Re: Home Schooling Autistic Son

[Guest guest]

Hi Charli,

The answer would depend largely on your son's current skill sets. Is he

verbal? If he has an IEP, then reviewing the assessments would be a good

place to start for current level of functioning. Or, you could use an

assessment like the ABLLS-R or VB-MAPP. My daughter is 4 and has made

great verbal strides this year due to many things. I credit her verbal

growth with being in a typical daycare full-time, " Headsprout Reading " ,

Direct Instruction Materials like " Distar Language I " (aka " Language for

Learning " ) or " Reading Mastery I " and a parent-based verbal behavior

approach primarily implemented by me.

She also has some fine-motor and gross motor deficits. We haven't really

targeted the gross motor other than outside playing, riding bikes, etc.

For fine motor, I like the " Christian Liberty Press " Preschool Edition,

" Directed Handwriting " , Precision Teaching Materials like those

from " Haughton Learning Center " (Rapid Automatic Naming or Handwriting

Print) or from Maloney's " Teach Your Children Well. "

There is a nice free website called 's Lessons

http://www.jacobslessons.com/ that may target some basic skills. You

could also go to Crayola's website for some free coloring printables.

They have large sized objects on the page for targeting coloring inside

the lines. Most coloring books are just too detailed. Kumon also has

some nice write and wipe stuff at your local bookstore. Cheaper write

and wipe stuff can be found at Staples or Office Depot or your local

drugstore/grocery store. The library is great too for free stories and

activities. Try to find a local homeschooling group to offer support,

direction, materials and curriculum. They may be geared toward typical

learners but also probably have some special needs learners too. Be

careful because some homeschoolers take the same teaching approaches

that a typical public school teacher would. So your mileage with your

child may vary.

The goal is that your child makes a years progress for a year of

homeschooling according to his abilities (or even more hopefully ).

So figure out where your child is now and where he should be in a year

and plan your curriculum around that. Keep good written records

according to your state's laws. Your local or state homeschool group

should be able to provide you with more direction on that.

Aimee T.

On 10/7/2010 11:10 AM, Charli wrote:

>

> Hi,

>

> My name is Charli. My 5 yr old son, Jaxtyn, is autistic as well as

> medically dependant. I'm having a very difficult time finding a home

> school cirriculum for an autistic child- free or tuition based.

>

> Does anyone have sugggestions and/or experience with a good

> kindergarden program for home schooling a special needs child?

>

> Thank you,

> Charli Nichols

>

[Guest guest]

I'm looking to start a preschool for kids with Autism and other developmental

disabilities. Does anyone know of a funding source that I could turn to that

would provide grants for help to start up a program such as this?

Suzette on, MS, BCBA