Unrealistic dreams or encourage?

[Stressedgiraffe]

Youngest child 16 wants to go to university abroad which requires an other language. It's the top university in the world for the subject. It's a niche study.
They want to do up to a PhD in the subject.
Currently they are being homeschooled/ online school for gcses due to bullying but are hopefully going to go to college for a level.
They are autistic with adhd so are very fixated on their goal.
I genuinely don't know whether to encourage or try to make them have more realistic goals. I'd love them to be able to do this.
Albu to try to think of more realistic goals?

@AffIt it is a Japanese university. I used to live there 20 years ago and got to intermediate level in 2 years with once a week lessons.
I believe they would focus on the language but also thing a degree with Japanese would be best.

I would be encouraging them to look at it for postgraduate. They can't cope with attending school they will probably struggle with university in this country, let alone in another country. Encourage them, but to do it in stages.

Get him/her started on Japanese classes.
In the of day it is that matters.

Surely step 1 would be to help them understand the language requirements and start learning the language? They'll probably be able to assess themselves how that is going, within months even.

I'm autistic, albeit undiagnosed through uni. Lived in the Commonwealth. Decided one day that I wanted to do a niche MA course at Oxford the following academic year. Basically once I'd set my mind to it - it was going to happen, one way or another. And it did.

Many 16 year olds have unrealistic dreams.

Having those dreams can help them work and motivate them so personally I wouldn't be stamping on it.

Some of them do actually achieve their dreams.

They want to do a niche science subject so interest wise knows everything about the subject. Read academic papers etc.
The language fir a ba bothers me. MA I could see.

I think it’s very difficult for a 16 year old to say they want to do a PhD when they’ve yet to experience any kind of higher/further education.
Perhaps encourage them to focus on the subject at the next logical level, rather than the fixation of gaining a doctorate at this stage. It might take some of the pressure off and enable more of a ‘one step at a time’ approach.

How realistic is the financial side of things you mention scholarship / student loans, would they be eligible for them there? If not then it's a non-starter until they can fund themselves

Are they aware you can do a year abroad from a UK uni and then the MA onwards?

DD wanted to go to a Uni in Iceland, further research on her part showed this is not likely to be feasible, but a year over there from a UK uni is and then an MA if she wants.

However she's only year 9 now and get fixed thinking isn't too stringent on this subject thankfully.

Your DC sounds amazing! I know a ton of people that have done their degree and PhD in a second language, although most of them will have been learning it since very young. Does your DC speak any Japanese at all?

It’s possibly more likely that they could do the PhD in English, as academic research is an international industry and the best international journals tend to be in English language. They’d need to get to grips with the funding options as an international PhD student there though.

If they work towards that goal but don't get in, but in the meantime have learned good Japanese and studied their subject to a high level then there will be other opportunities for them so I would encourage them but at the same time get them to research life as a foreign student in Japan, going to Uni as an Autistic person, not just the good side but the challenges they might experience

There generally aren't student loans available to study abroad. Which country are we talking about because scholarships may not be an option either. I think a reality check for both of you may be needed as harsh as that may sound.

EDIT sorry just saw Japan. I think their best bet is a UK uni with a year abroad. eg Bristol has ties with Kyoto. They could do a 3rd year there and look at Masters options after maybe.