Sharissa13

I was reading a book about homeschooling an autistic child, and the author made a point that struck me profoundly. I had been noticing how much more relaxed my child is now that he is homeschooled/unschooled. His speech and behavior have improved tremendously. Yet when I needed to stop by the local school for a few minutes, he flew into a panic. He told me emphatically that he did not want to go to school, he is all done with school. And while we were in the building, he regressed into autistic behavior... speech, actions, and everything went right out the window.

What the book I was reading pointed out was Maslow's Hierachy of needs. Basically, need #1 was physiological: food, water, air. Need #2 was safety: security, stability, freedom from fear, anxiety and chaos. #3 was belongingness and love: giving/receiving love, finding a place to belong. #4 esteem: achievement, adequacy, self-esteem. The author said that a teacher controls her classroom by fear and intimidation. If learning doesn't occur until level 4, then how can a child be expected to learn unhindered when need #2 is being circumvented? Not to mention that autistic child (or substitute special needs, or even a child who simply doesn't always fit in) tends to be ignored, left alone, and treated as "different", it erodes need #3.

No wonder my child doesn't even want to set foot inside his old school!

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Kelly Weyd

My daughter 6 has Asperger's as one of her many issues, and she definately had problems in a school setting. But it was my 8 year old daughter that felt like she was suffocating. She never felt safe there because she was bullied and teased so badly because of her small size. Then add that she always felt stressed there, and she did feel like it was chaotic. So she shut down, and no learning was occurring for her. I am so thankfully I listened to her. She came home everyday for a month and told me that she was done with the place, and wanted to be homeschooled. She is happy and thriving now! And I'm so glad for your son he is not in that environment anymore. Interesting book, something I should consider getting.

Kelly

Sharissa13 <sharissa13@...> wrote:
I was reading a book about homeschooling an autistic child, and the author made a point that struck me profoundly. I had been noticing how much more relaxed my child is now that he is homeschooled/unschooled. His speech and behavior have improved tremendously. Yet when I needed to stop by the local school for a few minutes, he flew into a panic. He told me emphatically that he did not want to go to school, he is all done with school. And while we were in the building, he regressed into autistic behavior... speech, actions, and everything went right out the window.

What the book I was reading pointed out was Maslow's Hierachy of needs. Basically, need #1 was physiological: food, water, air. Need #2 was safety: security, stability, freedom from fear, anxiety and chaos. #3 was belongingness and love: giving/receiving love, finding a place to belong. #4 esteem: achievement, adequacy, self-esteem. The author said that a teacher controls her classroom by fear and intimidation. If learning doesn't occur until level 4, then how can a child be expected to learn unhindered when need #2 is being circumvented? Not to mention that autistic child (or substitute special needs, or even a child who simply doesn't always fit in) tends to be ignored, left alone, and treated as "different", it erodes need #3.

No wonder my child doesn't even want to set foot inside his old school!

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woodhaven_farm

--What was the name of the book?

My ds has been under a tremendous amount of stress, much of which was
out of my control. His day to day life was becoming so challenging
and painful for us both. Then circumstances changed, relieving much
of the stress and he has changed - like night and day. I knew that
the stress was the problem, but getting others to see it was harder.
Pretty much all the "professionals" in our life are now in agreance,
but it would be nice to have something "official" that could be used
to back up all our observations.

I don't mean to be so cryptic, I just don't want to get into all the
details. Just understand that I am involved in a very messy, complex
divorce that involves severe abuse and control.

Thanks,
W
- In [email protected], Sharissa13 <sharissa13@...>
wrote:
>
> I was reading a book about homeschooling an autistic child, and the
author made a point that struck me profoundly. I had been noticing
how much more relaxed my child is now that he is
homeschooled/unschooled. His speech and behavior have improved
tremendously. Yet when I needed to stop by the local school for a few
minutes, he flew into a panic. He told me emphatically that he did
not want to go to school, he is all done with school. And while we
were in the building, he regressed into autistic behavior... speech,
actions, and everything went right out the window.
>
> What the book I was reading pointed out was Maslow's Hierachy of
needs. Basically, need #1 was physiological: food, water, air. Need
#2 was safety: security, stability, freedom from fear, anxiety and
chaos. #3 was belongingness and love: giving/receiving love, finding
a place to belong. #4 esteem: achievement, adequacy, self-esteem. The
author said that a teacher controls her classroom by fear and
intimidation. If learning doesn't occur until level 4, then how can a
child be expected to learn unhindered when need #2 is being
circumvented? Not to mention that autistic child (or substitute
special needs, or even a child who simply doesn't always fit in)
tends to be ignored, left alone, and treated as "different", it
erodes need #3.
>
> No wonder my child doesn't even want to set foot inside his old
school!
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
> http://mail.yahoo.com
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Ariannah Armstrong

I'm responding to this post as a way to introduce myself. Hope that is ok.

I live in Nova Scotia, Canada, Married, and we unschool our 4 children
who live at home. (we have some history with the 2 oldest having been
in school - nightmare - need I say more?). We've been unschooling for
the past 4 years. (Started off as "homeschooling" the reawakening of a
dormant, lifelong dream, actually, then relaxed and unschooled the rest
of the time)

My oldest is PDD (kind of a "lump" diagnosis on the autism spectrum),
and people who knew us when she was in school vs now are amazed when
they see her.

Her most pressing "special need" was freedom to be authentically
herself, and to be accepted, in a safe and facilitating environment.
Whoda thunk?

I'll post more as time allows and as relevant subject matter comes up.

Ariannah in Nova Scotia


woodhaven_farm wrote:
> --What was the name of the book?
>
> My ds has been under a tremendous amount of stress, much of which was
> out of my control. His day to day life was becoming so challenging
> and painful for us both. Then circumstances changed, relieving much
> of the stress and he has changed - like night and day. I knew that
> the stress was the problem, but getting others to see it was harder.
> Pretty much all the "professionals" in our life are now in agreance,
> but it would be nice to have something "official" that could be used
> to back up all our observations.
>
> I don't mean to be so cryptic, I just don't want to get into all the
> details. Just understand that I am involved in a very messy, complex
> divorce that involves severe abuse and control.
>
> Thanks,
> W
> - In [email protected], Sharissa13 <sharissa13@...>
> wrote:
>> I was reading a book about homeschooling an autistic child, and the
> author made a point that struck me profoundly. I had been noticing
> how much more relaxed my child is now that he is
> homeschooled/unschooled. His speech and behavior have improved
> tremendously. Yet when I needed to stop by the local school for a few
> minutes, he flew into a panic. He told me emphatically that he did
> not want to go to school, he is all done with school. And while we
> were in the building, he regressed into autistic behavior... speech,
> actions, and everything went right out the window.
>>
>> What the book I was reading pointed out was Maslow's Hierachy of
> needs. Basically, need #1 was physiological: food, water, air. Need
> #2 was safety: security, stability, freedom from fear, anxiety and
> chaos. #3 was belongingness and love: giving/receiving love, finding
> a place to belong. #4 esteem: achievement, adequacy, self-esteem. The
> author said that a teacher controls her classroom by fear and
> intimidation. If learning doesn't occur until level 4, then how can a
> child be expected to learn unhindered when need #2 is being
> circumvented? Not to mention that autistic child (or substitute
> special needs, or even a child who simply doesn't always fit in)
> tends to be ignored, left alone, and treated as "different", it
> erodes need #3.
>>
>> No wonder my child doesn't even want to set foot inside his old
> school!
>> __________________________________________________
>> Do You Yahoo!?
>> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
>> http://mail.yahoo.com
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>


--
Ariannah Armstrong
http://ec.lecti.ca/
"She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands."
Proverbs 31:13

Sharissa13

The book is called, "Homeschooling the Child with
Asperger Syndrome" by Lise Pyles. It was the only
homeschooling book that I could find locally that was
actually geared towards autism/asperger's.

The part that talks about Maslow is only 2 pages of
the whole book... but with everything that I had been
observing lately, it really clicked with me. I hope
you find it equally helpful.

(Incidentally, the author does discuss unschooling,
and uses it in a blend of methods to work with her child.)

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