Engineering degree for the uncoordinated?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the suitability of engineering degrees for individuals with physical coordination challenges. Participants explore whether certain engineering disciplines require high levels of coordination and what options may be available for someone who is highly uncoordinated but excels in math and science.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that most engineering disciplines do not require a high degree of physical coordination, focusing instead on math and science aptitude.
  • Others note that specific jobs within engineering may require passing tests related to coordination or physical abilities, but these do not necessarily bar entry into the field as a whole.
  • Concerns are raised about the demands of practical classes in engineering and science, with suggestions that teamwork may help accommodate individuals with coordination challenges.
  • A participant proposes that degrees with a specialist focus might be more suitable than multidisciplinary fields, which could involve greater coordination with teams.
  • There is a clarification regarding the interpretation of "coordination," with some participants emphasizing that it refers to physical coordination, such as hand-eye coordination.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about the medical evaluation process for coordination disorders, suggesting that the severity of the condition may not significantly impact academic pursuits unless it severely limits basic computer use.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that many engineering disciplines can accommodate individuals with coordination challenges, but there is no consensus on which specific degrees would involve the least amount of coordination or how coordination issues might affect academic and career prospects.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the implications of coordination disorders and the varying demands of different engineering fields. There is also a lack of clarity regarding the thresholds of coordination required for success in specific engineering roles.

veryhappymom
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Hi Smart People,

My son wants to be an engineer, but is highly uncoordinated. Is there an engineering degree that does not involve a high level of coordination? He is very smart and good at Math. Thanks.
 
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Welcome to PF!

I don't think any engineering disciplines require a high degree of coordination. Just math and science aptitude.
 
A few specific jobs might require passing tests to demonstrate a "normal" level of coordination (whatever that means), and/or normal color vision, hearing, physical mobility, etc.

But as russ_watters said none of those things would bar you from a career in engineering - only from those particular jobs. In the company I work for I know one engineer who has symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease (I don't know the medical name of the condition) and another who is a wheelchair user. There are many engineering jobs that don't involve any practical manual work.
 
Thank you so much! I was concerned that computer or electrical engineering would require a high level of coordination. My son is getting tested for developmental coordination disorder. If he has the condition, it would be a mild case. He loves Math and Science.
With the high price of college tuition, I wanted to make sure he wasn't pursuing a degree that was unrealistic. What engineering degree involves the least amount of coordination?
 
veryhappymom said:
Hi Smart People,

My son wants to be an engineer, but is highly uncoordinated. Is there an engineering degree that does not involve a high level of coordination? He is very smart and good at Math. Thanks.
I think he will have difficulty with some of the demands in practical classes in engineering and science subjects. Where teamwork is involved, I'd expect that other students would be happy to take on tasks that would allow him to deal with the more academic aspects. Some institutions may be more accommodating than others.
 
I'm thinking maybe a degree with a specialist focus rather than heavily multidisciplinary fields would be more rewarding, as multidisciplinary fields require a greater coordination with different teams and input streams. Once he has passed his degree and is working, some engineering jobs which have a significant project management component, e.g. civil engineering, chemical engineering or manufacturing engineering, may be challenging. I feel he would enjoy engineering fields which are more research oriented. Hope that helps.
 
I am not sure you guys are interpreting the word coordination properly. I am pretty sure the OP meant physical coordination, like hand-eye coordination.
 
First he's "highly uncoordinated." Then he's getting tested for a condition and if he has it, it would be a "mild" case. Just remember the health industry is what the name says - an industry. It doesn't make any money by NOT finding things "wrong" with people.

To cut through the medical gobbledygook, if he's so physically uncoordinated that he can't use a standard PC, that is obviously a issue that needs to be addressed for any academic study, not just engineering. On the other hand if he can only hit a baseball one time out of 20, then big deal, unless he's hoping to be funded be a sports scholarship.
 

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