No worries woogs- in some ways you were on the right track. ADD, ADHD, and dyslexic kids often benefit from home schooling because it provides a level of one-on-one that most School Districts don't have the resources to provide. In those cases, I think you could make a strong case for Home Schooling. As with many things, it's hard to make blanket statements- there's always a special situation that'll blow you argument into the weeds.

My question would be this- when a parent home schools, how do you make sure your child has the necessary social contacts as they grow up?

 

Polarbear, you're right, I know little of Asperger's syndrome. But, I'm tired of hearing that there is no/little socialization in homeschoolers. That is certainly NOT the case of basically ALL the homeschoolers I know, a number probably approaching 100 families. What I do see in virtually all those families are kids who know how to interact with people of all ages--they can and do help care for their younger siblings (cheerfully), and they can carry on an intelligent conversation with their elders as well. With church, mid-week Bible studies, cooperative groups and homeschool sports groups, to name a few there are plenty of opportunities for socialization. On top of that, homeschooling generally does not take 7-8 hours out of a child's day like public/private school, so the family as a whole has more time during the day to visit others and get together with them for various social activities.

What I'm saying is that the socialization available in public schools is not a good or appropriate form of socialization. I grew up going to parochial, public and private schools, and even a state-funded G/T academy. Other than the parochial school (the private schools were American schools overseas), I learned a LOT of negative behaviors in those schools, as did most of my peers.

Jason

 

This is the problem with home schooling, it shelters kids. Sure they may have group support but in no way is that a substitute for the real world experience that public offers. Life is tough and when you take a kid out of public you really aren't preparing them for real social situations. Some negative is good (peer pressure, singling out, coldness), it teaches kids how to stand up for themselves and deal with the hard days in life. Multiple instructors are good too. A big part of school is the element of dealing with things you don’t want to. These kids are going to have to deal with co-workers, managers and bosses that aren’t the easiest to get along with someday.

 

Thanks for all the responses everyone. I am toying with the idea only because when my son has a "meltdown" as they call it, the school wants me to come pick him up and bring him home. What good will that do?

While talking to the assistant principal yesterday, after my son was having a bad day, they wanted me to come pick him up and bring him home. He asked me what they could do to help calm him down to the point that he could go back to class. My response was to just talk to him and realize that his thought patterns are not like mine or his, the principal's I mean. I also told him that the schools "shrink" diagnosed him and that maybe they should get her involved.

Last year, the special ed teachers assured me that he would have a teacher this year(2nd grade) that knows and understands kids with AS. Well, when we met his teacher, a real sweet woman who's been teaching over 30 years, she didn't even know what AS was!
Right now he has 2 assistants that swap up sitting with him each day as they also have another child with AS that they are working with plus he receives speech therapy along with a special ed teacher. I admit they are trying but I really don't think they know enough to help him or others with this disorder.

Thanks again everyone. I really, really appreciate your input!

 

We've been down that road. More to the point, we're still going down that road (daughter's a sophomore in HS). The good news is that it does get better- take heart dad. The bad news is you're fighting City Hall every step of the way.

If things aren't working the way you think they should, it's time to schedule a meeting and outline your expectations. It's also time to assert your rights- they have to provide whatever assistance is appropriate. You may have to have an independent diagnisis done- your health insurance should cover this. Documentation is everything, and you'll drag it back out more than once. You can pm or email me if you have questions- Mrs. Bear's the pro.

I was sometimes able to talk our daughter through those "meltdowns" on the cellphone, btw.

 

Homeschooling can be a touchy subject. I've seen both sides of the argument. I have family who home school and their kids turned out fantastically. I have freinds who were homeschooled and the kids level of social behavior and streets smarts... it just makes me feel bad for them. You just have to be aware of the kids social growth. Get involved in community/church/whatever activities.

My parents were going to homeschool me but found a private school that could address my ADHD. I still struggled, but I shudder to think of how I would have turned out by attending the public school/fight club (not kidding).

The parent doing the teaching has to know what they're teaching and also has to be willing to be a JERK about school work.

 

First off I teach high school Biology, AP, and Chem; my wife also a teacher H.S. Calc. and AP Calc...we are not teachers straight from college and I have over ten years as an Ag consultant, but number one: it depends on the level of the parents doing the teaching and their abilities. I have seen both sucess and failure among students coming into high school who have had home schooling; in fact this year is the first year I have had a successful student in a long while, but his dad is a teacher and his mom was. I haven't noticed a lot of social problems though except for a girl I had in class about 6 years ago who kept making passes at me, including exposing herself...that went to the top and finally I got rid of her.

As for ADD ADHD or what ever you want to think up for an excuse:remember we are the only country now that "recognizes" this as "disorder" it no longer rocognized in the countries where it once was. I was diagnosed with this twice and I did ok in high school and ended up on the deans list in college...sorry I know that will anger some of you but I personally think its a cop out to get an IEP and use the educators as a scape goat when you can't or don't want to handle things.

I like teaching, but some of the stuff we have to do now to appease parents is silly; like they say we have to instill social, moral skills or at least what they are, police the kids (my school is heavily gang affiliated), break up fights with knives (once) deal with daily vebal abuse...all from the kids- they even vandalized my house and stole my truck one year...but alas nothing gets done...sorry...a little rant...overall there are enough super kids that makes it all worth it.

 

For a time awhile back, I helped out on a bus that transported handicapped kids to and from school and I learned just how appropriate the word "Special" in Special Education is. You simply cannot spend time with those kids without being positively affected. I have never seen bigger smiles or experienced more sincere gratitude, even for such a small thing as snapping a seat belt. Life dealt those kids a bad hand, but they do their best and they do it with grace. Sorry to wander off track, but some memories returned.
Dono