I had a nice talk with Jeremy today. He has a lot of insight into himself and others, despite the fact that he is 18 and still doesn't see the world outside himself and his immediate surroundings all that clearly yet.
He is concerned, as we have been, with what he would like to do in his future. It has become clear to him, I think, that it is not going to involve much further academic study, at least not for the moment. He is unwilling to request the disabled student services he is eligible for and needs to do well in academic classes. So that is that, for the moment. He will try to finish his AA, and then we will see. He clearly does not want to go on working at the market, though it is not a bad job, and he does okay at it. It is just that he wants to make more money, of course, and to do something more interesting that will take advantage of his strengths.
Those strengths as he sees it (and as I also see it) involve something to do with children. I have always felt he should be a kindergarten teacher, but he doesn't feel comfortable with that. He would rather be, as he says, "a big brother sort 0f person." He could work at a childcare center or recreation program, and that would suit him. The career test he took in high school recommended that he be a "toy design psychologist." I should look into that, but probably it will require too much academic study to suit him. Working in a childcare center wouldn't pay any better than his current job, though I don't think it would pay any less either, and he might eventually be inspired to go back to school and learn more.
I am glad he is thinking about this, and perhaps he will reconsider taking help from DS&P at some time in the future, if he has a goal in mind.
7 comments:
Sounds like a rewarding conversation for you both, Robbi.
What about him working for IUSD, working with the students my son works with? They are, high functioning autistic students.
Beth
Beth,
He was supposed to take that job, one he did as a volunteer all during high school, but he decided he couldn't handle the responsibility because a girl in the program (Disabled Students) fell in love with him and called about 3-4 times a day, sometimes in the middle of the night, even though she had moved to Missouri. We didn't know how to contact her parents to get her to stop. He was really upset and didn't want that to happen ever again.
He seems to have much more of an idea of what he would like to do than i did when i was 18.. all of those (2) years ago!
I wonder sometimes if change will always seem to go as fast (or maybe even faster?)as it has seemed to go in these past couple of years.
I think it sounds funny, but i am serious, 18 feels like soOo long ago. I was a different person then.
Jeremy is a very sweet and smart "kid" and I have a strong feeling he will only get sweeter as he keeps growing and growing and growing UP.
Sorry Candice; it was a duplicate comment.
Girls are generally more mature than guys at that age. But Jeremy is a sensitive and intelligent guy, I think. I wish some girl would discover that. So far he hasn't really gone out with anyone, as far as I know. But there's no real hurry.
You are probably right that he will get sweeter as he grows up, but he was always sweet and compassionate. Only for a sticky while as a teenager was he really difficult to be around.
Talking about him growing up, Candice, you should see how tall and skinny he is now! I am worried about him. He looks like he'll blow away in the next big wind.
Post a Comment