My daughter has a mild learning disability - what careers could she go for?

[bookworm8500]

Hi
One of my children, age 13, has a mild learning disability due to her birth (she was prem). You'd never know it to talk to her, but academically, she is so so behind. She was diagnosed with this when she was 10 through all the proper channels. Her IQ is on the highest end for diagnosis. She has the most wonderful sense of humour, she's kind, she's courageous (she's now T1 diabetic as well) and she's the most wonderful sister.

She is brilliant at football. She plays for a premier league academy, but of course the chance of that being a career is 1 in a million.

Everything is about grades and we have to be honest, she's unlikely to pass many GCSEs with a decent grade. I simply cannot stand her to be judged in this way when she can offer so much. As it stands, she knows she finds school hard but she's not worried about it as she loves all the sports she can do there! I don't know how much longer that will work as she enters GCSE years and becomes acutely aware of how much she struggles and how low her grades her.

What type of jobs and careers could she go for? It keeps me up at night worrying about her.

Have a look at college courses, there are plenty of practical ones which prepare kids for jobs which can provide them with a long and stable career. Maybe look at catering, childcare or beauty therapy.

My DD sounds similar. Through lots of support from school and hard work on her part she scraped a level 5 English and level 4 maths plus passes is music 4 and food tech 5 and childcare 4. She also passed maths functional skills in case she failed her GCSE.

She is now studying policing at level three at college. Friends with similar kids have done health and social care courses and gone on to get employment. Another one did a uniformed services course and is now applying to work for Border force.

https://www.tmc.ac.uk/courses/caring-children-0/

https://www.tmc.ac.uk/courses/culinary-skills-0/

Like these ^

She might find a career ladder in the healthcare professions, someone who goes in and is a great team member can progress through workplace training.

If she likes sport could she work at a leisure centre? There are qualified fitness instructors, but if that's too academic maybe as a coach or general instructor/lifeguard?

Might be worth getting her volunteering experience at a club if that's something she night be interested in.

What does she want to be?

My son has ASD and learning disability... left special school with no GCSEs although he is very bright in specific ways (near photographic memory). He did a mencap supported placement, and after that applied to ASDA with my help... and he has been working there full time for nearly 8 years(checkout), is brilliant at it, their most reliable worker, and has more savings than I will ever have
In theory he could become a manager, he often trains others, but he is too anxious for that. But his lack of GCSEs have not held him back at all. I might have thought 'oh just works in a supermarket' once upon a time, but now realise how lucky he has to a) have a job when the odds were stacked against him and b) how ASDA are actually very decent employers and genuinely value him!!!!

There will be many things she can do :)

fitness instructor/football coach/lifeguard/swimming teacher/outdoor pursuits instructor etc? Careers where you can start as as assistant and gain your stripes by doing the job rather than by virtue of exam certificates? There will be college courses/apprenticeships for young people who don't have strings of GCSE passes. Maybe even the armed forces if you're comfortable with that?

Look at something vocational if she's not academic

It's far too early to be worrying, there will be all kinds of new jobs that don't even exist yet by the time she's in her early 20s.

It sounds like she'd enjoy being a volunteer coach for something sports-related if nothing else. One of my friends teaches dance classes at weekends, there are lots of places that will rent space, maybe the same is true of tennis courts etc where she could coach for money, or personal training if she gets into that when she's older.

Sport is such a community, there must be someone local who can take her under their wing with a view to progressing into something. If nothing else maybe there's a sports ground in your nearest city where she could get a job in hospitality or something with a view to working her way up.

When she's a bit older it may be worth contacting a few places, I know Wimbledon and such look for young people for ball "boys" etc over the summer.

I was going to suggest this OP - and please don't just stick to 'traditionally female' vocational routes - for example, the construction industry is crying out for new people and she'll do really well as she has physical fitness and a lot of resilience to get stuck in. She'll run rings round them ;)

Hair, catering, caring, child care..the list is endless

This.

My daughter is an artist. She gets a lot of commissioned work from places like Lush. There are agencies and organisations that support learning disabled artists and I’m sure this is the case in other fields. Her boyfriend runs the social media for a charity, again with some support. There are lots of options out there.

My DC works for a charity that organises supported placements and training in catering and hospitality for adults with various degrees of learning disabilities. The end goal is for the supported adults to become employable and employed in jobs in the industry.

They're currently thinking about a link up next year with another charity that runs a sports ground & café.

I'd be happy to provide further info if it sounds like the sort of thing your DD might be interested in.

Look at your local college to see what they offer. Just within ‘Sports and Outdoor Education’ a local college has multiple Level 2 and Level 3 options.

Equally they have preparation routes for students who leave school with v few qualifications, aiming to get them ready to access more standard vocational courses after a year.

You may need to travel to get to a decent college with a wide range of options, though.

Catering surely is is too stressful.

Why ?
there are may levels of work in catering. She doesn’t have to run the pass in a Michelin starred place.

What's she interested in?

If she loves sports can she do some sports coaching qualifications (most can be started at 14) and get herself into volunteering etc.

Ideally if academically she's struggling but has skills you need to find the route into those using her strengths. That may be practical learning, small courses, non academic qualifications.

She should also be supported to achieve her best and have reasons AOE adjustments. So if reading is an issue then a reader for exams if she can understand the information in a a verbal form better. Same with writing and a scribe. Extra time etc.

Plenty of jobs don't require academic qualifications if these are honestly out of reach for her. But with apprenticeship etc nowadays there will be other routes into employment.

Also worthwhile bearing in mind if she isn't likely to complete a level 3 course by 19 you can get her an ehcp and she can stay in education until she's 25.

You say that her difficulties aren’t apparent when you speak to her, so I’m assuming you mean that she’s generally switched on and has good soft skills and social skills, just isn’t really a book learner?

I’m in insurance. A significant proportion of our trainee intake for claims and consumer duty every year are school leavers who are perfectly capable and great with stakeholders, just not necessarily good at classroom style teaching or exams. It’s an interesting line of work, with good career prospects, and rewards those with strong skills in communication and focus. There are also lots of opportunities to work closely alongside people of all ages and levels of experience and seniority and learn on the job, which I think is really beneficial for young people.

Don’t let her disability define her.

push for functional skills courses to be offered if needed. They are hugely important courses for young people - managing money , shopping , using busses , cooking etc etc

sport generally is a field where practical skills , and people skills will take you far - why shouldn’t she referee or coach football if she loves it.

personally my youngest has a friend a year older who is a year older who was delayed such that they potty trained together etc. by the time he finished main stream primary he wasn’t coping so went to special school for secondary. He now works for Severn Trent in admin. I don’t know what he exactly does but he gets himself there and back by public transport and earns a wage , though still lives at home. ( but then so did my daughter till a few months ago 🤣 . He’s also been in employment rather longer than my daughter who took the uni route and still doesn’t earn much )

Sports coaching is the most obvious fit.
Endless apprenticeships - electrician, plastering, joi er, plumber, heating engineer, horticulture.

@Helenloveslee4eva my kids have done various summer kitchen jobs and they’re all full on and stressful. It’s actually widely accepted to be the case, I think.

Why does a mild learning disability affecting academics mean that someone cannot work hard and withstand stress? To be holding down a Premier League football academy place means that, at least in that context, she is quick-thinking, co-ordinated, problem-solving and able to take detailed coaching and really good under pressure.

Agree functional skills might be better, you can build up levels until passing level 2 which is gcse equivalent and resit as required throughout the year. Colleges will run entry level and level 1 and 2 vocational courses for those who struggle with the five gcse passes usually required for level 3 and "Lifeskills" for those with more profound ld with embedded numeracy and literacy in activities such as cooking, flower arranging, drama, art and crafts.