Home Schooling?

[DirtDawg]

Comments?

Recommendations?

Feasibility?

Cost?

Benefits?

Disadvantages?

Consequences?

University Acceptance?

I almost put this in the Political section, but I want everyone to comment, even those who have the least of thoughts on this subject, and even non-members. And, yes, even those without children, especially if you were home schooled or wish you had been.  Please, help me to think of things which may help me to make the most responsible decision, as an autistic parent of two autistic children ... a boy, eight years old and a girl, six years old.

Please, list anything you can think of, that may be applicable.

[Callaway]

I wonder why you are thinking of home-schooling your children.  Is there some particular problem with their current school?

One obvious advantage is that you can completely individualize their educations to meet their specific needs.  One obvious disadvantage is that it may be difficult for you to teach them those skills where you have deficits yourself.

[Pyraxis]

I'm very very glad my parents didn't try to home school me. I would have ended up with brilliant book-knowledge and horrendous social skills - or more horrendous, anyway. Especially with autistic kids, I would have thought it's a major risk. Maybe okay if you make sure they get lots of real-world experience, but where/when would they learn to operate without parents around all the time?

[DirtDawg]

It's not a new thought, Callaway. I have been fairly pleased with some of the services available to us, so far. However, as my son is in second grade and getting the highest marks in his grade level, (his reading ability is in the top 0.1%, nationwide, according to his latest evaluation) in most areas, he is already being bullied by several kids and singled out by some of the adults in the school. My son has been allowed to have his own little cubicle-style office/private space inside his classroom. Of course, it helps him to concentrate a little, but it also makes him even more of a freak.

Even at this age, the other kids have learned that they can get a laugh by causing him to jump up and attack kids, who are picking on him. His reactions are hyper-active and defensive, and often "inappropriate". Unfortunately, it's not the kids bullying who get into trouble, but the innocent kid who can't "cope" with the "problems of school life". I am having only patchy success, getting him to ignore their taunting. On his good days, he blows kisses to the girls who tease him and blows a strong "razzberry" to the boys (both considered highly inappropriate!). On his bad days (at least two out of three, every week) he gets in trouble from over-reacting and disrupting class.

I'm not, yet, ready to give up, but next year we will be going to the new school, much farther away. Right now, we are a mile away from school and they both hate any change, so I dread next year. It seems as if we don't qualify to stay at the closer school, since most of the therapy services will be handled in the new school, next year. Their attitude, when we tried to get a special permission to stay put, was more like, "Hey, we're building a new school to handle all your problem children, so you should thank us" (!!!) Of course, they didn't say it that way, but I "heard" that, clear as a bell.

As I mentioned, I haven't made a decision, but there are major problems on the horizon, either way. I am merely wanting to gather everyone's thoughts in one place for the future, in case they would be helpful.

[Litigious]

I was home schooled when I was about 10 years old. I defended myself too successfully against some bullies, so I was considered too violent... The next year I went to another and much better school, though.

I agree with Callaway on the advantages and disadvantages. I also think that, considering the ways we're treated by the NTs, it's AS childrens' fucking right to be home schooled, if they and their parents prefer that.

[DirtDawg]

I'm very very glad my parents didn't try to home school me. I would have ended up with brilliant book-knowledge and horrendous social skills - or more horrendous, anyway. Especially with autistic kids, I would have thought it's a major risk. Maybe okay if you make sure they get lots of real-world experience, but where/when would they learn to operate without parents around all the time?

Thank you. Those are the kinds of thoughts I am looking for. Of course, I have wondered about getting a seat-of-the-pants Real World education, for them, both. Part of the problem is that neither one of them is challenged by the academia and the resulting boredom causes another "new" set of problems.

We are fighting a huge discrepency between each one's development in the areas of data collection and retention (simply amazing!), compared to emotional maturity (a couple of years behind). I have also been asked to consider holding my son back in the second grade, hoping that his emotional development will be more in line with the kids a year younger. Of course, that would compound the problem of not being challenged, in school. Same problem I always had! That's not an answer either. They really don't know how to deal with his ability to learn data, while at the same time, his not being able to function at a much older emotional level is perplexing.

There are two therapists who work with him, weekly, who can help him. Everyone else is either intimidated or annoyed by him and they shouldn't be.

[El]

Is there any kind of happy medium- homeschooling, but getting your kids involved in extracurricular activities where they interact with other kids their age?  The only example I can think of from my own life was my mother living through me and signing me up for horseback riding lessons, then horse camp- it didn't work because I hate horses.      Seriously, though, are there things your kids like that might be used to help them socialize beyond just classroom-type stuff- hobbies, sports, boys and girls' clubs?

[DirtDawg]

I was home schooled when I was about 10 years old. I defended myself too successfully against some bullies, so I was considered too violent... The next year I went to another and much better school, though.

I agree with Callaway on the advantages and disadvantages. I also think that, considering the ways we're treated by the NTs, it's AS childrens' fucking right to be home schooled, if they and their parents prefer that.

I was fifteen when I discovered how powerfully and convincingly, but violently, I could shut down bullying against me. I am a bit of a late bloomer and a little shy, but putting a dipshit, who I had cowered from for three years, in the hospital, with a ruptured larynx, and a broken nose and eye socket bones, in about forty five seconds, gained me quite a bit of confidence. I didn't get caught, though.

[DirtDawg]

Is there any kind of happy medium- homeschooling, but getting your kids involved in extracurricular activities where they interact with other kids their age?  The only example I can think of from my own life was my mother living through me and signing me up for horseback riding lessons, then horse camp- it didn't work because I hate horses.      Seriously, though, are there things your kids like that might be used to help them socialize beyond just classroom-type stuff- hobbies, sports, boys and girls' clubs?

My daughter is still at the age where she literally has everyone wrapped around her pinky, including me. She shows multiple "personalities" (I don't mean that clinically) which she uses, quite to her advantage, since one of her "echoes" is an extrovert. She seems to do much better socially than my son. He has artistic tendencies which could possibly become a decent distraction and social advantage for him, but he is the opposite of athletic, so all of the typical summer baseball, swimming club, winter basketball stuff seems to be out of consideration, at this point. We tried Cub Scouts, last year, but the group interactions were too stressful on him. I'm planning on getting him into another reading group with the local library system this summer. He really loved that, last year.

The Boys and Girls Clubs, here, are extremely lame! ... but it may be something to work on.

[renaeden]

My son has been allowed to have his own little cubicle-style office/private space inside his classroom. Of course, it helps him to concentrate a little, but it also makes him even more of a freak.

I am not surprised!
I like PMS Elle's idea.
Maybe there are other home-schooled kids in the area to interact with?

[Leto729]

apatura iris has home schooled Her children She might give good insight to You DirtDawg.

[DirtDawg]

apatura iris has home schooled Her children She might give good insight to You DirtDawg.

I remember that, now that you mentioned it. Maybe I'll try to PM her over at WP and get her to post her thoughts, here.
Thanks, Kevv.

[DirtDawg]

My son has been allowed to have his own little cubicle-style office/private space inside his classroom. Of course, it helps him to concentrate a little, but it also makes him even more of a freak.

I am not surprised!
I like PMS Elle's idea.
Maybe there are other home-schooled kids in the area to interact with?

That's some of the "old school" teacher's ideas. She's been "teaching twenty nine years" ... can you imagine how often I have heard that, as if it held some weight, instead of disqualifying her from teaching my son.
Yes, there seem to be quite a few who home school, here, but if there is an organized "social club" of support, I haven't found it, yet.

[Callaway]

You might want to talk to Bland at Pearls of Wisdom as well.  I think she homeschooled some of her six kids, so she could have some good ideas for you too.

[Leto729]

Or at the Wrong Planet She is there too.

You might want to talk to Bland at Pearls of Wisdom as well.  I think she homeschooled some of her six kids, so she could have some good ideas for you too.