He could (maybe) get his AA in bookkeeping with incremental effort, then work in one of the jobs I described above (those are all bookkeeping jobs- AR, AP, and PCA), or get a job in bookkeeping with his AA in History.
I would be more concerned about finding him a supportive work environment- perhaps a large company/organization rather than a small business. Something with processes and procedures and supports and training- a University or Large Corporation.
Have you seen the movie “Adam”?
Quick update - my 22-year-old schizophrenic son will be moving into a group home next Wednesday, after a hospital stay of four weeks. He is excited. I am nervous, because I know at least one of the other 3 residents has a drug abuse problem. The residents can come and go as they please, so the home can’t ensure that drugs aren’t used. My son has had such a sheltered life that I worry for him.
The cost will be covered by SSI and MaineCare. He will have about $300 a month left over, so I hope he saves up some money! The home will find a payee who will help him manage his money.
I have figured out that the hardest thing for me is going from TOTAL to ZERO responsibility for him, in just a few weeks. It is such a vacuum, and I will still worry a lot. I need to find other activities to keep me busy! I guess his college career is over for now, although he could start up again at some point. This is such a horrible illness.
Prayers @MaineLonghorn and for your son, and all the residents there.
I just was in a group meeting with a mom with a 23 year old son who is still struggling to decide to take his medication for depression (the boy has had numerous suicide attempts since age 7, including cutting his wrist a few days ago but then going to her - he needed 5 stitches but denied he is now suicidal so they didn’t admit him) - she said the current medication Xanax seemed to be working for him but he decided to stop. Don’t think he wants to go to continued therapy either.
Situations are so hard because you don’t know the choices one will make from minute to minute, day to day.
Keep praying! It works better than worrying.
Xanax works well! I am taking it for a couple of weeks, so I can get some sleep.
I will keep that young man in my prayers.
Thank you @MaineLonghorn, your posts are helpful. @SOSConcern, thank you, too. Non-compliance is a real bugaboo!
@Mainelonghorn, you are so generous to share your son’s story. I ache for you – being a parent can be so challenging, and the job pf parenting is never really done. It seems you have done all you can for your son, and I hope this new situation is a positive step in his treatment and eventual transition to independence.
My son seems to be doing better - he’s even talking about studying for the first actuarial exam. I don’t know if that’s practical, but at least he’s thinking long-term. A woman supervisor at the group home said he signed a release so that they can talk to me. He wouldn’t sign one for his dad. 
And she was afraid he might even revoke the release for me. I cannot even bear to think about that possibility, so I won’t! Right now I’m working on getting his medical withdrawal from college approved.
MaineLonghorn, you aren’t a conservator of your son? You don’t have power of attorney either?
Without those, things are tougher…
On the plus side…your son may study for the first acturial exam…that’s awesome!
dstark, he has been doing so well for the last couple of years that we didn’t pursue any legal measures. I guess we’ll see how he does now and then decide. His younger brother thinks we should. It’s sad when a 19-year-old has to think about those kinds of issues regarding his big brother.
My daughter’s Girl Scout leader just called - she’s worried about how my daughter is handling all of this. I have calls in to two counselors, so I hope they get back to me.
Oh my gosh! You have a lot on your plate MaineLonghorn. I hope you can find some activity that releases some pressure. Walking…Yoga…listening to music…something…
Don’t forget to take care of yourself.
My son agreed to get a hospital pass to go out for dinner Friday night. We had a really nice time! Now that he knows he’s going to be “free,” he has relaxed and seems his old self (well, not like before he fell ill, but before he went into this hospital this time). I am feeling much more positive about everything. My parents will tour his group home on Tuesday, before he moves in on Wednesday. I’m going to write up a list of items to tell the staff about him - ha, I can’t help myself, I’ll always be a mom.
I still get emotional about him every day, though, I guess I still need to process my feelings. Ironically, I start speaker training for NAMI next week. I have no idea how I will be able to talk about my son without choking up.
This disability process is very confusing. In a previous job, I had a colleague who was blind, he could have filed for disability but didn’t. Another colleague had polio, was working completely fine, then he filed for and automatically got disability because polio is on the list.
The one key to getting SS disability, from what I understand, is to have something “on the list”. The more uncommon a condition is or the more explanation needed, the more likely there will be delays. The state DDD program was the opposite, they had one interview with the parents and one with the child, and DDD status is stuck for life.
Not that someone can’t get disability based on a set of symptoms and proof of no improvement, just harder IMO.
Now a question regarding accommodations at college, if anyone can help us.
How soon should the accommodation process start? I found info on the student disability process on the college’s website, but there is nothing about deadlines let alone a specific contact (the Dean of Students is not usually the specific contact person), other than he is supposed to go to each professor in the first week of classes with a note from their Dean of Students saying “yeah, this kid has disabilities so accommodate them by doing x, y, and z”.
Any general advice, like now that we put down a deposit, should the process start now?
Note: he will likely fail his classes if his accommodations aren’t met, and they are reasonable if they are followed soon, but since I teach college, I know that if we don’t get them going now, time passes and his accommodations may become unreasonable.
@rhandco - My suggestion would be to contact the Disabilities Office and ask for the type of documentation they would require before they can implement what I am assuming are standard types of accommodations, such as extended time for testing and/or testing in a quiet room, extensions on papers and assignments in case of illness or anxiety attacks, reduced course load, or access to note takers. In some cases, professors can also be asked to notify the disability office if a student does not show up to class without prior notice (not practical if there are hundreds of students in a lecture.) Sometimes note takers, tutoring, and recorded lectures -all accommodations that would be listed on a high school iep- are available to any student, especially for freshman classes.
If the last evaluation done in high school is not recent enough to qualify a student for disability services in college, it is better to know sooner rather than later if a new evaluation is needed, and the type of person who is qualified to provide evaluation.
I would also check (if applicable and if you haven’t already) for resources specific to students with disabilities such as ADHD or ASD.I am thinking along the lines of support groups, targeted advising, housing requests, or non-credit seminars.
If your student will need access to therapy or executive function coaching, or help with tweaking medication, this is probably best arranged ahead of time.
The disabilities office at my son’s school writes up a new letter of accommodations each semester, then my son is responsible to give the letter to each professor. We have found the professors to all be very helpful - they have students in this position EVERY semester. One math professor, my son’s advisor, shared that she had been diagnosed with depression as a teenager - I thought it was kind of her to share such personal information.
My son has had to take two medical withdrawals at this point, and they have refunded 100% of his tuition each time. This school will allow three medical withdrawals, total, and a student must finish all required classes in a ten-year period. I can’t stress enough how helpful and kind everyone has been during this difficult process. 
Is there a difference between a “medical withdrawal” and just withdrawing from all courses in a quarter? Are there plusses and minuses? My son is FINALLY getting some support that actually seems to work, one week before the second quarter ends. We are being told that if he does not pass any classes for 2 quarters in a row, he will have to re-apply, and will not be re-admitted without proof of successful completion of an extension or community college class. Who would I ask for clarification? OSD does not seem to know, and academic advising is giving rules if all withdrawals happen. Should I contact Dean for Students?
@ItsJustSchool Thank you for mentioning the movie “Adam.” I had never heard of it, but watched it last night with a huge lump in my throat.
@ItsJustSchool, at my son’s university, a medical withdrawal (what they call “Involuntary Withdrawal”) means that all of his tuition will be refunded. If he just withdrew, he wouldn’t get any money back.
My D has had two separate quarters of medical withdrawal. No refund but it keeps the transcript cleaner. Unfortunately her university doesn’t allow for more and she will have to reapply if she feels able to go back at another time.
MaineLonghorn- hugs to you. I have a friend whose similar son has done really well in a group home. It has helped him stay on his meds and he is now working as the chef.
@mom60, thank you. He dropped 2 classes and his only (remaining) final was Monday. It now remains to be seen how the chips land when they fall. If he passes this one class, he can continue (now with help/support for a change). He has done it before, when he needed to. He is a quick study.
Our communications, which were a trickle, have reduced to non-existent. I guess (but don’t know) that he will stay in his dorm over Spring break, and I guess I will not see him.
This is OK on one hand, because he is establishing independence and relying on these new coaches; on the other hand, it is hard (? unnerving??) on me.