Homeschooling

[Guest guest]

Homeschooling is a lifestyle choice, not a school choice.

I was talking to one of my home schooling friends yesterday, whilst Zak was at a

JSA Meeting (debating). I remember back when Zak was 6 and we were really

involved in the home schooling group at that time. I used to fret that he

wouldn’t know anything, he wouldn’t know the “right”

things etc. It takes about a year of trying out different home schooling

techniques that work for both you and your child.

Home schooling anywhere from blackboard in the kitchen,

curriculum, regular school hours and breaks to unschooling which is no

curriculum and letting the kids learn by living and choosing what THEY want to

learn. The unschooling is much harder to accept for many of us as we have

all been to either public or private schools and told that you have to learn a

certain amount of information in a certain order, in order to function in the

world. Not true… With home schooled kids when they need it they

learn it. E.G. Zak wanted to take a literature class at the

community college and when he tested for it his English wasn’t good

enough. He came home and started studying for the test again through

reading, writing, playing scrabble on line as well as some other computer games

that increased his word knowledge and grammar. Took the test 5 days later

and passed with a near perfect score. In order to do what he wanted to do

there was a step in between and because he wanted the course so badly he was willing

to do what’s necessary to make it happen. I didn’t have to

coerce him, or force him. It’s a natural consequence that had

nothing to do with me!

We do a combination for our 2 kids. Max is better with

online learning in some fashion so he does about 3 hours a day and then watches

different shows on the science, history and discover channel. Zak does no

curriculum as such although he is in a digital arts program and there are tests

there so he participates in those.

They are socialized more than school kids because our kids are

with humans of different ages. They have no problem in the grocery store

talking to 60 year old plus about vegetables and what you can cook with

things. Max, whose 10, can often be seen digging with Abbey whose

4. He pushes her on the swings at the homeschooling meeting and teaches

her things. Zak sometimes will organize all the younger kids between 8-12

into a competition and he’s the judge. Age is not really an issue

when you homeschool as kids have different interests at different ages.

It becomes a lifestyle choice once you have a paradigm shift

about how we learn. If your children have been in school then both you

and your child will need to go through a period of de-schooling. This is

where you have to let go of the way it’s done in traditional environments

and to start finding out what works for you. Many kids will sit and watch

tv for hours, days and weeks when being deschooled. It’s the idea

they don’t have to follow as many instructions anymore. Usually

after a couple of weeks of knowing they can do anything they get bored and want

things to do. We just follow our kids interests….

When Zak was 5 he was interested in Trains. We took a

train ride, watched every the Tank video, went on the internet to find

out about trains. Whilst on the internet we moved from trains to the fastest

train in the world. At that time it was in France. So then we went

on to learn some things about France, it’s history and geography.

From there Zak wanted to know how far away from England it was (where I was

born)…. We ended up on the computer for a few hours all because we

started with trains. After a few hours we had covered Georgraphy, Art,

Politics (remember he’s 5 at the time), Locomotion, other forms of

transport, Sociology, Psychics, Engineering, English, Foreign Languages,

History and Culture…… It’s amazing what learning about

one thing will do for inspiration to find out more…..

No experience is the same…

Find out if you have a local homeschooling group

Check out the laws in your state for homeschooling (I live in AZ

the best in the country as we have no rules)

Connect with other locals that homeschool and ask tons of

questions. Don’t just go once to meeting. It takes time to

find “your” people. Within my groups there are about 70

families now (that’s each having at least 2 kids, sometimes more) and

there are many people I either don’t connect with or don’t

know. I have a core group of females that I have known for about 10 years

as I’ve been in and out of homeschooling/school for that length of time.

Hope some of this helps.

Namaste

Dawn in Tucson

There

is a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in

doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you are

committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results. - Unknown

From:

[mailto: ] On

Behalf Of Gen

Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 8:05 PM

Subject: ( ) Homeschooling

Where do you get info on homeschooling? How do you

know what programs to use? My son is in 1st grade and doing better

since his AS dx / IEP, because he's getting smaller class sizes, a one on

one, and lots of OT support / props which seem to work so far. It's

only been 2 weeks, but I see a big change. His teacher, although

responsive, is not excited that he's still in parts of her classes. I

sent an email saying how great he's been at home the last 2 weeks, being more

focused, and breezing through his homework and asked how he was at

school. She only said, " He seems to have taken to his one on

one " . I expected more of a response. She was in favor of him

moving to another school that had sp ed classes and I fought to have him stay

and provide for him, so she may be mad because he's doing better against her

recommendation. I have a great relationship with the sp ed teacher who

has him for one class and checks on him throughout the day. She calls

and emails me just to let me know how he's doing. I want to be more in

touch with what he's learning and methods of learning so I can enhance these

at home. I thought if I could learn from the homeschooling material, I

could make fun ways for him to learn at home and keep him away from the TV

and video games, plus I don't know how 2nd grade will be so I want to be

prepared and have options if the school can't provide for him.

I'd appreciate any info or web links anyone can provide.

Thanks, Gen

From: jm.smoldt <jm.smoldt@...>

Subject: ( ) Re: A rough week...

Date: Friday, February 5, 2010, 10:48 AM

How do we do it? I homeschool! I gave up on

the school district in preschool. I started homeschooling and there is no way

I will ever put him back in public school. He does so much better at home. He

was getting in trouble all the time for stupid things like licking his hands.

He actually missed library time for licking his hands. I know it is gross but

how is that a big deal. He had stimming behaviors that included licking. I

was just glad he wasn't licking other kids. lol. They forced him into the

bathroom which was one of his phobias even though they were informed that

they were not to force him under any circumstances. When he had Christmas

break and it was time to go back to school he had such a huge meltdown that I

couldn't bear to send him back. We started homeschooling and he has done so

great. He loves being able to work at his own pace and choose some of his own

activities. Granted he is only 6 so we will see how things go, but I have no

intentions of putting him back in. Right now he is so ahead in math and

reading but has a fine motor delay that severely effects his writing, so I

think it would be hard for the schools to provide an environment where he was

not bored. I am certain if he was in public school he would be causing

trouble out of boredom and frustration as well.

..

[Guest guest]

There are places where you can find ready made (structured) curriculum where you turn in the work, they grade it and give you a report card. You must check your laws (like the other ladies said) and then of course, it is quite the lifestyle change. You can google "homeschool curriculum" or "umbrella schools" and probably be fairly overwhelmed. I provided links so you can get an idea of what they are.FLVS - Florida secular online school. works like homeschool except all your stuff is through the state (maybe there is one similar in your area.) You use a computer and get lessons/teaching plan already done. The state grades your workSonlight - Christian homeschool program where you pay tuition and

buy a teaching plan/books. You would do grading and applicable state testing. Seton - Catholic homeschool program where you pay tuition and they provide books, teaching/lesson plan and grading. These ppl have a special needs program available.hthConnieFrom: Dawn Falbe <dawn@astrologerdawn .com>Subject: RE: ( ) Homeschooling Date: Sunday, February 7, 2010, 8:55 PM

Great

response…. The

only thing I would disagree with is no tv or computer games because it doesn’t

represent “learningâ€â€¦ From playing video games Zak decided what was “wrongâ€

with them for him and has created his own that he’s working on getting

published. Even Max watching All My Children with me is learning. He asks

lots of questions about real life and relationships and how the Soap Opera can’t

be real. Also he noticed very quickly that nobody seems to work in AMC and how

do they afford things? He went off to him room one day and created a board

with a list of characters and the type of work they ought to be suited too if

they were ever to work…. So I think it depends on what you consider “learningâ€â€¦.

For us all of living is about learning. With

respect Namaste Dawn

in Tucson

From:

[mailto:AspergersSu pport@group s.com] On Behalf Of jm.smoldt

Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 6:48 PM

Subject: Re: ( ) Homeschooling

I did a lot of googling. There are many

homeschooling styles and a simple search will explain a lot of them. Google

homeschool state standards for your state and that should give you an idea

about your state's requirements. We gather our curriculum from a variety of

sources Sam's club carries workbooks seasonally, Target has wipe off practice

books that are great for writing practice, There is a teacher's aid store near

here that carries literally everything! We tend to make a new school purchase

on a monthly basis, usually no more than ten dollars. We got new science kits

last month and a new math book this month. There are no groups in our immediate

area but we find ways to get social time through church groups and our son will

be starting karate in a few months. Really there are so many styles and it will

probably take a year to really find you groove and be more comfortable. We have

been homeschooling for about a year now and are really settling into what works

for us. We err on the side of unschooling as everything is child led. He

decides what to do when for the most part with some guidance. He has times

during the day in which he is supposed to do school. He loves workbooks so most

of the time that is what he does with assistance. He also enjoys computer math

games, crafts, exploring maps and globes, flash cards, learning games, reading,

etc. Pretty much we say no tv, video games, etc, until he has done some

"learning time". He loves the schoolwork so we usually don't have too

many problems. Best advice, google, and decide what might work for you.

>

>

> From: jm.smoldt <jm.smoldt@.. .>

> Subject: ( ) Re: A rough week....

>

> Date: Friday, February 5, 2010, 10:48 AM

>

>

>

> How do we do it? I homeschool! I gave up on the school district in

> preschool. I started homeschooling and there is no way I will ever put him

> back in public school. He does so much better at home.. He was getting in

> trouble all the time for stupid things like licking his hands. He actually

> missed library time for licking his hands. I know it is gross but how is

> that a big deal. He had stimming behaviors that included licking. I was

just

> glad he wasn't licking other kids. lol. They forced him into the bathroom

> which was one of his phobias even though they were informed that they were

> not to force him under any circumstances. When he had Christmas break and

it

> was time to go back to school he had such a huge meltdown that I couldn't

> bear to send him back. We started homeschooling and he has done so great.

He

> loves being able to work at his own pace and choose some of his own

> activities. Granted he is only 6 so we will see how things go, but I have

no

> intentions of putting him back in. Right now he is so ahead in math and

> reading but has a fine motor delay that severely effects his writing, so I

> think it would be hard for the schools to provide an environment where he

> was not bored. I am certain if he was in public school he would be causing

> trouble out of boredom and frustration as well.

>

>

>

> .

>

>

> <http://geo.. com/serv? s=97359714/ grpId=18638/ grpspId=17063290 52/msgId= 1

> 40068/stime= 1265395538/ nc1=3848644/ nc2=5733769/ nc3=5522130>

>

[Guest guest]

I agree learning can happen with tv and video games, totally! The only thing is

my ds would do NOTHING but play the wii lego star wars game if I didn't have

that rule. The rule encourages him to do some more wholesome exploring, and

then he can have his game and tv time during which he learns as well. I could

totally see Noah designing his own video game someday.

> >

> >

> > From: jm.smoldt <jm.smoldt@>

> > Subject: ( ) Re: A rough week...

> >

> <mailto: %40>

> > Date: Friday, February 5, 2010, 10:48 AM

> >

> >

> >

> > How do we do it? I homeschool! I gave up on the school district in

> > preschool. I started homeschooling and there is no way I will ever put him

> > back in public school. He does so much better at home. He was getting in

> > trouble all the time for stupid things like licking his hands. He actually

> > missed library time for licking his hands. I know it is gross but how is

> > that a big deal. He had stimming behaviors that included licking. I was

> just

> > glad he wasn't licking other kids. lol. They forced him into the bathroom

> > which was one of his phobias even though they were informed that they were

> > not to force him under any circumstances. When he had Christmas break and

> it

> > was time to go back to school he had such a huge meltdown that I couldn't

> > bear to send him back. We started homeschooling and he has done so great.

> He

> > loves being able to work at his own pace and choose some of his own

> > activities. Granted he is only 6 so we will see how things go, but I have

> no

> > intentions of putting him back in. Right now he is so ahead in math and

> > reading but has a fine motor delay that severely effects his writing, so I

> > think it would be hard for the schools to provide an environment where he

> > was not bored. I am certain if he was in public school he would be causing

> > trouble out of boredom and frustration as well.

> >

> >

> >

> > .

> >

> >

> >

> <http://geo./serv?s=97359714/grpId=18638/grpspId=1706329052/msgId=1

> > 40068/stime=1265395538/nc1=3848644/nc2=5733769/nc3=5522130>

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I have been hsing for 4 years. You need to look into your state's laws and there are (fortunately and unfortunately!) LOTS of curriculums out there. If you are Christian: Abeka and Alpha/Omega and Sonlight are really goodIf not: sometimes school districts offer homeschooling online through the state (florida's is FLVS- virtual school). HSLDA has a wealth of info on their site. http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asphth. there are other families on this list who homeschool so I'm sure there are more suggestions. -ConnieFrom: Alli

<allilewis@...>Subject: ( ) homeschooling Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 11:20 AM

does anyone have any information on homeschooling? where to buy materials, etc? websites? i have an 11 year old boy that was recently kicked out of school, and it looks like we will be homeschooling. i need help! and any info would be great! thanks-

[Guest guest]

Yes - a 12 year old, along with his siblings.

>

> Does anyone homeschool their asperger's child

> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

>

[Guest guest]

I am e-schooling my two youngest. One has HFA/gifted/hyperlexic and the other has dyslexia. E-schooling works for us because they have "real" teachers, classes online and I am more like the guide - helping them and keeping them organized.

When my oldest ds (now 21 yo) got to high school, we had to have him tutored as he could not manage going to school. But I didn't do it - the school provided a tutor for that.

Roxanna

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

( ) Homeschooling

Does anyone homeschool their asperger's child

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

[Guest guest]

Oh Debra, I chuckled when I read what you said - your brain hurts. I say that all the time!!!!!!! That plus my brain is too stuffed. Sometimes I just can't learn one more thing or I will go crazy. My 13 yo is going to be doing Alg 2 next school year. I like Alg. so I'm ok with that. But after that, I don't know how far I am going to go with this before I max out my poor brain. lol. Now we know we should have paid more attention in alg in school. There was a reason to learn it! lol...

Roxanna

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

Re: ( ) Homeschooling

We homeschool also and have made it 1/3rd of the way through 11th grade now at a public independant studies program. I am getting tired though and it is getting harder now that it is physics and algebra 2. My brain hurts....

Re: ( ) Homeschooling

I do :-D

On May 25, 2010, at 10:15 AM, bizeemommiehotmail wrote:

Does anyone homeschool their asperger's child

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

“Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.†- Steve Jobs

[Guest guest]



3 equations with 3 unknowns give me headaches and tax my organizational skills.

Re: ( ) Homeschooling

I do :-D

On May 25, 2010, at 10:15 AM, bizeemommiehotmail wrote:

Does anyone homeschool their asperger's childSent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

“Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently -- they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.†- Steve Jobs

[Guest guest]

I would like to get some help from the shcool and I hear the first thing I do is

write a letter requesting and IEP. It is so hard to get even that done these

days, since my child is always pulling on me and my husband is very sick and

needs constant care. Is there a sample IEP letter that I can just kind of copy

from or use as a guide? Thansk so much.

[Guest guest]

Hi Jolene!

We have been doing homeschool from the get go, except for about 6 wks, where we

tried out public school. I don't know how people put up with it! The teacher met

me at the car every day after school to let me know how he had misbehaved. I

couldn't take it, because he's so good for me at home. We love homeschooling.

We used touchmath for his math. I couldn't believe how well it worked for him

with little effort on my part. It's highly visual, tactile and auditory. He is 9

and we are " doing " 4th grade this year.

I posted previously about the weighted vest that we use for helping with ADHD

like symptoms. I love that I can have him work for 15min, then let him go jump

on the trampoline for 5min, then come back and work again. We get more done in

2hrs than the school could get him to do all day.

>

> Hello,

> I never post anything but am at the end of my rope. Because of issues that are

> reoccurring at my son's school, we are thinking of homeschooling him. Does

> anyone else homeschool their aspie child? If so what are some of the pros and

> cons you have found in your experience? Also, do you have any particular

> curriculum that you would recommend? My son is at or above (mostly above) his

> grade level. (He is in fourth grade.) He has trouble only in math. Any

> thoughts or input you might have would be tremendously appreciated. Thanks.

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Ama,

I'm so glad my post was an encouragement to you.

Yes, I have used the Math U See online worksheet generator a lot and the online drills for my children.

I've never heard about the online reading program. I will definitely look into it. I'm always looking for new ideas so pass alone to others.

Yes, I too, head from well meaning friends and even the pediatrician how my son would benefit from being in a school tailored for the Autistic. That slowed down as they saw the progress of my son. Of course several insisted that my son only had the "social issues" because he was homeschooled. They never had an answer when I asked they if their theory was correct, then why didn't my other children have the same "social issues" my Aspie was experiencing, since they too were homeschooled, used the same curriculum, and had the same teacher as their Aspie sibling. That made them quickly change the subject. LOL.

The best thing is now that my son is 19 he can face the social challenges of the classroom as a more mature young adult, then throwing him to the wolves as a 7 year old. He's now secure in who he is and accepts his AS as a matter of life. He knows he doesn't get the jokes and much of the social nuances but can cope. In class with other young adults he faces less teasing and bullying. And he doesn't talk above the heads of his peers like he did as a young child. He is also better to monitor his conversational skills. He would still prefer to converse about his passions, but able to focus on the interests of peers and stay on topic. It's amazing what maturity can do for a young man. He will never be the life of the party, but has become the person classmates come to when they are not sure how to complete an assigned project, knowing my son will know the answer. In high school that would have only been more cause for harassment. Most paying students are more interested in success and are willing to accept the "smart kid" although a "geek" and a little "strange" has something valuable to offer.

Best wishes for the continued success of your son.

Tricia

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

Posted by: "Oforiwa"

Sat Dec 11, 2010 3:06 PM (PST)

Wow Tricia! Thank you so much for sharing all of that information. I really appreciate the links! I've been homeschooling my 7 year-old son ever since he Was a toddler and was fascinated with his ability to quickly absorb and retain information....

[Guest guest]

Dear ne,

I understand your frustration.

It must be extremely difficult when you have to take up the slack whenever your husband is deployed. And working full time to meet the family needs is another big responsibility.

May I ask how old is your son.

If he is home alone when he's suspended, he should be able to do something like Switched-On-Schoolhouse and Teaching Textbooks for Math independently while you are at work.

The programs teach themselves and SOS grades 90% of the student's work for you. It also maintains all your grades for you.

I know many parents have worked while using SOS. Homeschooling gives you the flexibility to work with your student around your schedule. I am currently working as a Educational consultant for SOS. So although I am working from home, my children have to do much of their work independently. I help them with anything they need specific instruction with between my educational sessions.

I also went through cancer surgery, chemo, and radiation two year ago. I could never keep up with a traditional curriculum where I was required to do all the instruction for my children while undergoing treatment. SOS allowed my children, then grades 7 and 10 to work independently and keep up with all their work. My youngest was in 1st grade so she still needed 1:1 instruction, and the older boys helped with this. Luckily grade 1 is mostly about learning to read so I could sit her down on the sofa or bed next to me and have her read and read and read to me. Now as a 3rd grader, she to is pretty independent doing he computer based curriculum.

If computers is not your child's things, you may want to go with LifePacs. They are self taught instructional units. The work is much like the SOS except it is pen and paper work and you will have to grade the work yourself and keep the records. But if your student is able to work independently while you are away, (and from your post it looks like he's been doing this when he was home on suspension) You may find homeschooling can still be a viable option.

Before making the decision to homeschool, you will want to learn the laws of your state. And determine exactly what you need to do to withdraw your student from the public school system so you do not encounter legal difficulties. Most states require you to submit a letter of intent. Other require you to submit an educational plan outlining which your curriculum. Some states require yearly testing. Others less frequent testing, some require no testing at all.

You can learn the requirements from HSLDA

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

Just click on your state and you can read the homeschool laws in your state.

HSLDA also has great resources for homeschooling special needs students.

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

As well as info on homeschooling high school students, record keeping, creating high school transcripts, and issuing a diploma.

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

Hope this helps and encourages you.

Be sure to connect with a local homeschool group in your area.

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

Again click on your state to find groups near you.

The families will be able to help you get started, become familiar with the requirements in your state, pick the best curriculum for you and your son and offer activities, trips and more that your son may be able to participate in. Many homeschool groups even have a high school prom and graduation ceremony.

Blessings,

Tricia

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

From: ne Hansen <s_hansen34 >

Hi Tricia,Thank you for sharing all that information. We are having such a difficult time With our school district that we keeping thinking more and more about Homeschooling. My son has been suspended 5 times already this year, the last two Times for being disruptive and refusing to do his work.Anyway, I don't know if we could pull this off. My son has always done so well When he is home because he's been suspended. He gets all his school work done And it is much neater and he puts more effort into it. The only thing is that Both my husband and I work. My husband is in the military and I have to work to Help make ends meet. When my son stays home alone all day he does much better Academically and obviously I'm not getting the e-mails or phone calls but he Gets so lonely that he gets more depressed. He is already on zoloft for Depression. Is there anyone else out there that homeschools or has homeschooled and worked Full time at the same time?ne

[Guest guest]

I'm reading this with tears in my eyes, my son went through so much for the one

year in public school. He was picked on, ate by himself and would walk into

school with his head down as if he were going to the gilotine (sp)

I am no able to homeschool, wish I could have; he actually asked me to. His

small catholic school closed and he went to public for a year. It was horrible.

He is now at a small christian school, I would eat beans and toast for a year

before I would take him out. He is happy again. He is different, he knows he

is. He would love to have friends and be on the BB team, it will come I hope

and pray. The girls are so wonderful to him. He is super smart and they

appreciate that. SO in that respect he does have friends.

Keep at it,

Bobbie

>

> I do believe there are a couple of persons here who homeschool....I think I

going back to that...any tips?

>

> thanks!

>

>

[Guest guest]

WOW! I am so glad to hear about the program you found for him! I am going to keep my fingers crossed for you (and for him!) It does sound great and I am happy to hear about it and hoping it continues to go well!

Roxanna

"I

predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Jefferson

( ) Re: Homeschooling

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> That is exactly how my 19 year old progressed all through high school. He found he could focus much better if he worked in blocks. He would choose one subject and work through the grade at his own pace. Sometimes he choose to do a unit in science, take the unit test, then take a break from Science and move on to History for a unit or two. I allowed him the freedom to choose how he completed the work. I just required that he complete a min of 4 hours of school work per day, and complete a grade level by the end of the school year while maintaining a particular GPA. The rest was up to him. Many times I would get up at 7 am to find he had already completed 2 hours of schoolwork while I slept. He has never required a lot of sleep and if he woke at 5 am he would just log into school and do his work while the household slept. He said he could focus more before the rest of the family was up and about.

> He graduated with 27 credits and only needed 21 but chose to do as many History electives as he could.

> It's amazing how much and how well our children can do when we offer guidelines while giving them some control of their classes.

> Best wishes.

> Tricia

> ------original message-------

> Posted by: "dphock" dphock@... Sat Dec 11, 2010 7:30 PM (PST)

>

>

> I'm another mom who is finding that homeschooling is working beautifully for my 14 year old Aspie daughter.

>

> I realized that one of the issues that causes D a lot of stress is juggling so many subjects at one time. So we agreed she would do a year's worth of English and math in one semester but just focusing on English, math, and foreign language, and then after the holidays she will do science and history and continue with foreign language. Having fewer subjects to juggle, even while she's still doing the same overall quantity of work, has been MUCH better.

>