Does Anyone Home School (Not Diet Related)

I don't homeschool (no kids) but I was homeschool for quite a long period of time. The regulations change a lot depending on what state you are in. However if you want to PM me I'll help you out the best I can.

I don't homeschool, but I also have a child with autism. David is in 6th grade and attends public school. He's labeled 'special ed', but he's in mainstream classes because he's high functioning. Since you're not even sure where to begin with homeschooling, my advice is to make some serious complaints at the office of the school district where your daughter is. By law, they have to follow the IEP and provide all the extra classes (OT, behavioral therapy, speech therapy, group therapy). She shouldn't have those kinds of grades if they are giving her the appropriate accommodations. I'd make some calls before pulling her out to homeschool. High functioning autistic kids NEED the social interaction they get at school.

Patti

I was homeschooled all the way (kindergarten through highschool) while it's not a choice I plan to make for my hypothetical children, if I were in your situation I might consider it. Either that or look around for a magnet / more specialized type of school? There may just be more of those around here because I live in CT.. not sure what you have in your area.

Edited to add a note on the social subject: This was the hardest thing for me with homeschooling. My mom gave me an awesome education but it really wasn't 100% relatable to the outside world. I've adjusted into it, but I would be careful to make sure she has some good social outlets. It doesn't have to be school, it's just something that's easy to forget about when you're so focused on providing a good education.

I homeschooled one of my four kids from grade 5 through graduation because of her struggles with dyslexia. It was the best thing for her to be able to learn at her own pace and in an environment that wasn't intimidating.

Don't buy into the old, tired, and totally unproven argument that the only way to get proper socialization is in school. Real life is NOT sitting in a room with 25 other peers all day. Social skills begin at home and develop in many ways that don't have to be a school setting. Most homeschoolers are involved with a homeschool group that does all kinds of field trips, outings, etc., and most homeschooled kids are involved in the same extracurricular activities as public-schooled kids.

No one knows your child better than you do and there are so many good ways to homeschool that make it easier for the parent. You don't have tto come up with your own curriculum, you don't have to do it alone, and in most states, local schools are willing to help.

Yes, I'm a big supporter of homeschooling as a valid choice. lol!

That is a big reason why we decided to homeschool our dyslexic daughter. The kids were brutal. If that's socialization, they can have it.

We had a very good experience with homeschool. I think you would enjoy it, especially if you used a program that was already planned out and all you had to do was supervise.

Best of luck as you decide. I think you sound very capable of making it a success.

I myself was home schooled for 2 years. I loved it. My parents used Christian based materials through Gateway Christian Schools. Currently I am home schooling my 13 year old brother. We are half way through the year and because he is lazy, he complains about the work! The curriculum we chose was ACE (Accelerated Christian Education by School of Tomorrow) and it does help the children to learn on a higher level than other children their age. However, you can test your child to see which grade level she should be placed on. You set the goals and the pace for her. You can google School of Tomorrow and Gateway Christian Schools for any further info!

The school is required to follow the IEP-- get an advocate. I had a student with Asperger's Syndrome whose mom had to go to that point and she's still fighting with the school, but because of his special needs she feels unqualified to teach him. She also had him moved to a smaller district with a better special ed department. Don't let up on the school-- squeaky wheel gets the grease and all. Unfortunately she's been demonized by the teachers but who cares? It's her kid and it's his right to have his modifications. If you'd like pm me and I'll give you her email address so you can speak to her.

I was homeschooled all of my life except for first grade. I loved it. You can work at your own pace and I will admit that I was not as socialized as I could've been, but that is not simply because of the fact that I was homeschooled. As mentioned before, there are homeschooling groups everywhere and homeshooled kids can do as many extracurricular activites as public-schooled kids. Our family just didn't get out there and join a group. I would recommend homeschooling to anyone, just because I think public schools are a joke. Period. I wouldn't know what to recommend as far as autistic curriculum but we used the ACE stuff that someone mentioned before. It was great. I loved it. My little brother has dyslexia pretty severely, and my mom had to do a lot of research on it and use some different techniques than she used for me and my other brother, and it took some time, but my dyslexic brother is doing fine now, as far as schooling goes.
Again, I wouldn't know what to tell you as far as curriculum goes or anything like that, but I would totally recommend homeschooling because it gives you, the parent, control over what your kids are learning and it's so much more flexible, in a good way.

Might I speak as a certified teacher? And PLEASE read the whole thing before judging what I'm going to say, whether you're pro-homeschooling or not.

We tend to frown on homeschooling for several reasons. One is the lack of socialization. Another is that we feel like we're being slapped in the face when a parent tells us that his or her child is being home schooled. While there are some cases where it's necessary, such as an autoimmune disease, these cases are very rare. I tend to group homeschooling parents into three groups:

1) Medical. These are the rarest group. Their child simply cannot undergo the risk of exposure to so many other people.

2) Religious: There are some communities where families who prefer a religious school environment cannot find a school that meets these needs.

3) Arrogant: This is the most common group. If you are not homeschooling your child for medical or religious reasons, this is how you come across to many teachers. We feel that you are saying "You're not good enough to teach my child. Even though you have the training and degree that I lack, I clearly know better than you do how to make sure that my child gets a good education and how to meet all of the state's standards. I can teach my child English, science, math, history, geography, and any other subject better than any teacher who has had the training in this area even though I may have barely passed high school, myself."

That's not to say that all homeschooling parents are high school dropouts. That is not at all what I am saying. I am just saying that we have the training to teach your child a certain subject or all subjects, depending on grade level. We know what the state standards are. If you are a doctor, I would never presume that I know how to treat my child's medical needs better than you. If you're a banker, I would never come in and presume that I understand economics better than you do. If you're not a teacher, please do not assume that you understand a child's educational needs better than I do.

Now, all of that being said, my step-daughter was home schooled by her biological mother, who used the unschooling method, which is basically saying to the child, "Study what you wish. If it's not important to you, then it's not important at all. If you don't want to study math, you don't need it. If you don't want to study science, it's fine, you don't need it. Only study what you are interested in, and if you feel you need it later on in life, you can always learn it then." My step-daughter is now 17, without a real education, pregnant, and unable to count money, read an analog clock, cook from a recipe, or read anything above a 3rd grade reading level. She is, effectively, unemployable because she can't even read and write well enough to fill out a job application, because her mother, who had full custody, told her it wasn't important if she wasn't interested, and as a kid, she wasn't interested.

So if you do choose to homeschool, do NOT use the unschooling method. It will be the worst, most detrimental thing you could ever do for your child.

Now I speak as both a certified teacher and someone with experience with autistic children.

1) Sue the school if you must. They are REQUIRED BY LAW to follow your child's IEP, and if they are not, then they are breaking the law. Most schools tremble with fear when they see a lawsuit against them, and they tend to get in line pretty quick. She is entitled BY LAW to a free, appropriate public education.

2) If you feel you must remove your child from this school, another option is virtual schooling. Your child would get online for class and would have the routine that autistic children need. She would be taught by licensed teachers and have the same homework assignments that she would get in a brick and mortar school building. It would just all be done on the computer, allowing her to have face-to-face, one-on-one time with her teachers, and she would only interact with other students if she felt comfortable doing so. There are many virtual schools out there, and a lot of them are free.

3) My brother-in-law is low-functioning autistic with mental retardation and a heart condition on top of that. If you wish, you may tell your daughter about him. His name is John, and he managed to get his high school diploma. Knowing that there are others like her and even with worse cases of autism who managed to beat the odds could help her self-esteem a lot.

4) If you find that virtual schooling is not an option and you still must resort to homeschooling, there are many organizations out there that can help you. Choose a program that gives your daughter a sense of structure and can help prepare her for life after school. Find homeschooling groups where she can get the socialization she needs. Make sure that you know your state's educational standards and review materials carefully to make sure that they are appropriate for your daughter's level of achievement and inline with state standards. If you belong to a certain faith group, there are also religious-based homeschooling programs, and they tend to meet the state standards quite well.

@Leannemanderson: Since my reasons for home schooling my children were neither medical or religious, I suppose you would classify me as 'arrogant.' Truly, I don't think I am. And, I am truly sorry you see my educational choice as a slap in the face to you and other teachers. I have to ask: Why do you think virtual schooling should be the only option other than an actual classroom in a brick building? You say that the largest group of homeschoolers is arrogant, but do you realize how what you are saying comes across?

I tailored my own curriculum based upon a classical education model (The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer). Mornings were devoted to core curriculum; afternoons were varied--each day was a different group activity with other home schoolers. I found this model to be very common in our area. Socialization was a definite part of each day, but not revolving around same-age people all the time. I found this to be an advantage, and actually more 'natural' than the traditional classroom model.

I am sorry that your limited experience with home schoolers--your step-daughter, no less--taught you to be distrustful of the home schooling model. I assure you there are many successes. I am not saying home schooling is for everyone. Traditional schooling works fine for most children--in fact, it works MORE than fine for a good many. But, I suggest you open your mind to parent-lead education. It works well, too, in the vast majority of cases.

Another point I wanted to make about this: "Sue the school if you must. They are REQUIRED BY LAW to follow your child's IEP, and if they are not, then they are breaking the law. Most schools tremble with fear when they see a lawsuit against them, and they tend to get in line pretty quick. She is entitled BY LAW to a free, appropriate public education."

My husband is an attorney who has represented parents of SPED students in these situations. The public school system can use many temporizing measures to prolong the agony, and the students don't get those precious months or years of education back. If it ends up in the courts, years can go by, and just as with family law, there's very little actual law to inform judgments. It will usually reflect who had the better, most persuasive experts testifying. Oh yes, and then there's the cost. Lawyers typically don't work for free.