What is the provision for highly academic ASD teen with no independence skills?

[SleepWhenAmDead]

DC is diagnosed with ASD and sensory impairment and just aced her GCSE's. She is completely institutionalised at her school.

She does not do anything else at all except go to school and go home. She can do all self care tasks like cooking, laundry at home. She talks about getting a part-time job but we simply can't find anything she could do with her limitation.

Her ASD teacher has said that she will probably be able to cope with university but might take her longer than peers (e.g. 3 - 5 years longer). I think this is fair, but what will she do during that time?

Is there a college for kids like her?

There are further education colleges which can teach her to be more independent. Does she have an ECHP? Have you talked to disability offices at possible universities?

Could I recommend the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme (I assume it is running again now despite Covid). It really did wonders for ds1's confidence (similar profile and had spent secondary at a special school so really had not mixed at all with his neurotypical peers since primary). It involves two weeks away and then a week doing a charity project & they are happy to support people with different disabilities including an ASC. He has now just started University and so far seems to be coping and enjoying it.

It sounds like she would be able to cope in university with some close monitoring/mentoring and support. A lot of universities will provide this, and a lot don't do so well, so it would be good to look around now (lots of open days are on at the moment). A campus or a college based university might suit her.

My best friend's son has ASD and he goes to coventry university and they have been brilliant with him. He got extra funding and if he needs it he will get one to one support.