“I had reached a point where I was photographing every work truck I passed, so I could canvass every possible company. At one point, we are so desperate… » Brest resident Morgane Pennec has lost count of the phone calls made and emails sent, since September 2025, to try to land an internship for her son Antoine, 16 years old.
![“Autism closes all doors”: in Brest, this high school student recounts his obstacle course to find an internship [Vidéo]](https://media.letelegramme.fr/api/v1/images/view/69ced8b5066cd68bee0db6ca/web_golden_l/69ced8b5066cd68bee0db6ca.1 "“Autism closes all doors”: in Brest, this high school student recounts his obstacle course to find an internship [Vidéo]")
“I also went to ask on site with my father, but it was very difficult,†explains the high school student, first in Dupuy-de-Lôme. Because the young man is autistic, which complicates an already difficult task. “There are several in his professional baccalaureate class who had difficulty. But when you don’t fit the mold, you’re completely left behind. Sometimes, a company told me that it was taking on interns. And when I specified that he was autistic, they told me no… Before I could even give the dates! “, sighs his mother.
“Très inquiétant” pour le futur
A mother who frets thinking about the future. “After seven months of searching, Antoine finally found: he will do one week with a heating engineer, during the vacation period, and three weeks with a renovation company. The only thing that works is word of mouth, when people have acquaintances who are autistic,” regrets the mother. “So, when you have to find a job… It’s very worrying. HAS”
“If it’s not suitable, it’s useless”
Particularly interested in maths – “It’s the subject where I’m least bored, so it’s the one I prefer!” – the young man would perhaps see himself as a construction economist. “Because he is very comfortable with computers and calculations. But for that, he must be able to do internships in offices,” explains Morgane Pennec, tiredly.
She explains: “Manual work is not his strong point, and he has difficulty with fine motor skills. Doing internships is good, but if it’s not suitable, it’s useless. It’s like early detection of autism, only to leave young people behind afterward…
“He is capable of working”
As in class, the 16-year-old high school student will surely need some adaptations to successfully complete these courses. “Sometimes Antoine needs to take breaks. And he doesn’t like to talk too much. However, he is capable of working like everyone else. But autism closes all doors,” says her caregiver.
After sending a letter to the Élysée a few weeks ago, to warn of this situation, Morgane Pennec wanted to send a message to businesses, in all sectors: “Accept these young people, give them a chance. They have the right to it like everyone else. HAS”
