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.

Consider BTEC where possible in place of GCSE and A Level. It depends on the quality of school or college of course, but my DC benefitted and gained so much more confidence from the way it's assessed as you go along. Stress levels around exam time much lower too.

What 16+ courses does her academy or any of the other local clubs offer? Quite a few of the ones near us do something when they combine playing the sport with learning coaching skills, how to run a business and that sort of thing. The overall aim seems to be that they know you're not going to make it as a player but what skills will you need to work in & around football.

My 11 year old is similar. He struggles with academics but he has learnt a lot of practical things from watching you tube videos. He can do a lot of simple diy. He can't follow a recipe in a book but he can follow the instructions on a video.

Honestly OP most employers dont care about GCSEs. A candidate who is engaging, reliable , committed to doing a good job etc is like gold dust. Please dont focus on the exams and grades. Explore what your daughter can do ( and that sounds a lot to be honest!)
Obviously careers like law, medicine etc require certain grades and degrees but there is so, so much more out there.

Work with animals. Dependent on where you are look at courses offered at Askham Bryan

There are lots of job options in sports coaching and anything that requires social skills which she sounds like she has

I'm a bit less upbeat about college/courses as sometimes they can be quite strict about the funding agreements and maths and engkish to progress and they can be quite restrictive in what level 1 or 2 courses they offer. It's not impossible and there will be a path, but you really have to see what your local FE provider has. We have found it very hard to evidence my sons learning as gcse aren't suitable for him. He is doing functional skills but some colleges are saying he has to do gcse and fail it to access thuer course and his main provider only offers a few limited (horticulture, catering and it) courses

@cantkeepawayforever oh whatever. I wouldn’t want it for my child. I also think some kitchens can be built on bullying.

Sports coaching? Government apprenticeship?

Ah, she sounds like my nephew. He has a brain injury that made good GCSEs an impossibility but is similarly very good at sport and is personable - he did a sports coaching BTEC at further education college. He’s also a personal trainer. He has a nice girlfriend and has just moved out into a shared house with friends - he loves life.

Nephew also considered a BTEC in outdoor pursuits, if that appeals.

I wish the very best for your daughter. She could have a great life ahead. Please try not to worry too much.

How is she with skills like:

• decision making
• leadership
• building rapport/relationships
• common sense
• awareness of surroundings
• ability to see strengths and weaknesses in other people
• questioning and then putting together the answers to understand what's happening

I have no qualifications beyond GCSE, I did A-levels but my results were crap, barely passed them.

I am in senior leadership in a CyberSecurity & GRC role, I'm not massively technical, have no professional quals or training but what I can do is get shit done. I can lead a team to get the best out of them, I can identify who the experts are and get their cooperation, I can pick up on important parts of a conversation to see where there may be gaps or issues that need addressing that others haven't picked up on, I don't panic so if something goes wrong I'm able to calmly assess the situation and come up with a solution.

Help her to figure out where her strengths and interests lie and to appreciate those strengths so she knows her worth and feels comfortable going for what she wants.

Swimming teacher . Im number three hundred and something on the wait list for one to one lessons ( £30 for half an hour ) not a bad living !

if she knows ves sport, then she should do sport at college or a sport apprenticeship.

Our local college does an outdoor pursuits course. No exams but over two years you assemble loads of smaller qualifications like first aid, canoe instructing, climbing etc. plus work placements at outward bounds centres.

Or uniformed services course which can lead to all sorts of careers. Friend of DS with a mild LD and next to no GCSEs works for the police in a civilian role, something to do with evidence. Absolutely loves it and is on a career progression pathway with a mentor and on the job training.

So many options out there and soft skills are so much more valuable than a pile of academic certificates.