what path for DS smart, dyslexic, ADHD, hates idea of office work, concerns re value of college

[Anonymous]

Culinary? Or Pastry Chef? My son had ADHD and this is what he is thinking. He loves to cook/bake.

Also thinking something with kids like teacher or leading a summer camp because of the fast paced nature of it.

He also really likes the outdoors so also thought about a ranger.

[Anonymous]

Airline pilot?

[Anonymous]

My brother is like this. He did well in fundraising and organizing - "sales" type personality, likes to keep moving and persuade people and be motivated by adrenaline, but for a cause. During COVID he decided to to make a switch, got a paralegal certificate, and worked in that field while going to law school. Just graduated!

[Anonymous]

Hospitality can be a good career with these traits. There are disadvantages (schedule mainly) but there can be good benefits too (like free hotel rooms and nice dinners). You can make low six figures as a general manager and even more as you move up (bonus potential too). In our experience the health insurance is often surprisingly low in cost too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a student who mirrors your own this year. His goal is to be a firefighter, but getting a degree first (apparently it makes it easier to be hired). I’m not sure the degree itself matters much, but he’s pursuing business. The kid is a natural salesman, so if firefighting fails he’ll have a good plan B as an entrepreneur.

I also have a similar student. To firefighter, I would add EMT and paramedic. The courses for both of these certificates or degrees involves a lot of hands on teaching, which makes the memorization easier than book learning. Students have to pass a licensing exam, so schools want to ensure good pass rates in their programs and provide support/education for passing.

These are good career paths for ADHD kids because the adrenaline in emergency situations is like being on an ADHD med. I have two ADHD paramedic family members, and in an emergency, they go calm and lock in. One of them actually worked a part-time emergency job in college, and the adrenaline boost actually bled into his off the job life, making him more motivated for college class work. The jobs are also very structured and have clear expectations, training and career pathways, which is helpful for ADHDers.

Firefighter jobs don’t require degrees, so if your kid is really averse to college, I would still have him get recruiting info from local departments. If he’s unsure, many counties have volunteer fire houses or programs that provide training, so he could start w/ that.

UMD has a firefighter program - you can even live in at a firehouse, although as a parent I kind of discouraged that for health/sleep reason, but it’s a good option if money is tight.

University of Pittsburgh also has a good emergency medicine program leading to a paramedic certification junior year and a degree.

In HS, My ADHD kid also looked like he was going to pass on college. I asked him to try it. I made it clear that we would not be angry or disappointed if he did a year and either didn’t do well or decided it wasn’t for him. (But I also explained that it was a fair amount of money, so I did expect genuine effort and use of accommodations and the disability services. Emphasized that I wanted him to do it because I thought it was an important personal experience - moving away from home, making new friends living independently in gradually less supported ways. I also emphasized that there would be tons of new fields of interest at school that kiddo didn’t even know existed. I also talked about the reality of having the college degree - that it opens job opportunities and typically means increased pay, while acknowledging that many trades also pay well. In the end, he did do college and, although there were some bumps along the way, I (think I) remained non-judgmental and supportive, and he figured out how to learn & graduated.

Other things I would suggest - biology or park service that gets one out in the field. And there are lots of other health professional certificate programs. You may be in an office, but you see new patients so it’s not like being at a desk.

For dyslexic inspiration look here - https://dyslexia.yale.edu/ - lots of dyslexic people thrive in college and life. In many ways college is easier than high school - you can choose classes in subjects and formats you like. Disability services are *better* IMO than in HS & professors are better trained that they must follow the law and give you your accommodations. You are not sitting in the classroom all day every day - just 12-18 hours of class a week. Assignments are almost never due the next day & you have more flexibility about when and how to do them (alone, in study groups, with peer tutoring, etc.) Most kiddos don’t understand how college is different from HS in this respect; they see it as the same never ending slog.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of niche college degrees that lean more towards practical / skill oriented roles (vs broad liberal arts/humanities). East Carolina University has a constitution mgmt degree and one of the state schools in Oklahoma offers a partnership with a major construction equipment maker that leads to sales roles (blanking on specifics)…these are two examples.

That said, some of DS profile also seem like he would enjoy / do well in a liberal arts environment.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the ideas and insight. I appreciate it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of niche college degrees that lean more towards practical / skill oriented roles (vs broad liberal arts/humanities). East Carolina University has a constitution mgmt degree and one of the state schools in Oklahoma offers a partnership with a major construction equipment maker that leads to sales roles (blanking on specifics)…these are two examples.

That said, some of DS profile also seem like he would enjoy / do well in a liberal arts environment.

The only recent grad I know with a good job secured upon graduation did the ECU construction management program. I know a number of kids from fancier schools with fancier degrees that are essentially working at the mall or nannying, etc.

[Anonymous]

What are his interests and hobbies? My son is similar but has a strong interest in music, sports, nature, building things. So he is considering jobs like teaching, animal care, camp and rec centers etc. There are lots of non office jobs that arenr trade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't think there isn't memorization in trades! Just look at all the code rules that electricians have to learn.

To get into a good trades program you need solid school performance and a track record of reliability. I would suggest he get a paid job to demonstrate that. He'll learn a lot by it. Doesn't matter what the job is.

This. Just because someone is in the trades doesn't mean they don't have to read or memorize things.

Your son might do well in a role like a medical assistant - the person who takes blood pressure in a doctor's office or an EA or receptionist type position.

[Anonymous]

Park ranger

[Anonymous]

Definitely lean into understanding what he likes. For those with ADHD, personal interest is really paramount. Take the time to experiment with different paths.

My kids both have ADHD. One has always loved numbers and is now a data scientist. The other loves the outdoors and has an encyclopedic knowledge of plants and bugs. She's an environmental science major and enjoying summer jobs that have her hiking all over the wilderness to clear invasives and plant trees. She'd also like to get certified as an arborist. Spending her days climbing trees and running a chain saw appeals to her. Both would hate and fail at the other's career choice.

[Anonymous]

Anything in media and the arts.
Reminder of some dyslexic celebs:
Henry Winkler (Fonzie) - he also created a book series and a specific font to help readers with dyslexia
Tom Cruise
Tom Holland
Steven Spielberg
Richard Branson