For those homeschooling... Are you:
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For those homeschooling... Are you:
| Thu, 11-09-2006 - 1:35pm |
For those homeschooling... Are you:
- Die-hard homeschoolers, would HS any of my children without a 2nd thought.
- Very for HS for all my kids, but might chose other options in some cases.
- Very for HS for my ASD child, but not as certain I would with an NT child.
- Feel HS is the best for our ASD child, but would prefer more good options.
- Feel HS is *not* best for our ASD child, but HS is better than our options now.
- Other (cause I'm sure I asked this badly... LOL)
You will be able to change your vote.

I didn't vote because I haven't started homeschooling yet, but I'm getting my paperwork together to apply for homeschool status within the next week or so.
I've given up. Despite IDEA and No Child Left Behind, we have been pushed out. It's a shock to realize that the public school system does not have a place for my child, but if I want him to learn anything I will have to do it myself.
Wish us luck. I feel inadequate, but he's not learning anything at school...just getting in trouble and they do not know how to handle spectrum disorders in my county.
To any parent of a child on the spectrum, I would say that homeschooling is often a necessity.
I don't typically homeschool (and didn't vote), but for the little I helped school my ds when he broke his leg and was out of school (6 weeks, and he had a home teacher come in twice a week), I learned quickly that homeschooling would NOT be a good thing for me and my kids. They just melt down waaaay too quickly with me so can't focus on what I'm trying to teach. They focus better for others. They also very much need the socialization and want to feel like they're part of the group (even when they're not). I did learn, however, that if I were ever forced to homeschool, that I would NOT be using the school system's style of teaching. It does not work well for ds thought processes at all. (For example, after reading a language arts story, he was asked some questions where he was supposed to infer the answers based on other details in the story. Nope. Not happening! He can sort of see it after I explain it, but even then, it's such a foreign concept that he can't retain the info long enough to write it down.)
I voted 'other', but at heart I'm a diehard homeschooler.
I voted 'other' because I don't think that there is one set educational venue that's perfect for ever child at every stage of life. I love HSing my kids and we have lots of fun. But I can see enrolling my youngest in private school later on if she wants to and we find a school we like. I can also see enrolling my 6yo in a magnet school later, if we find a good one.
I was partly homeschooled growing up, so it's multigenerational way of life for my family. To me it's just so much easier and more fruitful to homeschool than to become a slave to public school schedules and ways of doing things. My kids are never going to be 'normal' and I don't see myself trying to force them to be. That doesn't mean that we don't work on the areas where they need help in order to be functional in society, it just means that I realize that they're never going to hold down typical jobs or live in typical ways when they grow up.
I sent my 12yo to public kindy and it was a disaster. She withdrew and regressed, and given the stress she was under I can't blame her. I also ended up having to reteach everything to her when she got home from school, after spending hours de-stressing her. She had extra-curricular interests that didn't involve the public school that she had to give up because of all of that, and that just added to her stress and regressing. I didn't see the point of putting her through it. Now she learns things the first time around, as taught by myself, my DH, and other selected teachers, and she has plenty of time and is relaxed enough to enjoy her art and sciences clubs and get involved in gallery showings.
~Candes
I had always envisioned DS attending public school and being involved some way. But as the time drew closer we realized that it wouldn't be a good fit. Up until then he was considered a quirky imaginative kid but well spoken and rather stand offish with other kid-much happier with adults.
We began homeschooling because of DS's intellect and yes, I realize how snooty that sounds. I checked out the kindergarten and they had nothing to offer a socially immature 5 year old who could easily (with inflection) read chapter books and add and subtract plus was well versed in many science topics and was beginning his own study on naval ships and maritime battles through the ages. He wasn't ready for all day 1st grade and even that wasn't going to be a good match academically. If DS was a different child (which I'mc glad he's not) he would proably be at public school.
DS is an academic kid he loves to read and learning comes easy to him. Which makes my job as his homeschooling mom pretty easy. If I can somehow include blocks or legos into the academics all the better. DH and I always thought that at some time DS would want to try out the public school and we thought that 2nd grade would be a good time socially. We had planned to try it for a semseter and then pull him out if he was unhappy. After visiting the school I realize it would be alot of red tape and meetings to get half of what he would need. So we will keep homeschooling.
Therapies take time. Since insurance ran out for OT, DS is on a heavy sensory diet implemented by me with suggested activiites by his OT. We can stop math to roll or spin or use playdoh when he needs it. He has private swim lessons and we swim once or twice a week in addition. Karate is 2x a week, we work on hand strenghtening every day as well as vision exercises. So much of what his Speec htherapist works on can be furthered n our setting. Soccer just stopped and it was enjoyable for him though there were some stressors. Individual sports he is better suited for-at least for now. He has 2 playdates aweek plus a Cub Scout meeting weekly. Our homeschool group has activities and we go to some he is interested in and skip the ones he is not. We have a theater event to go see each month until March. Pottery class will begin in January and probably some other sport-gymnastics or rock climbing-I think. We are close to a major city and are often in the downtown area for museums to go along with subjects. Since we go during the day these places are often empty and we get the docents to ourselves. There isn't the noise and possibilty of sensory overload as ther is on the weekend.
He very much feels a part of his classes and the homeschool group but he has buddies in each activity. Kids either adore him or can't stand him. Right now no social skills group but playdates are on on one and our NT friends (all of his are) are accepting and the moms get that I need to be there to facilitate or intervene at times. NT 5 and 6 year olds need facilitation too sometimes.
Meltdowns are minimal because he has time to just play plus he is interested in his school work (except handwriting) and has alot of say in how the days go. He has ample time to pursue his activities, see his friends and to be alone plus family time. A 2 hour playdate, although very much enjoyed, requires about an hour of him playing alone afterwards. School fits in there and sometimes it may look like a classrom and other times it looks like play, but he is learning tons.
Errands are a great time for him to work on social niceities and just as valuable as classroom time I think.
All that being said, DH travles for work often and I don't get alot of breaks. DS and I are together. I am his number one support person and cheeleader but also his number one to blame for everything person. It is hard. I don't know that I could do this with more than one child. I am better at asking for help and somehow we are managing a cleaning woman which has helped immensely.
Truly we see homeschooling as DS's answer through highschool. Maybe a dual enrollment with the highschool for a class or two if they have an offering he wants probably early entry to the local jr college. For DS this is what is working...
I wish you the best with homeschooling. I'm sorry the school district is being that way with your son.
I have been homeschooling my Stephanie even before her diagnosis and it is going well. She is overwhelmed when with a large group of kids and it based on how I see her learn, I am sure she would fall behind. We can spend as much time as needed for her to learn a concept and the one on one is great. But I kid you not, it can be a lot of work doing it yourself, but I figure, I would be doing a lot of work anyway even if she was in school.
Again, good luck with it. I am sure he will learn well with the one on one attention.
Debbie
P.S. Be forewarned, it might take a little bit of time to calm down from being in school. They can be burned out or frustrated, it takes a small adjustment period. But maybe that won't happen for you. I haven't experienced it, but from HS board, others who bring their public schooled kids home, have to deschool them. The kids have been frustrated in school and have to have time to adjust to a new thing. I'm sorry if I am not explaining this correctly, I can find out about it if you need more info.
Wow, your son sounds so impressive. Keep up the good work. I'm glad it is working very well for you and your son.
We can see homeschooling through high school as well, but I am a bit worried about harder subjects as it takes her long to get a concept. She's intelligent, but thinks a bit differently that I have trouble getting her to understand what she is doing.
Enjoy this time. It is mostly just Stephanie and me too. DH helps sometimes, but not very often.
Debbie
I voted "other" just because I am too new to hs to be "diehard" (yet). From everything I've read and living in a state (IL) that has few rules and regs on hs I could be "diehard" very soon. My ds 9 year old (AS) in ps is fitting a square peg into a round hole. He made it from kindergarten through 3rd grade. 3rd grade was a bad year for him and it killed me to watch the joy of learning he always had disappear and have it be replaced by stress and exhaustion. People worry about the "socialization" aspect but IMHO ( many disagree with me) he was not learning socialization - he was learning how to avoid the bullies - that's it. My ds is also highly gifted and even though he was in a gifted school wasn't really getting challenged. This is a kid who daily will pull out a World Book and read a subject that he wants to know about- with no prompting from me.
Homeschooling offers us so much freedom and control over what our ds learns, how he learns it, provides him safety from bullies (a concern that I think too many people give lip service to but don't realize the devastating effect on kids) the environment in which he learns (ps was a sensory nightmare for him) and gives him a chance to be himself and not just "the weird annoying kid" (which is what he was in ps) .
Jane