Junior in HS with low IQ - what happens after HS?

[Anonymous]

Does his IEP team have ideas? Particularly the transition teacher? There ARE programs that will help with job coaching and placement. Keep pushing the school for guidance.

[Anonymous]

Blue collar job

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help him to get an apprenticeship. Traditional school is not his thing, stop forcing it. Make sure he had real life skills to support himself. Tradesmen can make lots of money and you don't need an MBA to own your own business. He needs to learn where to go for information rather than having or processing the information himself- just like Henry Ford. He doesn't need to be smart to surround himself with smart people.

Agreed. We have many lawyers and doctors in my family, but my plumber uncle is the richest of us all. Happiest too, and retired the earliest.

An apprenticeship in a trade is great. Electrician might be beyond him, but HVAC or something. It can’t be outsourced and it’s a long way from AI stealing it, so it’s fairly future proof too.

Please don't do this. No one with an 80 IQ is going to earn more than a lawyer by working in a trade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think the score is accurate? What are his strengths? Have you gotten involved with vocational rehabilitation-they also help with schooling.
I ask bc my daughter scored an 81 in 5th grade but I’m not sure how accurate it is. I think it’s probably closer to 90. She’s a talented piano player and swimmer, and she’s scores about grade level on all of her benchmarks. Headed to 7th now. She absolutely has adhd and some language deficits.

I see her starting at our local community college but I think that she could finish a 4 yr degree at a slower pace and with some help. She (and your kiddo) needs to look at jobs that play to their strengths-for her that is quick calculations, strong long term memory, and being resourceful. She has an interest in ASL and animals, so possibly interpreter or vet tech.

Probably worth retesting, including a subscore panel.

[Anonymous]

Cameron’s Chocolates has a program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help him to get an apprenticeship. Traditional school is not his thing, stop forcing it. Make sure he had real life skills to support himself. Tradesmen can make lots of money and you don't need an MBA to own your own business. He needs to learn where to go for information rather than having or processing the information himself- just like Henry Ford. He doesn't need to be smart to surround himself with smart people.

Agreed. We have many lawyers and doctors in my family, but my plumber uncle is the richest of us all. Happiest too, and retired the earliest.

An apprenticeship in a trade is great. Electrician might be beyond him, but HVAC or something. It can’t be outsourced and it’s a long way from AI stealing it, so it’s fairly future proof too.

Please don't do this. No one with an 80 IQ is going to earn more than a lawyer by working in a trade.

I hate to agree, but the tradesmen earning good money are either managers or salesmen. They guy convincing you to spend more on a new hvac system would be to guy selling software if they had a degree.
There is no reason he can’t be a great carpenter or plumber or electrician, but I wouldn’t expect him to be a high earning one

[Anonymous]

I have a relative in an HVAC apprenticeship program and it is actually pretty intense. Full time work all day and classes three nights a week for 5 years -with a fair amount of math to do load calculations etc. He was definitely college material but didn’t want to incur the student loan debt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a relative in an HVAC apprenticeship program and it is actually pretty intense. Full time work all day and classes three nights a week for 5 years -with a fair amount of math to do load calculations etc. He was definitely college material but didn’t want to incur the student loan debt.

I really don't see a kid with an IQ that low doing well in a trade like HVAC or plumbing. You have to be reasonably bright to do those jobs. Kid could probably do very well as a bus driver or a Teamster. If you get a union job, the pay will be decent.

[Anonymous]

Yes I think a skilled trade might be above his level..depending on the scatter in his cognitive profile - can you post the index scores? Maybe a lower level trade like masonry? A bus driver could potentially be over his head too, just depending. (Metro drivers actually make great money though).

Maybe a nice paying union job like garbage collecting, something related to the post office,

He needs to also learn functional life skills towards independent living like managing bills, a bank account, depositing checks, taking care of a household, people skills, simple cooking, etc.

[Anonymous]

OP - Will your son be able to receive a standard high school diploma as that is a clear benchmark on opportunities. I second the idea of contacting the area vocational rehabilitation agency to see what kinds of testing and evaluations are available to perhaps pinpoint what employment options are there which are suited to you DS's interests and abilities. In Rockville there is a one-year transition program called MOST, run by the Jewish Group Home Foundation. I am not sure your son would fit the profile of the young adult served, but the staff there might be willing to share some other ideas for exploration. I would also recommend getting your son involved in some sort of volunteer work where he might be able to explore and interest, but most importantly gain some "soft work skills" which are so essential in the workplace. He might also gain a valuable non-family/non-school recommendation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think the score is accurate? What are his strengths? Have you gotten involved with vocational rehabilitation-they also help with schooling.
I ask bc my daughter scored an 81 in 5th grade but I’m not sure how accurate it is. I think it’s probably closer to 90. She’s a talented piano player and swimmer, and she’s scores about grade level on all of her benchmarks. Headed to 7th now. She absolutely has adhd and some language deficits.

I see her starting at our local community college but I think that she could finish a 4 yr degree at a slower pace and with some help. She (and your kiddo) needs to look at jobs that play to their strengths-for her that is quick calculations, strong long term memory, and being resourceful. She has an interest in ASL and animals, so possibly interpreter or vet tech.

Pp, not to get us off topic, but I don’t think that 81 sounds right. My DD who is the same age scored an 88 and also has LD and ADHD and she is hitting benchmarks for everything except math where she is a year behind (with LOTS of tutoring). Sounds like your DD is well beyond her.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm not local, but in my state, planning for post HS for IEP students starts at 14 I think. And the student themselves are invited to the meetings to be a part of the plan. Vocational rehabilitation can be part of that.

I have a friend with a dd with ASD and she's getting great services from VR-she is in community college after a post-HS year in which she got training with VR. Friend is thrilled with the services and progress her dd is having.

There are many careers that a person with ld/iq can do. Construction trades like concrete/framing/equipment operator, culinary (maybe in an industrial kitchen), sanitation (hard work that pays well), maybe auto body work or mechanic. I don't know OP's kid reading/math skills but these are some ideas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Help him to get an apprenticeship. Traditional school is not his thing, stop forcing it. Make sure he had real life skills to support himself. Tradesmen can make lots of money and you don't need an MBA to own your own business. He needs to learn where to go for information rather than having or processing the information himself- just like Henry Ford. He doesn't need to be smart to surround himself with smart people.

Agreed. We have many lawyers and doctors in my family, but my plumber uncle is the richest of us all. Happiest too, and retired the earliest.

An apprenticeship in a trade is great. Electrician might be beyond him, but HVAC or something. It can’t be outsourced and it’s a long way from AI stealing it, so it’s fairly future proof too.

Please don't do this. No one with an 80 IQ is going to earn more than a lawyer by working in a trade.

Why I don’t disagree, let’s keep in mind that 85 is average. So calm down. I also know some pretty terrible and low earning lawyers.

[Anonymous]

Start vocational services/transitional services planning in IEP, look into public school options from 18-22.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you think the score is accurate? What are his strengths? Have you gotten involved with vocational rehabilitation-they also help with schooling.
I ask bc my daughter scored an 81 in 5th grade but I’m not sure how accurate it is. I think it’s probably closer to 90. She’s a talented piano player and swimmer, and she’s scores about grade level on all of her benchmarks. Headed to 7th now. She absolutely has adhd and some language deficits.

I see her starting at our local community college but I think that she could finish a 4 yr degree at a slower pace and with some help. She (and your kiddo) needs to look at jobs that play to their strengths-for her that is quick calculations, strong long term memory, and being resourceful. She has an interest in ASL and animals, so possibly interpreter or vet tech.

.

Op here. This is a very valid question. The admissions director at his school did not think that his score was accurate based on his admission interview. She said to have him retested. I will say though he did the IQ test three years prior and also had a score below 80 so there has been consistency with his IQ score. I was in shock after receiving this news and actually posted on this site to find help and resources.

I am also thinking of going the community college road but to be honest I think he will struggle with that. I hate to set him up for failure but I feel he’s too young to have no pathway in life.

He does not have an IEP as he goes to a special needs private school so they are not required. However, I do think going forward he needs a neuropath report to see what resources he could receive. Am I correct in saying that’s the report he needs?

To all the posters, thank you so much. I am grateful for this special forum. I often feel so alone as my friends cannot relate.

I am not on the DMV area. I live out west. I grew up in the DMV area, my family still lives there. Thanks again.