Social Interaction/Homeschooling vs Public School

[Guest guest]

It's the newbie again. We had our school meeting today and I have mixed

feelings. I came home feeling very positive about the school and the staff. I

think we are very lucky to have people so familiar with AS right here at our

local school. It seems to me they are a caring, skilled team. What worries me is

still the idea of putting my child in the environment that she fears the most.

Not only that, but she will be hard pressed to do things the " school " way. She

is frightened of everything. She doesn't even like for me to read a new book to

her. She tells me, " No, I'm afraid I won't like it. " She didn't even want to

watch Mickie Mouse because she had never seen it before. How is this child going

to handle a school day full of nothing but change, transition, and one new thing

after another? I am so completely torn about what to do. If I keep her home,

how on earth will she learn to accept new things and to interact? Yes, we get

out into the community and she is around people but there are not a whole lot of

experiences with the same group of people like she would have at school. In my

area the hs support group is not very active. Not many play days at the park and

such. Her socialization is limited to church and Girl Scouts and she is really

struggling with both.

Do any of you have a child who is so rigid about new things and terrified of

everything and everybody? How do you handle it? I am afraid that if I continue

to homeschool her she will never learn to be independent and live on her own.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

in FL