Re: Re: Need advice re: homeschooling ASD and playgroups

[Guest guest]

I forgot to add the social skills resources you asked about. My all-time

favorite is Winner _www.socialthinking.com_

(http://www.socialthinking.com) . Her curriculum is at a higher level then your

child is ready for

now but I suggest getting one of her books to read the overall philosophy and

insight since you can start working in that direction now. The way she

approaches social skills is so much better then most because it gets at the root

of

why the social challenges occur rather than just working by modeling and role

play. This helps you teach a foundation for understanding what's going on

around them which allows them to have a much deeper understanding so they tend

to generalize the knowledge and skills better. Even with a very young child,

if you can afford the $75 for her curriculum book, I would recommend it.

You'll have to bring down many of the lessons to your child's level but I have

been

able to use the basic idea of some of the lessons with the little ones I've

worked with.

For younger or harder to reach kids, I suggest one of Barry Neil Kaufman's

books -- Son-Rise or A Miracle to Believe In. You can find these at many

libraries or order at _www.option.org_ (http://www.option.org) . Or, any of Dr.

Stanley Greenspan's books or DVDs on floortime. Both of these methods work at

the child's level and with his/her interests and builds them into interactive

experiences. They're great for building motivation to be with people and care

about what people think.

Dr. Gutstein's Relationship Development Intervention Activities for

Young Children can also be helpful for younger kids. It's another that I'd

recommend reading the basic steps of teaching social skills but then coming up

with your own activities since his tend to be very rigid and a bit boring. You

can get his book on Amazon and sometimes find it on e-bay.

Super Duper also has some fun games and activity books for teaching social

skills _www.superduperinc.com_ (http://www.superduperinc.com) .

Gaylen

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

Due to the larger number of our children in a homeschool setting,

there are many support groups of homeschooled families meeting

in their communities monthly or bi-monthly. This is where ideas

are shared and the kids get to socialize, as well.

It is much better to homeschool a child than to place them in a

class where they will pick up more behaviors or better yet be the

star of that classroom.

Michele

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

Hi-

I pulled my son from the special ed early childhood

program after a few months and enrolled him in

standard daycare. He did much better w/NTs than he

did in the special ed environment - although they did

potty train much better than I did.

I pulled him out because many of the special ed

students were so loud and distressing. Even though I

enrolled him in a preschool w/teachers who did not

have special ed training (gasp), they required of him

what they required of the other children. He did not

socialize too well at the time either way, but it did

not matter. He was developmentally behind, but he

observed the other kids and did begin to emulate some

of them. And because he was being held to " NT "

standards - which passive mommy tended to excuse in

too many ways thinking 'he just can't handle that', I

was able to see how much more he was truly capable of.

I would just make sure a class has two compassionate

teachers. This class was 2:18, and occasionally he

was stressed and overwhelmed, so we simply developed a

space where he could go under a table w/pillows, and

he would be allowed 5 minutes to calm. He could be

given some 'heavy work' (lifting squeezing dragging)

for calming too. It worked for him.

The following year at the same school was disastrous

because they changed the program I signed up for w/out

telling me, and 1 teacher (ill-equipped and

inexperienced who couldn't control the class at all)

in half the size room w/20 kids ... it was supposed to

be two rotating class rooms w/two teachers. He fell

apart here due to a bully and idiotic teacher who

didn't protect him. I quit work and took him home and

waited for local kindergarten to begin. Not the best

I would hope for him, but still pretty decent.

If I were healthier and had any structure and self

discipline, I would home school. I am working on my

own ability to structure, so in the future when

puberty hits, if he suffers the way I did in school at

that age, I hope to be in the shape to home school him

then. Currently I don't have the confidence that I

would be a good (or remotely acceptable) home

schooling mother, but I will be looking into the local

program here again after this topic. Perhaps w/proper

support, I wouldn't be so lacking .

My son is about to turn 8 in August. He has moved

from a CARS rating smack in the middle of moderate to

severe autism, to now seeming " aspie " , but now we can

come across an engaged group of kids, and when it

strikes his fancy, he can get in there and play

without seeing his social deficits so badly. I feel

that when I find a good environment for strengthening

his interest in kids and develop some skills myself in

social training, he will continue to do better than I

could have ever imagined at ages 3-5. Such a short

time, such a staggering difference.

--- Rene <joeandren@...> wrote:

> Gaylen, Cheryl and Kristy

>

> Thanks for your thoughts and insights. I needed to

> hear from

> someone else that this ratio with his sensory

> integration issues

> just was not a good idea. Since we had always

> planned on

> homeschooling I just wasn't sure I was thinking

> through things

> clearly. I'm nervous as heck to tackle this, but

> with prayer and

> perserverence and planning, I know we'll push

> through. (We will get

> special services for him either through the school

> system or

> privately)

>

> Oh, also, this is Pre-K not Kindergarden so there is

> no option for

> mainstreaming with an aide. I will be combing

> through all the

> websites you suggested and curriculums.....

>

> Rene

>

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