What should my kid do?
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Anonymous
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Looking for advice from more seasoned parents. My son is a junior in high school. He’s not academic at all, learning disabilities have made school really hard for him along with pretty severe adhd. He has an IEP, some of his classes are small group classes.
I’ve been of the mind that trade school would be best for him, but he doesn’t really have any interest in any of the trades I’ve been trying to expose him too. I don’t really know that much about all the types of trades out there, just googling. He keeps saying he wants to go to school for business but 1) what does that look like in the end 2) I don’t think he would make it through college courses. He’s not great at reading, writing, or math. He’s very athletic, very social and makes friends easily. People like being around him. Adults as well as little kids, even peoples pets! He’s pretty savvy with buying things at a lower cost and reselling for more. He understands the stock market pretty well and has good thoughts on what’s going up and what’s going down. He’s quite good with computers but has no interest in the field. He does have a good business sense/money sense. How can he use that strength? What would be some good options for him? |
Anonymous
| If he goes to an average business school vs competitive he should be fine. I would allow it. |
Anonymous
| Sales sales sales |
Anonymous
| I have to be honest, many successful business people are not bright, they are not good at writing or math; but they are exceptional at making friends and influencing people. If he isn’t literally going to flunk out, this is a great path in life for him - why discourage it?? |
Anonymous
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OP possibly start at a small public where it is easy to change majors.
No schools with limited enrollment programs. And nothing wrong with trying Business. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
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Keep in mind, that college is when you specialize at what you ARE good at and hopefully enjoy. Not every college requires a detailed academic core -- some are much more flexible (even top ones like Brown). You don't have to do calculus, you don't have to translate epic poems, you don't have to be a jack of all academic subjects. Your ADHD brain gets to hyper focus on what actually interests you.
I know a kid on the spectrum who obsessed about a niche issue, which made all of high school difficult because that thing was all he cared about. But he struggled through high school with tutors, and then went to a small supportive college and majored in the niche subject. He excelled at it, of course, and is now employed on a stellar research team and loving life getting paid to do what he has always loved. Picking a college that will continue to give the social support he needed and continue to develop his independence was key. So whatever your child's challenges are, make sure those will be supported. There are many colleges who recognize the strengths and abilities of kids who have learning challenges. Choose one of those. |
Anonymous
| Kids with LDs and ADHD can be found at every college, even elite ones. Most (possibly all) schools have an office of student disabilities and will offer accommodations and supports. The challenge is finding a good fit. Look at the environment he excels in and identify colleges that offer similar. If he does best in small classes, look for a school known for small class sizes (in MD, this would be St Mary’s vs UMD/UMBC/Towson). Smaller colleges will also offer him the opportunity to know his professors which can make a huge difference. I agree with others that his social skills may be a real asset in the business field. So look for small colleges that offer a business major (sadly St Mary’s does not). My ADHD DD chose to study business at UMD. She is very shy and socially the big school has been difficult so I wish she’d gone somewhere smaller. But academically her ADHD hasn’t been an issue and they’ve worked to provide her needed accommodations. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
| Acba.edu - this would be perfect. |
Anonymous
He has strengths that give him the potential to make money in sales. I would encourage him to get a part-time job that has some sales associated with it. Go to a school that has open enrollment in the business school. Don't worry too much about the school's overall reputation, but more its access to employers, internships etc. |
Anonymous
| My DH is dyslexic, adhd, no education beyond hs. He makes $150+ a hour and is happily self employed for over 20 years. You don't need college to be successful. |
Anonymous
| What about hotel stuff? Like, hospitality? He'd learn a bit about business, but hospitality is sort of a trade and it's great for people who are super social. And what you do changes all the time throughout the day so that'd work with ADHD. |
Anonymous
| Community college and a sales job on the side. |
Anonymous
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I am a technogeek with poor social skills. I wish it were not so, but it's true. The people who
bring in customers keep them happy are extremely valuable from my perspective. I'm good at what I do but appreciate what others do to allow me to do what I enjoy. |