still. It really wasn't working.

Update: She managed to submit one of the two assignments and yesterday the Computing team gave us a response. DD is going to meet with the Level 2 tutor and the Department Head on Monday. She is allowed to do Level 2 Computing (she got more interested in it while doing the assignment which I hoped), they are going to do some bespoke units with her to make up the hours because presumably they agree that she needs to be in college. This year will be to focus on improving social skills and independent working.
I've contacted an organisation to help me get DD an EHCP.
I've contacted her GP asking if there's a possibility DD might also have ADD but while she was very dismissive she did tell me DD hasn't been discharged from CAMHS so I could also ask them about it and get her some other help while I'm at it.

I also spoke to someone from the Sixth Form college and they told me Science BTEC is full, and she is doubtful that DD would cope with three A-Levels and catching up at this point. They gave her another option utilising adult education (IT skills, employability skills etc) if this all falls through.
Also if hours need to be made up to full time apparently you can home educate starting after 16 if the young person has SEND.

Also spoke to someone about getting her assistance to do assignments in college rather than at home, helping with structure if needed and staying focused, so that's going to be organised (goodness knows why it had to happen after she left the first course though).

Good update OP, well done.