The Young Ones.

Just a quick (ranty) update - sorry still getting back into the swing of proper socializing/interactions and had totally forgotten how bloody frustrating it is, especially when dealing with allegedly 'helpful' organisations.

So strap yourself in as we journey into the wacky world of (supported) higher education....

Right on!

A picture to tie in with the title as some folk are terrified of huge bodies of text.

 

 

So the twin engines of destruction are leaving school this year and have been planning to attend college to do the 'supported living' course.

Now this involved (last year) them choosing a course they fancied and attending college one afternoon/morning a week - with them getting a taxi by themselves and the like - to get an idea of what to expect.

Which has gone pretty well (excluding the fact that of their 3 course choices none were available as they'd cancelled them without saying because - reasons).

But not to worry as it's more about getting them out into the community or something....because we're plants that need vitamin D obviously.....not Autistic.

Silly me.

Apart from that hiccup the girls have really enjoyed college so far and been looking forward to attending full(ish) time from September, they've got to know the campus and staff and are really excited.

Only we've just found out that they're not attending the college they assumed they would.

Because reasons.

Well I say reasons but the official line seems to be that a man who deals with it left and a new man took over who no-one talks to so he decided otherwise - the folk who aren't new were surprised but felt it best not to mention it until we rang and then decided it'd probably be best if we dealt with it because more reasons.

But not to worry because they think it's a shame too.

Or something.

I'll be honest, Ro dealt with these phonecalls as I was still trying to get my head around the really vague instructions on the come to a meeting of some kind (interview? assessment? Ba Mitzvah?  who knows it's a SURPRISE!) at another campus/college later this week.

A quick aside to all college/work type places - if your correspondence is so vague that it freaks out an Autistic adult maybe spend less money on expensive note paper and keep some cash back for some basic Autism training.

Oh and the bottom signature line was off which is bloody annoying.

Thanks.

So, back to the plot.

With one school term left we're now trying to explain to the girls why they aren't attending the college they were told they were, juggling interviews at other campuses - which all seem to fall on the same day, whilst organising going with them (as staff support only covers certain days, obviously we can turn our support needs on and off) plus trying to figure out how Glasgow City Council/Eductation Department can think that forging links to colleges that give ASN student support which includes taxis and transport only extends to certain campuses, meaning that we may have to organize work/younger childs day around taking the girls to and from college (or getting taxis) and pay for it ourselves because the campus is outside the travel budget area.

But other campuses aren't.

Confused?

Well here it is in bullet points: 

Kids going to the 'usual' college:

Go to school.

Taken to college by taxi.

Met by worker.

Attend meeting.

Worker takes them to taxi.

Taxi takes them home.

 

Kids going to 'new' college:

Vague letter (albeit on really nice paper).

Parents/carers to organise/pay for transport.

No idea who's meeting them.

Parents/carers organise/pay for transport home after possibly hanging about for 2 hours.

Or back to school.

Whatever.

Continue for 6 weeks.

 

If any of that makes sense then please explain it to me.

More later.*

 

A group of SEN students waiting for transport info yesterday.

 

 

*Oh yes, we keep getting told that our social worker should/could help with this but we've been waiting 16 years for one and I've got serious doubts that they'll get their finger out and find us one by tomorrow.