Re: Re: Homeschooling in California

[Guest guest]

I home schooled in the Bay Area then near Fresno county, never had an issue, but then again I stayed low on the radar. Here in VA I had to write a letter stating religious exemption for the kids and that letter went out to the school district.

Sandy

In a message dated 12/28/2010 4:19:02 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, holling1992@... writes:

I home school in California, but began it in CT, which is why I don't think anyone has hassled me. What part of CA were you from?Dawn Marie>> HSLDA Home School Legal Defense has a great website and good info about > different states and laws. Also if you become a member they will advice you > or defend you if needed. > > > In a message dated 12/27/2010 3:25:17 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, > aerinz@... writes:> > > > > Having just moved from California, I remember when the whole thing flared a > few years ago about not being able to home school. However, the government > made it clear that they are not against homeschooling and would not ban > parents from homeschooling kids.> > There is a group (which of course I unsubscribed from when I moved > up to Washington), specifically for homeschooling in California. Also, I've > never heard of anybody having trouble about homeschooling other than in > extreme circumstances. > > >

[Guest guest]

I take classes and leave the older ones at times to work on schoolwork, I correct papers and check work when I get home, but SOS allows the girls to email me if they have issues also.

My son has aspergers and is only 5 so when we do his work I sit with him to get it done.

Also you don't have to get school work done on a tradition time frame. If your child works better in the afternoons and evenings then so be it. My oldest aren't early risers yet my son is, so I let them sleep in and work with him. By the time he is finished and ready for a rest or a movie they are working hard. Also we take time off when my husband is home on Thursdays so you pick and chose what works best for you. My kids and I tend to be sick or too busy every December so I take off the entire month, yet when its too hot to do much outside we work at schooling in July.

I find the flexibility to be great. I love to plan vacations when I know typical school kids aren't around, less people and less stress on everyone. The zoo tends to be a quiet place when other kids are taking SOL's at school.

Please feel free to ask any questions, we have now been home schooling for a long time. I remember days of tears of hearing my girls tell me they would never learn to read, they laugh about it all now. They now love to read. Another thing is that when you find a topic that inspires your child you can delve in and tailor it to meet their needs. We went through a phase that we loved all things about Little House on the Prairie so we used the Prairie Primer to go step by step through the books. .

I recommend googling a support group near you and find out what activities they plan, some do class co-opts, some have teen functions, and some have curriculum swaps.

Sandy

In a message dated 12/28/2010 4:19:06 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, lmoorhead4@... writes:

Do any of you work outside the home whose children do online schooling? I have a 16 year old daughter that off and on asks about online schooling mostly due to bullying issues that we are constantly addressing. I work about 25 minutes away from home and am out of the house from 8:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. - basically normal school hours. I know it depends on the individual child as to whether or not they could be counted on to do schoolwork while the parent is gone but I just wondered what any of your experiences with this might be.Thank you, in AL>> Having just moved from California, I remember when the whole thing flared a few years ago about not being able to home school. However, the government made it clear that they are not against homeschooling and would not ban parents from homeschooling kids.> > There is a group (which of course I unsubscribed from when I moved up to Washington), specifically for homeschooling in California. Also, I've never heard of anybody having trouble about homeschooling other than in extreme circumstances. > > >

[Guest guest]

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he start school he was one of the most confident little boys i have ever seen, and when he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So after observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher i pulled him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school and try it again ( he

went to our local private school for 4 k) But with the specific problems he has , i really dont know if thats the appropriate setting for him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are just like connor , but only older , have in public school , and i really just dont see that point of putting my son through that! When i talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how is he gonna learn?" and i just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn to change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? that hurts nobody but my son!! Ofcourse i will get my son involved in activities and sports that he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with his aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but i wonder if public school is the right approach to

helping him change how he handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of noise , and other sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like i should atleast encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is so young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through to damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all i dont want it to make him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started school! But now he is so insecure i cant even get him to sit down and color a picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and i understand every child goes through bullying at some point in time or another in school ,

but i just worry that if i continue to send him to public school and wait until things get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! any incite any parents wanna give me im totally open to hearing! And i hope no one thinks im bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism and they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in my area are not to concerned with children with disabilities! MeaghanFrom: holling1992 <holling1992@...>To:

Sent: Wed, December 29, 2010 12:47:41 PMSubject: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California

Hi ~

Although I don't work outside of the home ~ I am often gone off and on throughout the day due to doctors appts. etc. I basically give him a list of what I expect him to complete and he does his best to complete it, knowing that if he doesn't, there will be no gaming until it's done. When he has issues with something or gets stuck, then he puts that aside until I get home and can help him with it. I think in some respects he feels good when he is being responsible for himself, and the time for him to be independent seems to be good for him.

Hope this helps.

Dawn Marie

> >

> > Having just moved from California, I remember when the whole thing flared a few years ago about not being able to home school. However, the government made it clear that they are not against homeschooling and would not ban parents from homeschooling kids.

> >

> > There is a group (which of course I unsubscribed from when I moved up to Washington), specifically for homeschooling in California. Also, I've never heard of anybody having trouble about homeschooling other than in extreme circumstances.

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I wonder if it's our State. I'm from San Diego and experiencing an awful time with our school as far as an IEP and proper testing and accomodations. My son is 7, but we've been fighting for 2 years. My son hates school, and I'm convinced everyday is torture for him, but we can't afford private right now. If you can afford it, look into the private schools in your area. Some are excellent for special needs kids.

Wish you the best,

CAthleen

From: Meaghan Larson <meaghanlarson@...> Sent: Wed, December 29, 2010 4:08:35 PMSubject: Re: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he start school he was one of the most confident little boys i have ever seen, and when he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So after observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher i pulled him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school and try it again ( he went to our local private school for 4 k) But with the specific problems he

has , i really dont know if thats the appropriate setting for him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are just like connor , but only older , have in public school , and i really just dont see that point of putting my son through that! When i talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how is he gonna learn?" and i just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn to change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? that hurts nobody but my son!! Ofcourse i will get my son involved in activities and sports that he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with his aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but i wonder if public school is the right approach to helping him change how he handles those situations! He is very smart for his age

, so homeschooling would be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of noise , and other sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like i should atleast encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is so young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through to damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all i dont want it to make him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started school! But now he is so insecure i cant even get him to sit down and color a picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and i understand every child goes through bullying at some point in time or another in school , but i just worry that if i continue to send him to public school and wait until

things get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! any incite any parents wanna give me im totally open to hearing! And i hope no one thinks im bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism and they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in my area are not to concerned with children with disabilities! Meaghan

From: holling1992 <holling1992@...> Sent: Wed, December 29, 2010 12:47:41 PMSubject: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California

Hi ~Although I don't work outside of the home ~ I am often gone off and on throughout the day due to doctors appts. etc. I basically give him a list of what I expect him to complete and he does his best to complete it, knowing that if he doesn't, there will be no gaming until it's done. When he has issues with something or gets stuck, then he puts that aside until I get home and can help him with it. I think in some respects he feels good when he is being responsible for himself, and the time for him to be independent seems to be good for him.Hope this helps.Dawn Marie> >> > Having just moved from California, I remember when the whole thing flared a few years ago about not being able to home school. However, the government made it clear that they are not against homeschooling and would not ban parents from

homeschooling kids.> > > > There is a group (which of course I unsubscribed from when I moved up to Washington), specifically for homeschooling in California. Also, I've never heard of anybody having trouble about homeschooling other than in extreme circumstances. > > > > > >>

[Guest guest]

Your story is so uplifting, thank you for sharing.

This group keeps the blues away

Cathleen

From: Tricia <bright4homeschool@...> Sent: Thu, December 30, 2010 7:04:55 AMSubject: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California

Dear Meaghan,

I know where you are coming from. I pulled my son out of the pre-school handicapped program when he was only 3 years old after just a few weeks. I really believed that the classroom would benefit his needs. I had no worry about his ability to learn. He was a little sponge and already reading before he started the pre-school program. After only 6 weeks I saw it wasn't working. I spent at least 3 days a week called into school to handle a "situation. In mid-winter, I'd have to bundle a newborn 10 week early preemie and walk to the school because my 3 year old wanted to play in house keeping or had a meltdown because he didn't want to write his name again. His first progress report was all check minuses. Yet in the conference, the teacher proceeded to tell me things like, "Do you know is the only one in the class that knows all the days of the week..he can

even read them?" "You son can count to 100 and he just turned 3." and "He's the only child in the class who participates during circle time." Yet when I questioned why his entire progress report indicated below standard progress, I was informed it was because he could not sit still. Then two weeks later I received a letter from the child study team informing me that the district was no longer able to provide services for my son. He was too disrupted in the classroom and was being placed in the residential program for severely multiply handicapped children. I was able to "opt" to keep my toddler home with me if I chose and the school would transport him the one hour it took to drive to the school until he was 12, at which time he would need to become a residential student unless I choose to transport him myself.

Oh I choose to transport him all right....from the public school right back to my home...and we never looked back.

I officially began homeschooling him from that day forward. I heard all the woeful stores about how he would never be socialized. But I have yet to see an Aspie truly socialize in the public school setting. Instead I see them ostracized, bullied, picked on and called weird because they see the world in a different light. Yes, I was told he would never learn. Yet, He could tell me the moons of Mars when he was 6. When I asked how he know that, he matter of factly told me, "I looked it up in the encyclopedia when we were in the Library this morning."

I kept him involved. We participated in countless homeschool activities including trips. But I was there to help guide him him appropriate social behavior, and other caring moms were there to instruct their "normal" kiddos how to deal with and accept 's little qwirks. We went to weekly play dates in the park, monthly roller skating, soccer, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, Venturing. He is an Eagle Scout, and was even a Den Chief for a Cub Scout Den for 3 years starting when he was 13. Today he is a mentor to an 8 year old ADHD little boy who is facing similar harassment that he experienced when he was young.

He graduated with a 4.0 GPA last June. Today he maintains a 4.0 GPA at a Technical Institute and won a scholarship after testing in the top 10 of the incoming freshman. He chose the Tech route the middle of his senior year, after being accepted into an Ivy League University during his Junior year of high school. He came to me and asked if I'd be really disappointed in him if he decided he didn't want to go to college. We sat down and discussed the situation. He had a long list that he made outlining his reasons to choose Tech School over U Penn. His biggest reason was he didn't want to come out of school with $100, 000 worth of debt only to have to enroll in the tech school after graduation to prepare for the 10 Certifications he needed to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. U Penn would only give him a degree in programming not which would not prepare

him to become a network engineer or administrator. He showed me the data, how could I object? I don't know many 17 year old Seniors who would even bother to research the job requirements and certifications needed without parental or guidance counselor prodding, let alone decide they didn't want to be 21 and in that much debt in a society when the job market is iffy at best!

Do I regret my decision to homeschool? Not on your life. My son is still the square peg in the round hole of education. But today he is a young man who can ignore some of the taunts that he still faces. I was able to instill in him a love of learning, and a security of who he is, what he believes, and how to handle himself when the going gets tough. I didn't set him out for the wolves of conformity as a 5 year old. It amazes me, today he tells me, he knows he will never totally fit in with the rest of the class. But that's ok, because they all know who to come to when they don't know how to put the network back together. He also tells me, if he could change his life and not be an Aspie, he wouldn't, because he says, that is just who he is and he's ok with that. And if he didn't have Aspergers, then he wouldn't be himself. With a tear in my eye, I have to say, I

know I wasn't that self assured or secure in my life when I was 18.

You know your own child and what is best for him. Go with your heart and ignore the naysayers. Your son will learn and group and can become a confident young man with your love and guidance.

If you choose to homeschool, become familiar with the laws in your state.

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

Just click on your state.

While on the HSLDA website, check out the other links,

They have a division for parents with special needs children

http://www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/default.asp

Info on getting started:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/default.asp?bhcp=1

And for finding local support groups in your area:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/info.asp

Plus much more.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Tricia

-------original message----------

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson"

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our local private school for 4 k) But with the Specific problems he has ,

I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that!

When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right approach to helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other

sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through bullying at some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope

no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in my area are not to concerned with children with disabilities!

Meaghan

..

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson" meaghanlarson@... meaghanlarson

Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:55 PM (PST)

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our local private school for 4 k)

But with the Specific problems he has , I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that! When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right approach to

helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through bullying at

some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in My area are not to concerned with children with disabilities! Meaghan

[Guest guest]

I can't thank you enough! I have an amazing 15 year old daughter that I pulled out of school officially one year ago...tons of judgmental consternation. Her father left us 3 years ago. I worry so much about the future for her but I hold firm to the belief that my love and faith in her will guide me.

Thank you so much...I will keep and print your email!Kathy McClain

From: Cathleen Veloria <cathleen.veloria@...>Subject: Re: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California Date: Sunday, January 2, 2011, 11:38 PM

Your story is so uplifting, thank you for sharing.

This group keeps the blues away

Cathleen

From: Tricia <bright4homeschool@...> Sent: Thu, December 30, 2010 7:04:55 AMSubject: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California

Dear Meaghan,

I know where you are coming from. I pulled my son out of the pre-school handicapped program when he was only 3 years old after just a few weeks. I really believed that the classroom would benefit his needs. I had no worry about his ability to learn. He was a little sponge and already reading before he started the pre-school program. After only 6 weeks I saw it wasn't working. I spent at least 3 days a week called into school to handle a "situation. In mid-winter, I'd have to bundle a newborn 10 week early preemie and walk to the school because my 3 year old wanted to play in house keeping or had a meltdown because he didn't want to write his name again. His first progress report was all check minuses. Yet in the conference, the teacher proceeded to tell me things like, "Do you know is the only one in the class that knows all the days of the week..he can

even read them?" "You son can count to 100 and he just turned 3." and "He's the only child in the class who participates during circle time." Yet when I questioned why his entire progress report indicated below standard progress, I was informed it was because he could not sit still. Then two weeks later I received a letter from the child study team informing me that the district was no longer able to provide services for my son. He was too disrupted in the classroom and was being placed in the residential program for severely multiply handicapped children. I was able to "opt" to keep my toddler home with me if I chose and the school would transport him the one hour it took to drive to the school until he was 12, at which time he would need to become a residential student unless I choose to transport him myself.

Oh I choose to transport him all right....from the public school right back to my home...and we never looked back.

I officially began homeschooling him from that day forward. I heard all the woeful stores about how he would never be socialized. But I have yet to see an Aspie truly socialize in the public school setting. Instead I see them ostracized, bullied, picked on and called weird because they see the world in a different light. Yes, I was told he would never learn. Yet, He could tell me the moons of Mars when he was 6. When I asked how he know that, he matter of factly told me, "I looked it up in the encyclopedia when we were in the Library this morning."

I kept him involved. We participated in countless homeschool activities including trips. But I was there to help guide him him appropriate social behavior, and other caring moms were there to instruct their "normal" kiddos how to deal with and accept 's little qwirks. We went to weekly play dates in the park, monthly roller skating, soccer, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, Venturing. He is an Eagle Scout, and was even a Den Chief for a Cub Scout Den for 3 years starting when he was 13. Today he is a mentor to an 8 year old ADHD little boy who is facing similar harassment that he experienced when he was young.

He graduated with a 4.0 GPA last June. Today he maintains a 4.0 GPA at a Technical Institute and won a scholarship after testing in the top 10 of the incoming freshman. He chose the Tech route the middle of his senior year, after being accepted into an Ivy League University during his Junior year of high school. He came to me and asked if I'd be really disappointed in him if he decided he didn't want to go to college. We sat down and discussed the situation. He had a long list that he made outlining his reasons to choose Tech School over U Penn. His biggest reason was he didn't want to come out of school with $100, 000 worth of debt only to have to enroll in the tech school after graduation to prepare for the 10 Certifications he needed to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. U Penn would only give him a degree in programming not which would not prepare

him to become a network engineer or administrator. He showed me the data, how could I object? I don't know many 17 year old Seniors who would even bother to research the job requirements and certifications needed without parental or guidance counselor prodding, let alone decide they didn't want to be 21 and in that much debt in a society when the job market is iffy at best!

Do I regret my decision to homeschool? Not on your life. My son is still the square peg in the round hole of education. But today he is a young man who can ignore some of the taunts that he still faces. I was able to instill in him a love of learning, and a security of who he is, what he believes, and how to handle himself when the going gets tough. I didn't set him out for the wolves of conformity as a 5 year old. It amazes me, today he tells me, he knows he will never totally fit in with the rest of the class. But that's ok, because they all know who to come to when they don't know how to put the network back together. He also tells me, if he could change his life and not be an Aspie, he wouldn't, because he says, that is just who he is and he's ok with that. And if he didn't have Aspergers, then he wouldn't be himself. With a tear in my eye, I have to say, I

know I wasn't that self assured or secure in my life when I was 18.

You know your own child and what is best for him. Go with your heart and ignore the naysayers. Your son will learn and group and can become a confident young man with your love and guidance.

If you choose to homeschool, become familiar with the laws in your state.

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

Just click on your state.

While on the HSLDA website, check out the other links,

They have a division for parents with special needs children

http://www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/default.asp

Info on getting started:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/default.asp?bhcp=1

And for finding local support groups in your area:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/info.asp

Plus much more.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Tricia

-------original message----------

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson"

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our local private school for 4 k) But with the Specific problems he has ,

I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that!

When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right approach to helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other

sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through bullying at some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope

no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in my area are not to concerned with children with disabilities!

Meaghan

..

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson" meaghanlarson@... meaghanlarson

Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:55 PM (PST)

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our local private

school for 4 k) But with the Specific problems he has , I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that! When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right

approach to helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through

bullying at some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in My area are not to concerned with children with disabilities! Meaghan

[Guest guest]

Meaghan, what state do you live in.? I agree with you . The situation is becoming an exclusionary system.From: Tricia <bright4homeschool@...> Sent: Thu, December 30, 2010 10:04:55 AMSubject: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in

California

Dear Meaghan,

I know where you are coming from. I pulled my son out of the pre-school handicapped program when he was only 3 years old after just a few weeks. I really believed that the classroom would benefit his needs. I had no worry about his ability to learn. He was a little sponge and already reading before he started the pre-school program. After only 6 weeks I saw it wasn't working. I spent at least 3 days a week called into school to handle a "situation. In mid-winter, I'd have to bundle a newborn 10 week early preemie and walk to the school because my 3 year old wanted to play in house keeping or had a meltdown because he didn't want to write his name again. His first progress report was all check minuses. Yet in the conference, the teacher proceeded to tell me things like, "Do you know is the only one in the class that knows all the days of the week..he can

even read them?" "You son can count to 100 and he just turned 3." and "He's the only child in the class who participates during circle time." Yet when I questioned why his entire progress report indicated below standard progress, I was informed it was because he could not sit still. Then two weeks later I received a letter from the child study team informing me that the district was no longer able to provide services for my son. He was too disrupted in the classroom and was being placed in the residential program for severely multiply handicapped children. I was able to "opt" to keep my toddler home with me if I chose and the school would transport him the one hour it took to drive to the school until he was 12, at which time he would need to become a residential student unless I choose to transport him myself.

Oh I choose to transport him all right....from the public school right back to my home...and we never looked back.

I officially began homeschooling him from that day forward. I heard all the woeful stores about how he would never be socialized. But I have yet to see an Aspie truly socialize in the public school setting. Instead I see them ostracized, bullied, picked on and called weird because they see the world in a different light. Yes, I was told he would never learn. Yet, He could tell me the moons of Mars when he was 6. When I asked how he know that, he matter of factly told me, "I looked it up in the encyclopedia when we were in the Library this morning."

I kept him involved. We participated in countless homeschool activities including trips. But I was there to help guide him him appropriate social behavior, and other caring moms were there to instruct their "normal" kiddos how to deal with and accept 's little qwirks. We went to weekly play dates in the park, monthly roller skating, soccer, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, Venturing. He is an Eagle Scout, and was even a Den Chief for a Cub Scout Den for 3 years starting when he was 13. Today he is a mentor to an 8 year old ADHD little boy who is facing similar harassment that he experienced when he was young.

He graduated with a 4.0 GPA last June. Today he maintains a 4.0 GPA at a Technical Institute and won a scholarship after testing in the top 10 of the incoming freshman. He chose the Tech route the middle of his senior year, after being accepted into an Ivy League University during his Junior year of high school. He came to me and asked if I'd be really disappointed in him if he decided he didn't want to go to college. We sat down and discussed the situation. He had a long list that he made outlining his reasons to choose Tech School over U Penn. His biggest reason was he didn't want to come out of school with $100, 000 worth of debt only to have to enroll in the tech school after graduation to prepare for the 10 Certifications he needed to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. U Penn would only give him a degree in programming not which would not

prepare him to become a network engineer or administrator. He showed me the data, how could I object? I don't know many 17 year old Seniors who would even bother to research the job requirements and certifications needed without parental or guidance counselor prodding, let alone decide they didn't want to be 21 and in that much debt in a society when the job market is iffy at best!

Do I regret my decision to homeschool? Not on your life. My son is still the square peg in the round hole of education. But today he is a young man who can ignore some of the taunts that he still faces. I was able to instill in him a love of learning, and a security of who he is, what he believes, and how to handle himself when the going gets tough. I didn't set him out for the wolves of conformity as a 5 year old. It amazes me, today he tells me, he knows he will never totally fit in with the rest of the class. But that's ok, because they all know who to come to when they don't know how to put the network back together. He also tells me, if he could change his life and not be an Aspie, he wouldn't, because he says, that is just who he is and he's ok with that. And if he didn't have Aspergers, then he wouldn't be himself. With a tear in my eye, I have to say,

I know I wasn't that self assured or secure in my life when I was 18.

You know your own child and what is best for him. Go with your heart and ignore the naysayers. Your son will learn and group and can become a confident young man with your love and guidance.

If you choose to homeschool, become familiar with the laws in your state.

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

Just click on your state.

While on the HSLDA website, check out the other links,

They have a division for parents with special needs children

http://www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/default.asp

Info on getting started:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/default.asp?bhcp=1

And for finding local support groups in your area:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/info.asp

Plus much more.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Tricia

-------original message----------

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson"

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our local private school for 4 k) But with the Specific problems he has ,

I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that!

When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right approach to helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other

sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through bullying at some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope

no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in my area are not to concerned with children with disabilities!

Meaghan

..

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson" meaghanlarson@... meaghanlarson

Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:55 PM (PST)

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our local private school for 4

k) But with the Specific problems he has , I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that! When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right approach to

helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through bullying at

some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in My area are not to concerned with children with disabilities! Meaghan

[Guest guest]

Tricia , wow thanks so much for your message , it was very comforting in knowing i am making the right decision for my son!! After making out a list of pro's and con's to homeschooling vs. public/private schooling i really just started laughing , because , i guess when i started to make the list , i thought there were going to be more pros to sending him to public school, or i think i was hoping there were going to be more pros to sending him to public school!!!! And to be honest , i really couldnt think of one!! My husband has aspergers , didnt know it until a few years ago ! And my husband having AS has extremely helped me with understand my son and what will work best for him!! THey are into the same things , science being the number 1 thing ,

along with the solar system and dinosaurs! My husband was in public school his whole life , and he struggling the whole way through , he barely graduated high school , he just couldnt learn anything there!! He couldnt focus and would lose control alot , and was severely bullied , i dont know a person who could thrive in that kind of situation!! So he became very insecure and thought he was stupid because he barely graduated high school worked in a VERY dangerous foundry for about 5 years , got married to me , we had 2 kids , and were struggling to make ends meet , and it ALWAYS bothered me about what he was doing for a career because i knew he was so unhappy and could see how brilliant he was!! And i knew he could do more with his life! So after talking with my father about how things were not going well with my husband and his job , and how he was just extremely unhappy my father actually offered for me , my

husband and our two kids to move in with them rent free so my husband could go back to school!! My husband is now 1 semester away from graduating , he has maintained a 4.0 the entire time he has been in college ( three years) and will graduate with a degree in Electrical Engineering , and also a degree in computer software engineering!! Now whats interesting is my husband taught himself calculus and trig through electronics , NOT through his math classes , he took the electronics classes first and realized very quickly he needed to know the trig and calculus skills to get through that electronics class. So he taught it to himself in a way i can not even begin to explain because i have NOOOO idea how he did it! lol He kind of goofed up in his scheduling and didnt realize he needed to take trig and calculus BEFORE the electronics classes otherwise he would be so lost in the electronics classes! But in my husbands case , he said he was

able to teach it to himself soooo easy with using electronics methods and equations!! His professors and other students in his class think he is a real "weirdo" because they cant figure out how he could have done that! Well i guess im the proud wife goin on and on arent i? Yeah , ill stop now! lol But to see where my husband was , and where he is now , you would make your head flip and i jsut cant help but be so proud of him!!!!! So My husbands story really helps me in my decision, because how can a person who literally failed his way through school and barely graduated high school , be a 4.0 student at a technical college known to have one of the hardest programs in the state!!?? My husband takes all self paced classes , and thats how he learns best , basically teaching himself!! And thats alot like homeschooling , not really so much teaching yourself , but its self paced for the most part , and my son wont have the distractions that

really affect his ability to learn, and like college he will have to learn things he isnt necessarily passionate about , but he will be able to excell and move forward as much as he wants in areas that do excite him!! My son i know will do best with this decision, and thats not to say some other kids with aspergers may really do great in public school , and more power to kids that like public schooling , but thats just my point , they LIKE going to public school , my son didnt , so why keep him in a situation that is damaging!!?? I truly feel for parents that are having trouble with their aspies that are in public school and do to working during the day can not stay home to home school, And a lot of schools are great with helping children with aspergers or other disorders , but like i said in my first post , sadly that is not the case in my area!! But my nephews go to just an amazing public school that are so great with healping children with

disorders , and also including "normal" children at the school with understanding aspergers or autism and how being kind and friendly with a child with AS can really make a difference!! So if that school was by me , i probably would consider sending my son there , but even then , after all the research i have done for this particular home school program that is offered in my area , its just to good to not do!!! SO i guess my main point is , that i hope more awareness and support for these children can be brought to light , so that school is not such a struggle for them! But i think the biggest thing is the bullying , parents need to step up and wake up a little bit , I'm sorry but you would probably not be able to find one person who does not know what aspergers or austism spectrum disorder is!! So there is no reason why parents are not taking control and having conversations with their kids about the importance of not bullying!!

THese kids with this disorder have truly so much to offer , people could learn so much from them if they would just start to except them for the way they are and not on changing them!!!! MeaghanFrom: Kathy Mcclain <mcclain.kathy58@...> Sent: Mon, January 3, 2011 4:44:27 PMSubject: Re: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California

I can't thank you enough! I have an amazing 15 year old daughter that I pulled out of school officially one year ago...tons of judgmental consternation. Her father left us 3 years ago. I worry so much about the future for her but I hold firm to the belief that my love and faith in her will guide me.

Thank you so much...I will keep and print your email!Kathy McClain

From: Cathleen Veloria <cathleen.veloria@...>Subject: Re: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California Date: Sunday, January 2, 2011, 11:38 PM

Your story is so uplifting, thank you for sharing.

This group keeps the blues away

Cathleen

From: Tricia <bright4homeschool@...> Sent: Thu, December 30, 2010 7:04:55 AMSubject: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California

Dear Meaghan,

I know where you are coming from. I pulled my son out of the pre-school handicapped program when he was only 3 years old after just a few weeks. I really believed that the classroom would benefit his needs. I had no worry about his ability to learn. He was a little sponge and already reading before he started the pre-school program. After only 6 weeks I saw it wasn't working. I spent at least 3 days a week called into school to handle a "situation. In mid-winter, I'd have to bundle a newborn 10 week early preemie and walk to the school because my 3 year old wanted to play in house keeping or had a meltdown because he didn't want to write his name again. His first progress report was all check minuses. Yet in the conference, the teacher proceeded to tell me things like, "Do you know is the only one in the class that knows all the days of the week..he can

even read them?" "You son can count to 100 and he just turned 3." and "He's the only child in the class who participates during circle time." Yet when I questioned why his entire progress report indicated below standard progress, I was informed it was because he could not sit still. Then two weeks later I received a letter from the child study team informing me that the district was no longer able to provide services for my son. He was too disrupted in the classroom and was being placed in the residential program for severely multiply handicapped children. I was able to "opt" to keep my toddler home with me if I chose and the school would transport him the one hour it took to drive to the school until he was 12, at which time he would need to become a residential student unless I choose to transport him myself.

Oh I choose to transport him all right....from the public school right back to my home...and we never looked back.

I officially began homeschooling him from that day forward. I heard all the woeful stores about how he would never be socialized. But I have yet to see an Aspie truly socialize in the public school setting. Instead I see them ostracized, bullied, picked on and called weird because they see the world in a different light. Yes, I was told he would never learn. Yet, He could tell me the moons of Mars when he was 6. When I asked how he know that, he matter of factly told me, "I looked it up in the encyclopedia when we were in the Library this morning."

I kept him involved. We participated in countless homeschool activities including trips. But I was there to help guide him him appropriate social behavior, and other caring moms were there to instruct their "normal" kiddos how to deal with and accept 's little qwirks. We went to weekly play dates in the park, monthly roller skating, soccer, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, Venturing. He is an Eagle Scout, and was even a Den Chief for a Cub Scout Den for 3 years starting when he was 13. Today he is a mentor to an 8 year old ADHD little boy who is facing similar harassment that he experienced when he was young.

He graduated with a 4.0 GPA last June. Today he maintains a 4.0 GPA at a Technical Institute and won a scholarship after testing in the top 10 of the incoming freshman. He chose the Tech route the middle of his senior year, after being accepted into an Ivy League University during his Junior year of high school. He came to me and asked if I'd be really disappointed in him if he decided he didn't want to go to college. We sat down and discussed the situation. He had a long list that he made outlining his reasons to choose Tech School over U Penn. His biggest reason was he didn't want to come out of school with $100, 000 worth of debt only to have to enroll in the tech school after graduation to prepare for the 10 Certifications he needed to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. U Penn would only give him a degree in programming not which would not prepare

him to become a network engineer or administrator. He showed me the data, how could I object? I don't know many 17 year old Seniors who would even bother to research the job requirements and certifications needed without parental or guidance counselor prodding, let alone decide they didn't want to be 21 and in that much debt in a society when the job market is iffy at best!

Do I regret my decision to homeschool? Not on your life. My son is still the square peg in the round hole of education. But today he is a young man who can ignore some of the taunts that he still faces. I was able to instill in him a love of learning, and a security of who he is, what he believes, and how to handle himself when the going gets tough. I didn't set him out for the wolves of conformity as a 5 year old. It amazes me, today he tells me, he knows he will never totally fit in with the rest of the class. But that's ok, because they all know who to come to when they don't know how to put the network back together. He also tells me, if he could change his life and not be an Aspie, he wouldn't, because he says, that is just who he is and he's ok with that. And if he didn't have Aspergers, then he wouldn't be himself. With a tear in my eye, I have to say, I

know I wasn't that self assured or secure in my life when I was 18.

You know your own child and what is best for him. Go with your heart and ignore the naysayers. Your son will learn and group and can become a confident young man with your love and guidance.

If you choose to homeschool, become familiar with the laws in your state.

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

Just click on your state.

While on the HSLDA website, check out the other links,

They have a division for parents with special needs children

http://www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/default.asp

Info on getting started:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/default.asp?bhcp=1

And for finding local support groups in your area:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/info.asp

Plus much more.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Tricia

-------original message----------

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson"

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our local private school for 4 k) But with the Specific problems he has ,

I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that!

When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right approach to helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other

sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through bullying at some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope

no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in my area are not to concerned with children with disabilities!

Meaghan

..

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson" meaghanlarson@... meaghanlarson

Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:55 PM (PST)

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our local private

school for 4 k) But with the Specific problems he has , I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that! When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right

approach to helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through

bullying at some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in My area are not to concerned with children with disabilities! Meaghan

[Guest guest]

Wow thanks so much for sharing this! Your husband sounds just like mine except he wasn't bullied I guess because he withdrew from his peers but also went to a special program part of the day at a cultural arts school for music. He is incredibly talented and brilliant and yet the high school just passed him in spite of his failing grades. Then he found college but figured out how to teach himself. He went into electronics and then over the years has taught himself the inner/outer/everything about computers especially Linux. He took certification exams after just studying the huge textbook when he could while others had to take an entire course to get certified! And you know he still thinks he is stupid even though he taught himself to be a systems administrator specializing in Linux systems. His high school failures still haunt him. I've suspected he might be an Aspie but he is so less severe than my brother so it is hard to see easily.JenSoon to be 6yo AspieOn Jan 6, 2011, at 9:02 PM, Meaghan Larson <meaghanlarson@...> wrote:

Tricia , wow thanks so much for your message , it was very comforting in knowing i am making the right decision for my son!! After making out a list of pro's and con's to homeschooling vs. public/private schooling i really just started laughing , because , i guess when i started to make the list , i thought there were going to be more pros to sending him to public school, or i think i was hoping there were going to be more pros to sending him to public school!!!! And to be honest , i really couldnt think of one!! My husband has aspergers , didnt know it until a few years ago ! And my husband having AS has extremely helped me with understand my son and what will work best for him!! THey are into the same things , science being the number 1 thing ,

along with the solar system and dinosaurs! My husband was in public school his whole life , and he struggling the whole way through , he barely graduated high school , he just couldnt learn anything there!! He couldnt focus and would lose control alot , and was severely bullied , i dont know a person who could thrive in that kind of situation!! So he became very insecure and thought he was stupid because he barely graduated high school worked in a VERY dangerous foundry for about 5 years , got married to me , we had 2 kids , and were struggling to make ends meet , and it ALWAYS bothered me about what he was doing for a career because i knew he was so unhappy and could see how brilliant he was!! And i knew he could do more with his life! So after talking with my father about how things were not going well with my husband and his job , and how he was just extremely unhappy my father actually offered for me , my

husband and our two kids to move in with them rent free so my husband could go back to school!! My husband is now 1 semester away from graduating , he has maintained a 4.0 the entire time he has been in college ( three years) and will graduate with a degree in Electrical Engineering , and also a degree in computer software engineering!! Now whats interesting is my husband taught himself calculus and trig through electronics , NOT through his math classes , he took the electronics classes first and realized very quickly he needed to know the trig and calculus skills to get through that electronics class. So he taught it to himself in a way i can not even begin to explain because i have NOOOO idea how he did it! lol He kind of goofed up in his scheduling and didnt realize he needed to take trig and calculus BEFORE the electronics classes otherwise he would be so lost in the electronics classes! But in my husbands case , he said he was

able to teach it to himself soooo easy with using electronics methods and equations!! His professors and other students in his class think he is a real "weirdo" because they cant figure out how he could have done that! Well i guess im the proud wife goin on and on arent i? Yeah , ill stop now! lol But to see where my husband was , and where he is now , you would make your head flip and i jsut cant help but be so proud of him!!!!! So My husbands story really helps me in my decision, because how can a person who literally failed his way through school and barely graduated high school , be a 4.0 student at a technical college known to have one of the hardest programs in the state!!?? My husband takes all self paced classes , and thats how he learns best , basically teaching himself!! And thats alot like homeschooling , not really so much teaching yourself , but its self paced for the most part , and my son wont have the distractions that

really affect his ability to learn, and like college he will have to learn things he isnt necessarily passionate about , but he will be able to excell and move forward as much as he wants in areas that do excite him!! My son i know will do best with this decision, and thats not to say some other kids with aspergers may really do great in public school , and more power to kids that like public schooling , but thats just my point , they LIKE going to public school , my son didnt , so why keep him in a situation that is damaging!!?? I truly feel for parents that are having trouble with their aspies that are in public school and do to working during the day can not stay home to home school, And a lot of schools are great with helping children with aspergers or other disorders , but like i said in my first post , sadly that is not the case in my area!! But my nephews go to just an amazing public school that are so great with healping children with

disorders , and also including "normal" children at the school with understanding aspergers or autism and how being kind and friendly with a child with AS can really make a difference!! So if that school was by me , i probably would consider sending my son there , but even then , after all the research i have done for this particular home school program that is offered in my area , its just to good to not do!!! SO i guess my main point is , that i hope more awareness and support for these children can be brought to light , so that school is not such a struggle for them! But i think the biggest thing is the bullying , parents need to step up and wake up a little bit , I'm sorry but you would probably not be able to find one person who does not know what aspergers or austism spectrum disorder is!! So there is no reason why parents are not taking control and having conversations with their kids about the importance of not bullying!!

THese kids with this disorder have truly so much to offer , people could learn so much from them if they would just start to except them for the way they are and not on changing them!!!! MeaghanFrom: Kathy Mcclain <mcclain.kathy58@...> Sent: Mon, January 3, 2011 4:44:27 PMSubject: Re: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California

I can't thank you enough! I have an amazing 15 year old daughter that I pulled out of school officially one year ago...tons of judgmental consternation. Her father left us 3 years ago. I worry so much about the future for her but I hold firm to the belief that my love and faith in her will guide me.

Thank you so much...I will keep and print your email!Kathy McClain

From: Cathleen Veloria <cathleen.veloria@...>Subject: Re: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California Date: Sunday, January 2, 2011, 11:38 PM

Your story is so uplifting, thank you for sharing.

This group keeps the blues away

Cathleen

From: Tricia <bright4homeschool@...> Sent: Thu, December 30, 2010 7:04:55 AMSubject: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California

Dear Meaghan,

I know where you are coming from. I pulled my son out of the pre-school handicapped program when he was only 3 years old after just a few weeks. I really believed that the classroom would benefit his needs. I had no worry about his ability to learn. He was a little sponge and already reading before he started the pre-school program. After only 6 weeks I saw it wasn't working. I spent at least 3 days a week called into school to handle a "situation. In mid-winter, I'd have to bundle a newborn 10 week early preemie and walk to the school because my 3 year old wanted to play in house keeping or had a meltdown because he didn't want to write his name again. His first progress report was all check minuses. Yet in the conference, the teacher proceeded to tell me things like, "Do you know is the only one in the class that knows all the days of the week..he can

even read them?" "You son can count to 100 and he just turned 3." and "He's the only child in the class who participates during circle time." Yet when I questioned why his entire progress report indicated below standard progress, I was informed it was because he could not sit still. Then two weeks later I received a letter from the child study team informing me that the district was no longer able to provide services for my son. He was too disrupted in the classroom and was being placed in the residential program for severely multiply handicapped children. I was able to "opt" to keep my toddler home with me if I chose and the school would transport him the one hour it took to drive to the school until he was 12, at which time he would need to become a residential student unless I choose to transport him myself.

Oh I choose to transport him all right....from the public school right back to my home...and we never looked back.

I officially began homeschooling him from that day forward. I heard all the woeful stores about how he would never be socialized. But I have yet to see an Aspie truly socialize in the public school setting. Instead I see them ostracized, bullied, picked on and called weird because they see the world in a different light. Yes, I was told he would never learn. Yet, He could tell me the moons of Mars when he was 6. When I asked how he know that, he matter of factly told me, "I looked it up in the encyclopedia when we were in the Library this morning."

I kept him involved. We participated in countless homeschool activities including trips. But I was there to help guide him him appropriate social behavior, and other caring moms were there to instruct their "normal" kiddos how to deal with and accept 's little qwirks. We went to weekly play dates in the park, monthly roller skating, soccer, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, Venturing. He is an Eagle Scout, and was even a Den Chief for a Cub Scout Den for 3 years starting when he was 13. Today he is a mentor to an 8 year old ADHD little boy who is facing similar harassment that he experienced when he was young.

He graduated with a 4.0 GPA last June. Today he maintains a 4.0 GPA at a Technical Institute and won a scholarship after testing in the top 10 of the incoming freshman. He chose the Tech route the middle of his senior year, after being accepted into an Ivy League University during his Junior year of high school. He came to me and asked if I'd be really disappointed in him if he decided he didn't want to go to college. We sat down and discussed the situation. He had a long list that he made outlining his reasons to choose Tech School over U Penn. His biggest reason was he didn't want to come out of school with $100, 000 worth of debt only to have to enroll in the tech school after graduation to prepare for the 10 Certifications he needed to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. U Penn would only give him a degree in programming not which would not prepare

him to become a network engineer or administrator. He showed me the data, how could I object? I don't know many 17 year old Seniors who would even bother to research the job requirements and certifications needed without parental or guidance counselor prodding, let alone decide they didn't want to be 21 and in that much debt in a society when the job market is iffy at best!

Do I regret my decision to homeschool? Not on your life. My son is still the square peg in the round hole of education. But today he is a young man who can ignore some of the taunts that he still faces. I was able to instill in him a love of learning, and a security of who he is, what he believes, and how to handle himself when the going gets tough. I didn't set him out for the wolves of conformity as a 5 year old. It amazes me, today he tells me, he knows he will never totally fit in with the rest of the class. But that's ok, because they all know who to come to when they don't know how to put the network back together. He also tells me, if he could change his life and not be an Aspie, he wouldn't, because he says, that is just who he is and he's ok with that. And if he didn't have Aspergers, then he wouldn't be himself. With a tear in my eye, I have to say, I

know I wasn't that self assured or secure in my life when I was 18.

You know your own child and what is best for him. Go with your heart and ignore the naysayers. Your son will learn and group and can become a confident young man with your love and guidance.

If you choose to homeschool, become familiar with the laws in your state.

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

Just click on your state.

While on the HSLDA website, check out the other links,

They have a division for parents with special needs children

http://www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/default.asp

Info on getting started:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/default.asp?bhcp=1

And for finding local support groups in your area:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/info.asp

Plus much more.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Tricia

-------original message----------

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson"

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our local private school for 4 k) But with the Specific problems he has ,

I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that!

When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right approach to helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other

sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through bullying at some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope

no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in my area are not to concerned with children with disabilities!

Meaghan

..

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson" meaghanlarson@... meaghanlarson

Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:55 PM (PST)

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our local private

school for 4 k) But with the Specific problems he has , I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that! When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right

approach to helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through

bullying at some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in My area are not to concerned with children with disabilities! Meaghan

[Guest guest]

Hey Jen, AHHHHHH LINUX!!! LOL my husband LOVES linux , he talks about it all the time!! And he always talks about how Ubuntu is sooo much better then windows systems!! I try and follow along in those conversations but he usually ends up talking about stuff that to me sound like he is speaking another language!lol But Pretty sure our husbands would be best friends if they knew each other!! lolLike i said before my husband went through K-12 without anyone evaluating him for any kind of disorder! He wasnt bullied badly until he got to highschool i think ,one , because it was a very small town and where he went to middle school and elementary school only had like 8 kids in his class, so everyone kind of had to be friendly or there would be no one to talk too! lol BUt also because he really just kept to himself , for the most part, he

formed very close relationships with 1 other boy growing up , but on his friends 19th birthday he died! He had a blood transfusion in the early 80's when he was 2 years old and was infected with HIV! Very sad , since then he really hasnt gotten to close with anyone , i dont wanna say he doesnt have friends , because he does , he just never hangs out with them , they are more casual. Its like ,when he sees' them , he talks to him kind of thing! He is just happier staying at home and working on electronics or wood working, thats his other big hobby is building whatever he can out of wood! :)FInding out my husband has aspergers was i think the best thing that has helped our marriage! I could never understand why he wouldnt go out with me and my sisters and their husbands for a night out on the town, sometimes he has to force himself to go because he knows i want to go so bad! Which always made me feel so bad! I hate feeling like i am

putting him in situations that he doesnt want to be in! My family is all aware of how my husband is , and its helped them understand him too!! They at first thought my husband was such a prick! Because he wouldnt talk and when he would talk , he would always say kind of weird things , he has a very dry sense of humor! lolBut my husband loves the way he is , he knows he is really smart and he can figure out a lot of things that many "typical" people would have to spend a lot of time on to figure out!! He looks at it more as a ability then a disability!! And i love that! :)Thanks for writing back to my message , its kind of cool to hear about others who are in a similar situation as I am! ( well not cool to hear your husband is still troubled from all the bullies from highschool ofcourse , but this is why they have support groups , your husband shouldnt feel stupid or anything like that , sounds like a very

intelligent man with a great head on his shoulders!! :)Meaghan

From: Cathleen Veloria <cathleen.veloria@...>Subject: Re: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California Date: Sunday, January 2, 2011, 11:38 PM

Your story is so uplifting, thank you for sharing.

This group keeps the blues away

Cathleen

From: Tricia <bright4homeschool@...> Sent: Thu, December 30, 2010 7:04:55 AMSubject: ( ) Re: Homeschooling in California

Dear Meaghan,

I know where you are coming from. I pulled my son out of the pre-school handicapped program when he was only 3 years old after just a few weeks. I really believed that the classroom would benefit his needs. I had no worry about his ability to learn. He was a little sponge and already reading before he started the pre-school program. After only 6 weeks I saw it wasn't working. I spent at least 3 days a week called into school to handle a "situation. In mid-winter, I'd have to bundle a newborn 10 week early preemie and walk to the school because my 3 year old wanted to play in house keeping or had a meltdown because he didn't want to write his name again. His first progress report was all check minuses. Yet in the conference, the teacher proceeded to tell me things like, "Do you know is the only one in the class that knows all the days of the week..he can

even read them?" "You son can count to 100 and he just turned 3." and "He's the only child in the class who participates during circle time." Yet when I questioned why his entire progress report indicated below standard progress, I was informed it was because he could not sit still. Then two weeks later I received a letter from the child study team informing me that the district was no longer able to provide services for my son. He was too disrupted in the classroom and was being placed in the residential program for severely multiply handicapped children. I was able to "opt" to keep my toddler home with me if I chose and the school would transport him the one hour it took to drive to the school until he was 12, at which time he would need to become a residential student unless I choose to transport him myself.

Oh I choose to transport him all right....from the public school right back to my home...and we never looked back.

I officially began homeschooling him from that day forward. I heard all the woeful stores about how he would never be socialized. But I have yet to see an Aspie truly socialize in the public school setting. Instead I see them ostracized, bullied, picked on and called weird because they see the world in a different light. Yes, I was told he would never learn. Yet, He could tell me the moons of Mars when he was 6. When I asked how he know that, he matter of factly told me, "I looked it up in the encyclopedia when we were in the Library this morning."

I kept him involved. We participated in countless homeschool activities including trips. But I was there to help guide him him appropriate social behavior, and other caring moms were there to instruct their "normal" kiddos how to deal with and accept 's little qwirks. We went to weekly play dates in the park, monthly roller skating, soccer, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, Venturing. He is an Eagle Scout, and was even a Den Chief for a Cub Scout Den for 3 years starting when he was 13. Today he is a mentor to an 8 year old ADHD little boy who is facing similar harassment that he experienced when he was young.

He graduated with a 4.0 GPA last June. Today he maintains a 4.0 GPA at a Technical Institute and won a scholarship after testing in the top 10 of the incoming freshman. He chose the Tech route the middle of his senior year, after being accepted into an Ivy League University during his Junior year of high school. He came to me and asked if I'd be really disappointed in him if he decided he didn't want to go to college. We sat down and discussed the situation. He had a long list that he made outlining his reasons to choose Tech School over U Penn. His biggest reason was he didn't want to come out of school with $100, 000 worth of debt only to have to enroll in the tech school after graduation to prepare for the 10 Certifications he needed to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. U Penn would only give him a degree in programming not which would not prepare

him to become a network engineer or administrator. He showed me the data, how could I object? I don't know many 17 year old Seniors who would even bother to research the job requirements and certifications needed without parental or guidance counselor prodding, let alone decide they didn't want to be 21 and in that much debt in a society when the job market is iffy at best!

Do I regret my decision to homeschool? Not on your life. My son is still the square peg in the round hole of education. But today he is a young man who can ignore some of the taunts that he still faces. I was able to instill in him a love of learning, and a security of who he is, what he believes, and how to handle himself when the going gets tough. I didn't set him out for the wolves of conformity as a 5 year old. It amazes me, today he tells me, he knows he will never totally fit in with the rest of the class. But that's ok, because they all know who to come to when they don't know how to put the network back together. He also tells me, if he could change his life and not be an Aspie, he wouldn't, because he says, that is just who he is and he's ok with that. And if he didn't have Aspergers, then he wouldn't be himself. With a tear in my eye, I have to say, I

know I wasn't that self assured or secure in my life when I was 18.

You know your own child and what is best for him. Go with your heart and ignore the naysayers. Your son will learn and group and can become a confident young man with your love and guidance.

If you choose to homeschool, become familiar with the laws in your state.

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

Just click on your state.

While on the HSLDA website, check out the other links,

They have a division for parents with special needs children

http://www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/default.asp

Info on getting started:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/default.asp?bhcp=1

And for finding local support groups in your area:

http://www.youcanhomeschool.org/starthere/info.asp

Plus much more.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Tricia

-------original message----------

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson"

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our local private school for 4 k) But with the Specific problems he has ,

I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that!

When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right approach to helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other

sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through bullying at some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope

no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in my area are not to concerned with children with disabilities!

Meaghan

..

Posted by: "Meaghan Larson" meaghanlarson@... meaghanlarson

Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:55 PM (PST)

I am glad this topic was brought up, Let me start off by saying my 4 1/2 year Old has Aspergers , he was only in school for a few months in his local 4k Program at school, but in just that few months it did a lot of damage to him! He Was bullied , and even his teacher was pretty brutal to him at times! Before he Start school he was one of the most confident little boys I have ever seen, and When he was in school he became EXTREMELY insecure and would tell me things Other kids did and said to him, and it just broke my heart! None of the other Kids would play with him at recess , he would just wonder around by himself! So After observing that and getting no feedback or help from his teacher I pulled Him out! I am hoping to send him to the public school next year for pre school And try it again ( he went to our

local private

school for 4 k) But with the Specific problems he has , I really dont know if thats the appropriate setting For him? I hear stories about how much bullying and trouble that kids who are Just like Connor , but only older , have in public school , and I really just Dont see that point of putting my son through that! When I talk about private school with my family members they say " oh well how Is he gonna learn?" and I just feel like responding with " learn what?!!!" learn To change who is he , and change the way he feels most comfortable with learning Because his teachers and other typical kids around him want him too? That hurts Nobody but my son!! Ofcourse I will get my son involved in activities and sports That he so chooses to take an interest in! And he will learn how to cope with His aspergers in situations that he doesnt necessarily feel comfortable in , but I wonder if public school is the right

approach to helping him change how he Handles those situations! He is very smart for his age , so homeschooling would Be great in that aspect as he can work ahead in areas he does well in! But he Just wasnt able to learn when he was in regular school , the distractions of Noise , and other sensory issues were just too overwhelming for him to learn in! So is it bad to have him be home schooled ? I feel like I should atleast Encourage him to give it one more go in the public school system , because he is So young! I just dont want the bullying or other issues that he will go through To damage him , and make him depressed! And most of all I dont want it to make Him not like learning , because he looooved to learn with me before he started School! But now he is so insecure I cant even get him to sit down and color a Picture with me! I wanna do whats best for my son , and I understand every Child goes through

bullying at some point in time or another in school , but I Just worry that if I continue to send him to public school and wait until things Get bad before home schooling him that the damage will already be done to him! Any incite any parents wanna give me I'm totally open to hearing! And I hope no One thinks I'm bashing public school or anything , because my nephews have autism And they have an AMAZING public school they go too! Sadly tho , the schools in My area are not to concerned with children with disabilities! Meaghan