High School is Done, Now What?

It’s such a rollercoaster ride of emotions.  As we moved closer to our son’s graduation date, the indescribable joy of having your youngest child about to graduate was quickly overshadowed with the terrifying prospect, what is he going to do now??

Images of endless days off of youtube quickly entered my mind and a slight panic set in.  Without the structure of school each year, what will his days look like?

And while we have been fortunate to be homeschoolers since 3rd grade, we still very much kept to a regular school schedule.  For our friends who have attended traditional schooling, the loss is much more significant.  No IEP or 504 addressing the multitude of things that make our kids successful.

For some, college is the obvious answer here and for those who have the skills and the desire to head that route, it seems like the most logical answer.

We do not find ourselves in that category here.

While our son is an average student, even on his best academic day, he does not have the skills to survive in a traditional college setting, even with the best supports in place.  He would be hard pressed to succeed in even the more intensive, specifically made for autism type program that one could afford.

After our experience with camp, again, not that I regret it and I do plan to send him again, it became clear that access and cost does not necessarily equate to success.

And I also want to caveat this post and say, I am in no means selling said son short, I am just realistic in terms of what he is capable of while factoring in the the second most important factor, what does he want?

When asked, his answer varies among a few things.  In one breath, he would exclaim that he, like his older siblings, will be going to college and moving into the dorm.

After a couple of discussions about what college actually is, that it isn’t just about moving out and living on your own, our son quickly determined that traditional college was not for him.   

What he wanted was to attend some sort of schooling (so he could be a college student) that would provide him skills to work with me (so he could have an office job).   

The conclusion that we came to is that he will attend, via distance learning that is asynchronous, University of Tennessee’s Office of Continuing Education Certificate Programs.

How did we choose?  In very particular order, given our son’s preference:

College choice: UT was the only option as that is where is older brother goes.

Duration of Course: He wanted something short.

Asynchronous: He wanted something he could do on his schedule.

Type of Program: He wanted something that would allow him to work with his family.

What’s the common theme?  What he wants.

Do I know if he will be able to complete this program, I have no clue.

But just like my other kids, did I know or do I know if they will be successful in what they choose?

No.  I don’t.

And just like the other kids, I am giving our son the chance to succeed or fail in something he aspires to do.

Because it’s what he wants.