Helping my son in the next stage of his life

[HelpForMum]

Hi all,

My son was diagnosed with Selective Mutism in primary school and has struggled immensely ever since. He has just completed Year 12 which I am so proud of. He is however isolated as his severe anxiety and social phobia prevents him from deciding what he wants to do next. He has applied for part-time work with no luck as yet. He also has expressed an interest in completing some type of course but is unsure what he wants to do. He lacks confidence and is very awkward in social settings. Is there anyone who can assist with strategies or anyone who is also experiencing the same thing with a family member. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

[quirkywords]

Helpformum,

Welcome to he forum. This is a caring and supportive community.

You are a very caring mum and it must be difficult at times to see him struggle.

I used to be a teacher and once had a child with selective mutism.

I only taught children up to 11 years so I don't know a lot about career advice.

I did read an article about how working with animals really helped a young woman with selective mutism.

I don't know if your son likes animals but some people who have problems with social phobia, can relate well to animals. This may not be appropriate for your son but I thought I would share it.

Maybe volunteering doing something that he likes and does not involve a lot of social interaction would be suitable. Just a thought and again it may not be suitable.

I am not sure if there are careers counsellors that would have experience in this area. I think there are tests you can do to see where an interest lies.

Sometimes youth workers in your area may be able to help.

Anyone who has left Year 12 would be finding it hard to know what they want to do.

Thanks again for posting here.

Quirky

[romantic_thi3f]

Hey HelpForMum,

Thanks for your post.

I'm sorry that your son is struggling a bit in finding work and it sounds like he's feeling a bit lost in where to go from here since completing year 12.

I understand how difficult finding work can be; so I take it from your post that the biggest priority is helping him find something that he enjoys and which course to do -

Can you share a little bit about what your son is interested in? Where do his natural strengths lie? What sort of work environment do you think he might enjoy? You may find that local job agencies can help here - they often complete training in career counselling.

If you can - try and encourage him to think beyond his anxiety. Anxiety has a tendency to hold people back and limit them; but if he could wake up and it would be all gone - what then? Thinking 'big picture' is more likely to be motivational in getting to where he wants to go.

Here is a link to a career quiz - http://joboutlook.gov.au/CareerQuiz.aspx

and here is a link to the careers guide - this one is more about seeing what qualifications he might need to get into the industry he likes - https://www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au/careers-guide

and finally; what is your son doing to try to manage his anxiety? Is there any techniques; or is he working with a counsellor? Headspace is known for people under the age of 25 so this could be worth considering.

Hope this helps!