If you have a child on the autism/adhd spectrum what are their plans post 16

[Hello1290]

DD is 14 so I'm thinking ahead to the next stage of her education. She's in Mainstream school but gets a lot of support with her learning. Realistically she may get a handful of grade 4's at GCSE - maybe not.
She doesn't have any particular interests and struggles with peer interaction. Due to her adhd she gets very distracted and comes across as quite spaced out.
I'm finding it difficult to think about where we go next. Has anyone got any experiences to share.

Is she on medication for her adhd?

Yes she is - has been for a couple of years and we have seen a huge improvement with her learning since then.

I have a dc with adhd also in mainstream school but on track for GCSEs. Could it be she would thrive better with a more vocational qualification eg consider her doing a BTEC qualification? what are her best subjects? what are her teachers saying?

She is doing health and social care btec and seems to be on track for a level 2 pass. She enjoys English as well. Other than that she is struggling. If her h and s care results are good enough she could stay on at sixth form and do the diploma. She enjoys learning about life development et c.. but I can't image her working in the health and social care sector unless her social skills improve over the next few years.

Catering, Gardening or Animal Care? Not sure where you're based but a college like Capel Manor is often great for kids like this.

I agree with Malmontar, those are fields in which could provide for her interest in life development. Good to hear she is already doing a BTEC and English is a must have GCSE to have, so its great she likes it, especially with having social difficulty it will allow her to be able to communicate well, at least on paper. Mind you, lots of teens don't really know where their interest lie or what they want to do at this stage. So this is not solely to do with her SEN.

Is taking time out after her BTEC to work a possibility? giving her more time to mature and find what she likes.

Dd did a levels and is now studying for her degree - every child is different. You need to work out what is best for your dc, sometimes it just takes a bit longer than their peers too.

My son went to college at 14 and did landscaping, then game keeping and got his English and maths GCSEs. He's now doing level 3 music at college as it's his special interest.

Capel Manor looks amazing but not for her as she doesn't have those interests - not at the moment anyway. It's good to know what's out there though I think half the battle is knowing what's available.

Taking time out is certainly a possibility and yes I need to remember things will be at a slower pace for her but that's ok.
Ofwaren - it's great that your DS got to try different options.
Thank you everyone. I was having a panicky moment but feel much better after reading your responses.

Is it worth looking at what the specialist schools locally have for post 16? Does she already have an EHCP? The specialist schools here have some really good work placement / educational provision for post 16

She does have an EHCP. There are a couple of specialist schools locally but their curriculum would not suit as its very vocational based. She's not keen on animals or gardening.

My son has just turned 16 and we have applied to Capel Manor for his next stage in education. He has been doing land studies at school for his last 2 years and has developed a real interest in horticulture. He is looking at around a grade 2 for a small handful of GCSEs, so I would like him to continue/improve his English and Maths. He has global development delays and learning difficulties along with some physical issues. He can learn and he has made good progress at senior school, but exams are just not his friend especially with the recent curriculum changes.

I am trying to look for other options and have recently come across Barnet and Southgate College because a couple of his friends have applied to do catering there. I've only just looked at their website but it looks interesting for SEN children. I will contact them after half term to investigate more.

I don't know where you are based, we are in North London so that is where I'm looking.

Dd is now 18, living away at college and studying for A levels and training to be a professional dancer.

We asre desperatly hoping ds won't walk out of his GCSE's/completes his music coursework so he can pass enough to do a Level 3 Btec in Music Technology at a local college.

I don't think there is a one size fits all solution with ASD or ADHD - there's such wild variance within both those situations. I am currently fostering a 17yo who has ADHD - she is very academic and has good coping strategies and is expected to get a good BTEC and 2 good A levels, has the uni offers already coming in. I also have a DD who is on the autism spectrum but is also very academic, socially able (though coping socially causes her massive stress), got 6677777889 at GCSE and is on course for ABB at A level. Both have to work so much harder than other students, but they will do well. All I can say is that you should do what I've done and what you already appear to be doing - recognise your DD's strengths and play to them, and do your best to bolster up her weak points.

There are supported placements, where young people are supported in work placements with a view to moving to an apprenticeship. In our area The Education People run them,not sure if it is nation wide but they are well run so maybe worth looking into

Ds1 is 24 and has ADHD “with autistic traits”. He has always been very bright and picks things up quickly but can’t get information from his head onto paper. He did well at standard grade but couldn’t get it together for highers (except an A in music).

He went to college, got his highers and got his degree last year. He is still on medication and I can’t see that changing. He was working part time in a fast food joint and struggling with time keeping and motivation but has just been given an amazing opportunity by his brothers boss to work in computers with hours to suit (I can’t ever see him working full time) and so far so good. It just needs something to really interest him to keep him motivated.

Now to sort ds3 who is awaiting assessment!

Thank you so much for your posts. It's amazing to hear the wide range of experiences your DC have. Pointy you are absolutely right it isn't one size fits all. I think with her being in mainstream I really loose sight of that but it is so true. I need to focus on finding out what's available in our area and reassessing where she's at this time next year I think.
All the best to everyone.