Work Experience?!

[wafta]

I have a 15 year old son with HFA/Aspergers and have had an incredibly stressful couple of weeks trying to decide what's best when it comes to the annual work experience programme at school.

 

M (my son) plans to study A level Physics and Maths at college (he's currently year 10) and then go to uni to study Astrophysics. Socially, apart from at home, he is very weak and can suffer from depression when forced into uncomfortable situations.

 

Anyone with any experience in this?

 

Should I let him do it despite him obviously not wanting to and having crucial Science GCSEs around the same time?

 

Or will it help with his social skills?

 

I have a week to decide what's best and inform the school, any experiences and/or advice is much appreciated x

[Kathryn]

Does he have to find his own placement or do school do this?

 

My daughter had similar problems when she was in year 10, so I sympathise. She was assigned to some local graphic design company as she had vaguely indicated an interest in this. However as the time approached she got more and more stressed and said she didn't want to go. The school were very understanding and allowed her to change and do the work experience in the school office instead,which she enjoyed as it was familiar territory and there was no pressure on her. I don't think she contributed a great deal to the efficient running of the school, but they let her potter around on the computer and she loved being treated as an adult for the week!

 

Perhaps you could suggest something like this, or maybe a place could be found at the workplace of a neighbour/ friend/family member whom he knows well? Maybe there is another pupil he could go with? I think it's good to encourage him to do it if he can. If handled well, it could be a good confidence boost for him if the experience fits well with his interests and doesn't involve too many social demands. A routine office job, filing, photocopying etc. and working with just one or two other people whom he has a chance to meet beforehand, might be good, for example.

 

K x

[Paula]

My son now 16 and due to leave his special school this year did work experiance twice .The first time he did one week in a local wood yard...........i was worried sick but he absolutley loved it.The second time he did two weeks at the local asda store working on produce.Againe i was worried and againe he loved it and seamed to gaine a new found confidence and a bit of a swagger.

 

My son wanted to do the work experiance............if like youre son though hed been adamant he didnt want to do it then i dont think id have forced the issue.Could you not say hell do the placement go through the motions and hope he changes his mind but if he doesnt then say hes pulling out,Im thinking he might come round to the idea.

[Suze]

Hi my son is yr 10 also , he has a placement at a specialist cycling shop that builds racing bikes.He has a keen interest in cycling and a relative knows the shops owner so I,m pretty sure he will be fine and enjoy it immenseley .As it gets him out iof school for a week and he loves to be amongst more mature adult company.I would go with your gut instincts on this, I still feel 15 is quite young to be doing stuff like this for some kids , its just too much for them, best wishes suzex.

[caci]

A bit off topic, but my neice (NT) is in YR 11 at a big mainstream secondary, and her school have decided not to do work experience at all this year. It seems they have done it in previous years, but have now decided it is not justified.

I suspect that an incresing number of kids just took the fortnight off as there just aren't enough work experience opportunities for 240+ 15/16 year olds around here.

[oxgirl]

Does your lad have a special interest that he could go with at all? My lad is fascinated with fish and all things aquatic so I arranged for him to do his WE at the local aquatic centre. I wrote to them and visited and arranged for my lad to do just a few hours the first day and gradually increase during the week, so that by the Friday he was doing 10-4. He was very nervous about doing it, but the staff were very good and gave him specific tasks to do and he got on well. I'd encourage your lad to do it if he can, it might increase his confidence.

 

~ Mel ~

[purplehaze]

Hi, when my son was in mainstream he was so anxious over work experience and the school was worried about him doing it and as he had a statement he would have needed a LSA to go with him so they only offered him work experience in the local college doing cooking-he wasn't interested in cooking-so I decided he wouldn't do it and he helped his dad with a painting job around his grans.

 

However, he is now in a SEN school and has been doing work experience in a garage since before Christmas and although he still is very quiet and I might not use the words enjoy but he has been able to cope andgo every week!

 

It depends if your son is calm and doing something he enjoys or at least has an interest in-it's pointless sending him to make him more anxious unless your teaching him that sometimes you have to do things that you don't like-it depends if you think your son will cope.

 

I work with work experience students that come in to my work place and I notice a big difference in those that want to be there to the ones that don't-those that are enjoying it learn so much more!!!

 

I also know someone that works in a well known shop and they told me that when they have a student that has SEN, people can be mean to them or even bully them-so you do have to think about what kind of place your son will be at-this worried me as my son was going to a garage-but although the teacher has told me they wind my son up abit and tease him (joking way-not mean)-he hasn't told me he hates it-probable doesn't even notice-probably thinks their a bit strange-LOL

Edited February 18, 2010 by purplehaze

[wafta]

Does your lad have a special interest that he could go with at all? My lad is fascinated with fish and all things aquatic so I arranged for him to do his WE at the local aquatic centre. I wrote to them and visited and arranged for my lad to do just a few hours the first day and gradually increase during the week, so that by the Friday he was doing 10-4. He was very nervous about doing it, but the staff were very good and gave him specific tasks to do and he got on well. I'd encourage your lad to do it if he can, it might increase his confidence.

 

~ Mel ~

As my son is very academic and school has always been one of his biggest "obsessions", I'm worried that any change to that will disrupt him and put him in the wrong frame of mind for his exams.

 

His routine is very rigid, both home and school. They have suggested he work in the school library but I'm concerned that being at school and not learning or being stimulated will throw him of kilter and that the boredom will frustrate him and affect his state of mind. I had to withdraw him from Primary school for the last 3 weeks of year 6 due to the boredom of no lessons and no mental stimulation.

 

Obviously I don't want to keep him at home and single him out, but I also don't want him to be distressed through boredom at such an important time for him (GCSEs).

 

Thank you all for your advice, food for thought and much appreciated.

[chris54]

Over all I think that work experience is a good thing, but we need to keep in mind that for some children for various reasons it will not work.

 

First I think that the child needs to want to do it. If it can be something that they are interested in all the better, but just as important is the attitude of the person/people they will come into contact with while doing the work experience. How able they are to taylor the tasks to suit the child, to be with in their ability but without being boring. Also how well they understand that some children need a guiding hand, someone to look out for them. Work experience is not just about what the work is about but what it is like in the adult world, being an adult. With compulsory education going on till 18 is work experience at 15 relevant?.

 

The school leaving age had only just gone up to 16 when I got to that age and I know there were some that could not wait for their 16 birthday so the could leave school and get a job.(You could leave at the end of the term you were 16). I started work the day after I did my last GCE. Them were the days when you just went out and got a job.

My Dad started work (9 hour days, 5 1/2 day week) the day after he was 14, the school leaving age at the time. Could you imagine 14 year doing that now.

 

Our 2 older children had mixed experiences. Daughter spent a week on reception at the local council, spending most of her time doing photocopying and loved it. Son, in the admin office of a local manufacturing company and complained that all he did was admin work??.Not really sure what he thought he would be doing. But then he could never decide what he wanted to do, he always talked about being a car sales man, his ambition in life at 15. Then at 16 applied to do catering at college, but switched to do child care instead, but was not prepared to put the work so dropped out and did an adult care courses. Got a job in an old people's home only to realise that you actually have to look after them (Personal care) and not just sit around and talk to them. Left that job and at 20 became a bus driver which 3 years on he loves doing.

 

Daughter always wanted to work with "Computers", (if asked what she meant was admin) or animals, like they do, managed to do a course at a animal care collage but has not found any work in that field and at present time works in the laundry room at an old people's home, but still looking.

 

 

[lucyemma]

Hi, just a thought, but if there is a local university or college with a physics department nearby why don't you contact them and see if he could do some work experience there. It would be a subject he's interested in and it would also be in an academic environment if thats what he prefers. It might also be worth while seeing if he could maybe shadow someone who works there....at least he'd have the constant of having the same person on hand throughout the work experience.

 

Lucy

 

 

[wafta]

Thanks again for all comments, they're all received gratefully.

 

As part of M's GCSE Physics, the group have been to the local college for extra Physics workshops, which he thoroughly enjoyed. His mood when he returned home after these sessions was enough to tell me that!

 

So, the above post is certainly something worth looking into. I have spoken to M's Science teacher recently about what he plans to do and he mentioned that he will have a word with the college tutor re entry requirements, etc. so it may well prove fruitful to chat to him about the work experience issue too.

 

I'll do that on Monday and keep you updated, fingers crossed, this could be the perfect solution.

 

Thank you all again x

[puffin]

I would agree with the idea about special interest - DD1 AS/ADHD i has animals as a special interest and has done work experience in a doggy daycare and a riding stabled

[wafta]

Hi everyone, sorry its taken so long to update (computer issues)!

 

After much toing and froing, I put my foot down and said, if they couldn't provide something suitable, I'd have no choice but to keep him home. A bit of a risk but it paid off.

 

In the end, he was allowed to go into school as per his usual routine and do coursework and revision in the library. I spoke to his Science teacher beforehand and asked him if he could ensure he had "something to chew on" so the whole thing worked out great in the end!

 

Now, I have other concerns, but I'll post another thread on that one. In the meantime, thanks everyone for your well received and much appreciated advice.

 

xx

[Kathryn]

Glad it worked out and that that particular worry is over.

 

K x