To those with Special Needs older teens/ adults
We have been trying to get SS18 a job for a while now. He is autistic, severe ADHD and bi polar. He is a good kid but... weird. He can't connect to people, doesn't look them in the eyes, has a hard time with conversations that are based in reality, etc. So interviews for him are very challenging.
We are working with the local state department that helps with cases like ours but they are on a hold- we don't know how long it will be before they can officially accept him and he can go to VOTEC training and they can help with job placement. Right now we are stuck at intake. We are working with his counselor to try and get him through an interview. We are waiting on social security- and hoping that once he has that we can get into other programs but it will probably be at least a year for that.
This kid is rotting away at home everyday. It isn't like he has friends, he doesn't drive, he doesn't like to be outside in heat... he lives on video games, TV and reading. He does a few chores around the house and is generally a good kid, but no one can live like he is forever. Now that my kids are getting ready to go back to school, it would be amazing if I could get him working or volunteering a few days a week.
I guess my big question to parents of kids like SS- do you call the employer and explain the kid and his issues or do you just keep taking him to interviews and letting him be disappointed that noone wants him? We don't know how long these government agencies are going to take, I am just at a loss in being able to help him. I mean, he is applying for grocery stocker or bagger type jobs for goodness sakes! Anyone can tell he is... off... why can't they just give him a shot?
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Find out which businesses in
Find out which businesses in your city hire people with special needs.
That is one of those things
That is one of those things that is easier said than done. Most who hire special needs go through the departments that we are trying to get into but have run out of government funding so they are on a freeze.
There are a couple grocery
There are a couple grocery chains in my area that hire people with disabilities to be baggers. I have no personal experience with finding work for a disabled child, but with the baggers in these stores, it is obvious that they have disabilities. That said, these chains have the best baggers. They're usually not fast, but frozen stuff is with frozen stuff, bread doesn't get smooshed, etc. Our Walmart appears to hire folks with disabilities as well. Look for the places in your community that do.
Another thing . . . Our local high school is great at working with kids who had IEPs to find jobs/internships. They are aware of job opportunities for these young adults. You might check to see if that's the case in your area.
Our problem with going
Our problem with going through the schools is that he didn't graduate from here so they aren't very motiviated in helping him.
Has he graduated?
Sounds like they really dropped the ball. Mine was able to stay in high school until age 22 . They start transition planning at about 14. If you have not done so already, I would make an intake appointment with your County Board of developmental disabilities. They would be the gateway to waiver programs , SSI , and job training/placement. Unfortunately (IMO) they are going away from "workshop" type of programs which is causing a lot of hardship for many of these clients , but it's worth asking what they have to offer.
Trying to make a really long
Trying to make a really long story short... DH was married to BM2 (she was SS18's SM). She decided to pack up and leave while DH was on a ship (He is Navy). You can't just leave a 12 yr old for weeks on end, especially not a special needs kid. So SS went to live with DH's mom. After DH and I got together and settled we thought about moving him to us, but after discussions with the whole family it was decided that he would be better off not moving again and staying with grandma until he graduated. Once graduation got close we found out that, here, he can stay in school until he was 25 with training, etc. They didn't have programs like that where he lived so we just didn't know. It was too late at that point and graduating became very important to him. I wish I knew then what I know now.... we would have moved him here 3 years ago and risked the upset over the move. We thought we were doing the best thing for him.
Have you looked into any advocacy groups?
In this area, you really have to be a squeaky wheel. It shouldn't be that way , but it is. Enlist the help of any advocacy or legal groups in your area that can help get the services you need. He may be a candidate for job training and placement , and if so, great. But the trend is for adults with disabilities to have to compete for jobs with everybody else. My own daughter was pushed out of a workshop setting and into the job market with disastrous results. Hence my bias against automatic "inclusion". Absolutely be open to options but don't be afraid to put your foot down either. It sounds like some kind of supported employment might work for him. It's common for these adults to do jobs like cleaning and landscaping. Sometimes organizations like Goodwill and Salvation Army will hire people to sort clothes, things like that.
Has he ever taken part
in the Special Olympics? He could volunteer or participate (or both) and work with other adults or kids who are also SN. My husband has coached for the last four years and our youngest is an athlete. All of the other kids either coach, volunteer or play as unified (non SN) partners.
That is worth looking into!
That is worth looking into!
Bi polar
Is the problem, unfortunately the only jobs they can get is ones most people don’t want to do. Grave yard at gas station mini mark. Type of work. That only works until something happens. Has to show up on time, has to finish his hours. Most of them are workers, they like to work. Dealing with fellow works and the public is the problem. Then you must get a supervisor who know how to deal with them. It a hard road, hope he gets social Security disability. He can still earn a certain amount of money.
He wouldn't do well with
He wouldn't do well with customer service type positions and something like a cashier would be difficult for him. Especially with pressure put on him for something and an impaitent customer.
It's tough.. I was one of
It's tough.. I was one of those customers once... There was a kid who was assigned to do the bagging at my cashier's station.. I didn't realize it but the bagger was pretty sick... I asked him to let me bag my stuff because I didn't want him to touch my groceries because my DH had just gotten out of the hospital and we were super vigilant about any germs... so the last thing I needed to do was feel like I had to wash every piece of groceries. My asking nicely to let me do it because he was sick ... he didn't listen so I had to get increasingly firm about it.. the cashier got my point and was trying to get the kid to to to another lane.. but the kid just didn't understand and thought I was mad at HIM.. which I really wasn't.. just really didn't want him bagging my stuff. Yeah.. I know paranoid but it was a lot of stress.. husband with cancer.. missing time from work.. losing his income.. it was just a tough time and I just wanted to bag my own groceries.
Harry - this is the second message
that I have seen from you in regards to people who have bipolar where every sentence is wrong. Many people with bi-polar function just fine in society. It usually takes medication and therapy, but it can be done. The suggestion that the only job suitable for someone with bi-polar is the night shift at a gas station is insulting. It is widely accepted that Winston Churchill had bi-polar and he seems to have done ok...
I
Does your city have VOC-Rehab
Does your city have VOC-Rehab? Goal is independence.. No doubt that is yours too.
If you have not already, I would contact them.
That is who we are working
That is who we are working with but they are out of funding and don't know when they will be able to actually take him in the program. He is stuck in in-take right now.
Honestly, I would start off
Honestly, I would start off with volunteer work, as another poster has stated. Looks way better on a resume when they've done *something*. A great place to go for almost garaunteed volunteer work is the SPCA or other similar animal welfare agencies, and these places would be ideal for someone with autism since their interactions with people are limited.
I think the suggestions to
I think the suggestions to find volunteer opportunities is a good one. It will give him some experience to put on his resume... gain some life skills etc... Now, I do think it's important that you meet with the people in charge so that they know what his limitations are.. and his behaviors. If they have "normal person" expectations.. and he displays other behavior.. they may become worried because they don't want to put other people at risk if he might be off balance in some way. But if you explain what his issues are... they can see him with that lens and know that they don't need to have that same concern.
In my area
there are several recycling centers that employee people with special needs. They use the money they get from the recycling to help support the program. We took a tv to one today and there were lots of people working. Some talked to people and handled money (you have to pay to recycle some kinds of tv's) and others were doing more physical work where they didn't interact much with the public. I just got a good "feel" about the place - everyone seemed happy. It would be great if you could find something like that.