It's that time of year again.
Right about now, parents of children with autism have had a chance to send their kids off to school and have had a few months to see how they'll do in a traditional setting, some in an inclusive classroom, some in special ed, some have a mixture of both. And some families have come to realize they are not happy with how they perceive their children's treatment by administrations, teachers, school bus staff, and classmates.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are many parents and kids with autism that are happy with their school situation all over the country... I don't know a lot personally, maybe one or two, but I am sure there are more out there. I say, if you have a good IEP, have an administration and school staff that listen to you, co-operates with you and actually implements appropriate, comprehensive services for your child and your kids are getting a good education then you are very lucky and I wholeheartedly support your decision to keep them in school, what more could you ask for?
But for those of you who are wondering about it, let me tell you, homeschooling works for my family. My husband and I wouldn't have it any other way right now, it is exactly what we think is right for The Boy at this point. We spend many hours at the homeschool table with him, and could absolutely not teach him successfully without the help and skills of Ms. One Hundred, The Boy's main BCBA (ABA therapist and former Special Education teacher) who writes and helps to implement The Boy's curriculum. We also have tutors, both inside and outside our home. We pay through the nose for all of these services and although we may be stuck in this rinky dink house for many years to come and lug around credit card debt, these services are vital to our little guy's education. On top of the hours our son spends with these therapists and tutors we spend about 2-3 hours a day with his studies. And on top of THAT we try to make sure he has plenty of socialization and extra curricular activities like the Jr. Dolphins (a pre-cursor to Special Olympics swim club), Saddle Up (therapeutic horse back riding), and playdates and events with our special needs playgroup. We are constantly running here and there but it's okay. We love our life and consider ourselves very lucky.
Everybody has their own reasons for homeschooling, and I've certainly got a few. I've talked about these reasons before in this space, and here are links to my past posts. Homeschooling isn't right for everybody, but it's right for my family. Maybe it's right for yours?
Why I Homeschool Part 1
Postscript to Part 1
Why I Homeschool Part 2
A response to Part 2
Why I Homeschool Part 3
Why I Homeschool Part 4
Why I Homeschool Part 4 (cont'd); Ms. One Hundred
The Cons of Homeschooling
Right about now, parents of children with autism have had a chance to send their kids off to school and have had a few months to see how they'll do in a traditional setting, some in an inclusive classroom, some in special ed, some have a mixture of both. And some families have come to realize they are not happy with how they perceive their children's treatment by administrations, teachers, school bus staff, and classmates.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are many parents and kids with autism that are happy with their school situation all over the country... I don't know a lot personally, maybe one or two, but I am sure there are more out there. I say, if you have a good IEP, have an administration and school staff that listen to you, co-operates with you and actually implements appropriate, comprehensive services for your child and your kids are getting a good education then you are very lucky and I wholeheartedly support your decision to keep them in school, what more could you ask for?
But for those of you who are wondering about it, let me tell you, homeschooling works for my family. My husband and I wouldn't have it any other way right now, it is exactly what we think is right for The Boy at this point. We spend many hours at the homeschool table with him, and could absolutely not teach him successfully without the help and skills of Ms. One Hundred, The Boy's main BCBA (ABA therapist and former Special Education teacher) who writes and helps to implement The Boy's curriculum. We also have tutors, both inside and outside our home. We pay through the nose for all of these services and although we may be stuck in this rinky dink house for many years to come and lug around credit card debt, these services are vital to our little guy's education. On top of the hours our son spends with these therapists and tutors we spend about 2-3 hours a day with his studies. And on top of THAT we try to make sure he has plenty of socialization and extra curricular activities like the Jr. Dolphins (a pre-cursor to Special Olympics swim club), Saddle Up (therapeutic horse back riding), and playdates and events with our special needs playgroup. We are constantly running here and there but it's okay. We love our life and consider ourselves very lucky.
Everybody has their own reasons for homeschooling, and I've certainly got a few. I've talked about these reasons before in this space, and here are links to my past posts. Homeschooling isn't right for everybody, but it's right for my family. Maybe it's right for yours?
Why I Homeschool Part 1
Postscript to Part 1
Why I Homeschool Part 2
A response to Part 2
Why I Homeschool Part 3
Why I Homeschool Part 4
Why I Homeschool Part 4 (cont'd); Ms. One Hundred
The Cons of Homeschooling
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