Middle daughter who is nearly 22 has autism and some word finding issues. And maths has been a total disaster for her, extra schooling and private tutors etc have never got her over the line for a c in maths, she has a btec in hospitality and most of the rest of the GCSE’s, clearly except the science’s. Fortunately on a personal level you would have to dig pretty deep to twigg there were any issues at all. She’s worked part time since 16 in numerous shop/ waitress posts, and used this to get herself a trainee pastry baker post at a local artisan baker type place, after being a server there. But she was also born with a fused ankle and being on her feet all day is causing problems quicker than we ever thought.

But the lack of maths seems a real barrier, even on getting retrained in any apprenticeship type positions that would get her off her feet. I’m starting to struggle for ideas and I’m worried and gutted as she is a real grafter. She has never wanted to claim any disability benefits and I think doing so would really demoralise her. She is still working and has never had a bad reference, her application and attitude are (if I say so myself) second to none.

Any suggestions or ideas would be gratefully recieved.

You should be able to do a functional maths instead, many places offer this but I’d check with your local authority first. They will have a department who will work with people like your daughter getting them maths qualified in order to progress in to work. There may even be funding, but they should be able to help after contacting them. Very much like our LA, they have Learn Devon, who offer a range of maths courses and quals.

Grafter sounds ideal for a baker. And artisan baking is a good industry to be working in.

Vegan donuts are going to be huge this summer.

Massive margin on those.

If I could retrain to make those I would but I am old and lazy.

All the best to your daughter. Noted about the ankle issue but maybe work on that with physio assistance?

Like what @mrwhyte said, if you haven’t already get in touch with your local Adult Learning Centre. They should be able to give her an assessment interview and get her on learning that’s suited to her.

Loads of careers don’t look at GCSE’s so i wouldn’t worry about it too much. I don’t have English and I ended up teaching.

Thanks for the feedback guys, she did functional maths alongside the btec, to little avail and has already done a further course with an adult ed centre, and can get herself a D at GCSE. I guess it’s going to be more attempts to just see if she can get across the line.

Unfortunately the ankle is beyond physio, she has a shoe insert for support. But every day at work results in significant swelling and pain, so the majority of her free time is just resting her ankle. There is no surgical solution being offered at present that won’t compound the lack of movement and could even hinder her driving. It’s just upsetting to see your kid crying in pain after work 3 to 4 days a week.

Even the most lowly of NHS/ LA admin posts, apprenticeships, reception jobs, call centre work all have maths GCSE as a minimum. It’s a shame, she loves the baking, but unless she gets off her feet she will real issues with her mobility in later life.

Did she have an EHCP in school?

It might be a basis to ask employers to waive the maths requirements for jobs where it’s not relevant, just an item on a tick list?

If there’s a local autism support group it might be worth askign them for advice on job applications and framing the lack of the maths qualification.

finally, Local Authorities now have a responsibility to support those with special needs up to age 25 so I woudl look at what services she can access via that route – they may well, again, have advice on how to use DDA legislation to support job applications so the maths is not a hurdle for her.

I preface this by saying it won’t be as easy to do as to say but getting her the right maths tuition for her is probably the key.

as she is a real grafter.

I’d imagine to some extent this is almost making it harder. At some point it must become a bit groundhog day …

Most problems with maths (at least at GCSE) seem to be because they were never taught the basics properly in the first place (as in right back at primary) usually because they got taught in a way that didn’t work for them or perhaps in her case because they had other things that were going on at the time.

OH teaches SEND but somehow maths has been a roller coaster for our son. He’s been very literally in tears quite often and struggling then I have to unteach him break everything down and he is quite literally top of the year.

Essentially, the teaching methods just don’t work for him… to try and explain in a few words he has a deep need to understand the WHY before the HOW but they teach the opposite way so everything is confusing to him until they do the WHY but by then it’s too late.
When we break it down and go back he has all these light-bulb moments when it all suddenly makes sense.

To give a MTB analogy I think it’s like Jedi teaches… first he has to break down the “bad stuff” you learned before teaching the correct way for you.

So in MTB terms it might be you need someone more like Jedi to “deconstruct” everything and put it back together in a way that makes the most sense to her.

Going off at a tangent, but I saw a self employed Market trader using a ‘below knee crutch’ last year. He had a fused ankle, but could not afford not to work. He absolutely raved about the thing;

Below Knee Brace

Might be an option to stay working at the Bakery?

How about learning to be a seamstress? If she is good at doing things?

The job does not require a lot of standing and a good seamstress can earn decent income.

CAn the baker not make reasonable adjustments to accomodate the ankle? Seems like the best option is to keep a job she already has and enjoys (and keep trying for the maths as well).

I know it’s completely different but I failed maths GCSE and I’m a civil engineer!! I did have to do a load of maths later on at uni part time and I don’t have any learning difficulties, I was just an arsehole when I was younger….

I started as a CAD technician doing basic drawings and worked my way up. But even people who just do CAD get paid decent money. There should be loads of positions like that, where you work along side people who do the maths and you do the graft. If she could do a night school course in some computer package as a way in??

Just to say thanks all for the input, it has given us a few things to look at and think about. I’m a single dad, so whilst it might seem a bit odd asking such a question to internet strangers, I’m really grateful for the people contributing, so yeah, just thanks for that.

She did have an ehcp, and whilst she has never wanted to be labelled by her disability she is willing to see if this might help. All her functional maths so far has been positive, so this should also help.

Her current employer has been great, and amongst more practical adjustments
they have let her get some experience doing ordering and supplies type stuff. She’s already doing an on line course to support this, which given she’s in work for 5 or 6am every day shows what she is all about. She’s also looking at another crack at the the maths gcse through another adult ed provider. I’m sure we will get there, thanks.