Do you homeschool your child with autism?
Tuesday April 7, 2009
Parents helping parents... Sharing your story can be encouraging to other parents that are homeschooling their autistic child or are considering it. Do you have a "golden nugget" to share or maybe an encouraging word? What advice would you give to someone considering homeschooling their autistic child? What methods have worked for you? What has been your biggest obstacle?
More about Autism:
- Autism Awareness Printable Worksheets
- Autism Homeschooling Resources
- Discovering Nathan - Autism Awareness Month daily post
Comments
I don’t have a child with autism, but here is a boy I know with it who is homeschooled:
http://www.kylestreehouse.org/blog-detail.aspx?id=496
We were accidental homeschoolers when we began homeschooling our son with Autism. We had several problems with the local district concerning their program and it became clear that homeschool was our most viable option. We are finishing up our third year and have had such a positive experience that we are also homeschooling our other children. I feel that by homeschooling we can focus more on the aspects of his life that will require years of extra work to achieve independence rather than the focus being on how many minutes a day that he can be mainstreamed. My biggest complaint with public school is that they never seemed to understand that the least restrictive environment may not be the most beneficial. Homeschooling is not a decision I regret, even on the bad days.
We have been homeschooling both of our children from birth. Our son was diagnosed with autism about a year ago and we have continued our homeschool journey since then. Homeschooling has been a God send to us because it allows us to work with our son one on one, which he needs and be able to provide him with the treatments he needs without having to miss so much time from school. We have been using the Charlotte Mason approach, which has worked wonderfully with our son.
My best advice is for families to do their research. Understand what is involved in homeschool and the committment it will take to be successful at homeschooling. There is so much information and so many resources available to homeschoolers today. It is also important to assess your family’s needs and abilities. Homeschooling is not for everyone. It requires a great deal of patience, dedication, and committment. It is really easy to get off track if you are not careful. But, it can be a rewarding and wonderful experience if you work hard at it.
I homeschool my boy who is on the autistic spectrum; I used to be a public school teacher and share my journey and insights at spectrumhomeschool.com (no advertisements – just help)
I have been homeschooling my 14 year old son with high functioning autism for two years. While he has improved academically, he has also improved socially and emotionally. My golden nugget…having the academic learning separate from the social learning has proven successful. My son has several friends on and off the spectrum. His best buds are in his chess club.
This fall, I start homeschooling my son with autism! While we are an established homeschooling family, this will be a new adventure for us.
I have started a blog
http://learningyesican.blogspot.com/
and am hoping this will be a way to encourage other parents who are traveling a similar path.