Was at TVT today. Told them the current situation. Told about the course at JAMK. Told that I'd felt that the change of support arrangements this year might have been 'too little, too late', and that I was right (given the stress that both me and my dumper were under at the time because of my lack of effective support). Talked about methods of getting me employable: work-trial (possibly at TVT, because I have some skills that they currently need and do not have); structured course in Finnish language.
Result:
JAMK course can be done as työvoimakoulutus, so I get additional benefits. I also need travel expenses and accommodation expenses from either TVT or SosToim, and my social worker is looking into that option. She knows that, if I can't get those expenses, I can't do the course, so she is going to push hard for me to get them on a discretionary grant.
The JAMK course days fall on days that the Finnish course meets but my employment advisor says that it wouldn't be a problem (presumably, they'd see it as explained absences).
It is slightly possible that a work-trial can be arranged with TVT for two issues - lack of expertise on developmental difficulties and learning difficulties at the same level as mine; lack of expertise in culturally-sensitive assessment and counselling for clients for whom Finnish is not yet a second language. Such a work-trial could also be used as a way of getting laillistettu psykologi status with TEO.
Not a quick start to anything, and some things still not certain (e.g., the JAMK course, and the work-trial), but the Finnish training I've been needing and wanting is very likely. They can't understand why that wasn't initially offered to me when I became a client of TVT again in October 2006!
If even only one of the other two possibilities works out, that will have been a very good meeting.
And I handled my side of it solo (no support person with me; my current one could not get there). This begs a question; not one about me needing a support person; but, rather, the following:
If I can - with some degree of difficulty - fairly successfully drive my own matter, and the Autismisäätiö support worker could not, then what the hell is she doing working in support work with autistic people?
Doesn't go anywhere near getting a certain someone back with me, and the whole change package was definitely too little, way too late. So I'm not going to be ecstatic: nobody on earth can expect that of me. But at least, if the things I asked about pan out, I'm getting to become more employable. And that I see as a good thing.
[edit] 16th May, 2008
My social worker called and told me that her seniors at SosToim have agreed to fund my travel and accommodation costs for the JAMK course.
I have confirmed my place with JAMK and now feel less stressed than I did.
Because of the change in circumstances with the one who studies at JyU, however, I cannot connect emotionally with this. But it is a good thing, and reflects my social worker's desire to see me making progress. And I respect her a lot for that. Now I have the forms to fill in for this course as työvoimakoulutus and for the Finnish language course... TVT have agreed on these matters already.
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Music: Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
Mood: Uncomfortably numb