unschooling /schooling with a labbeled child
jen
I'm still tring to deside if this is what fits us. That said I have followed a few topics and my own reserch. I am into this way of thinking but still letting the rest of my family deside. (i have 5 kids) My 6yr old son has already come home he hates school and has a high IQ and is board and has horrible seperation anxioty. And the school was labbeling him and I hate labbels I feel like this tells a child this is what they are and always will be.
My eldest daughter hs a medical labbel of autisum. here is my issue she is in school now and in a resource class. (she has hearing and vision loss) So she does need (on school standerds) these classes. She is in tharapy OT/ST out side of school. If I bring her home to unschool like i did my 6yrold The school makes me feel like I'm hurting her by removing her. And I worry if there is any truth to that. Also woundering if they would start stuff with DSS. (not that they could find anything (just my anxioty))
My eldest daughter hs a medical labbel of autisum. here is my issue she is in school now and in a resource class. (she has hearing and vision loss) So she does need (on school standerds) these classes. She is in tharapy OT/ST out side of school. If I bring her home to unschool like i did my 6yrold The school makes me feel like I'm hurting her by removing her. And I worry if there is any truth to that. Also woundering if they would start stuff with DSS. (not that they could find anything (just my anxioty))
jo70mo
It is definitely possible to home educate/ unschool a child with autism. You don't say how old your daughter is or how she feels about school. does she want to come out of school?
Does she have a statement? Is she at a mainstream school?
I am less sure about unschooling where a child has a statement but I am sure it is possible but may need translating into school-y language for statement reviews.
I think the key is that you are confident in knowing your child and responding to her needs and interests.
Sounds like the "resources class" is partly to try and get her to a stage that fits in with how they like to deliver education and partly so that they don't have to cater to her in the more mainstream version of the class.
When she is at home you can follow her passions and interests and as she is not then in comparison to other kids she is no longer the kid that has to go in the rsource class but the kid that is hopefully enjoying her life and learning all the time.
there are a lot of resources about unschooling around. I will have a hunt and see if I can find some that are specific to kids with different needs. I may not have time to do it for the next day or so though.
hope that helps a bit
Jo
Does she have a statement? Is she at a mainstream school?
I am less sure about unschooling where a child has a statement but I am sure it is possible but may need translating into school-y language for statement reviews.
I think the key is that you are confident in knowing your child and responding to her needs and interests.
Sounds like the "resources class" is partly to try and get her to a stage that fits in with how they like to deliver education and partly so that they don't have to cater to her in the more mainstream version of the class.
When she is at home you can follow her passions and interests and as she is not then in comparison to other kids she is no longer the kid that has to go in the rsource class but the kid that is hopefully enjoying her life and learning all the time.
there are a lot of resources about unschooling around. I will have a hunt and see if I can find some that are specific to kids with different needs. I may not have time to do it for the next day or so though.
hope that helps a bit
Jo
--- In [email protected], "jen" <kyleighncoltonsmom@...> wrote:
>
> I'm still tring to deside if this is what fits us. That said I have followed a few topics and my own reserch. I am into this way of thinking but still letting the rest of my family deside. (i have 5 kids) My 6yr old son has already come home he hates school and has a high IQ and is board and has horrible seperation anxioty. And the school was labbeling him and I hate labbels I feel like this tells a child this is what they are and always will be.
> My eldest daughter hs a medical labbel of autisum. here is my issue she is in school now and in a resource class. (she has hearing and vision loss) So she does need (on school standerds) these classes. She is in tharapy OT/ST out side of school. If I bring her home to unschool like i did my 6yrold The school makes me feel like I'm hurting her by removing her. And I worry if there is any truth to that. Also woundering if they would start stuff with DSS. (not that they could find anything (just my anxioty))
>
jo70mo
sorry I thought I was on the uk list then. The language you used around DSS etc sounds like you are in the UK in which case the statement issues would still be relevant.
Jo
Jo
--- In [email protected], "jen" <kyleighncoltonsmom@...> wrote:
>
> I'm still tring to deside if this is what fits us. That said I have followed a few topics and my own reserch. I am into this way of thinking but still letting the rest of my family deside. (i have 5 kids) My 6yr old son has already come home he hates school and has a high IQ and is board and has horrible seperation anxioty. And the school was labbeling him and I hate labbels I feel like this tells a child this is what they are and always will be.
> My eldest daughter hs a medical labbel of autisum. here is my issue she is in school now and in a resource class. (she has hearing and vision loss) So she does need (on school standerds) these classes. She is in tharapy OT/ST out side of school. If I bring her home to unschool like i did my 6yrold The school makes me feel like I'm hurting her by removing her. And I worry if there is any truth to that. Also woundering if they would start stuff with DSS. (not that they could find anything (just my anxioty))
>
Joyce Fetteroll
On Oct 30, 2011, at 10:11 PM, jen wrote:
as close to what *they* need her to be to run the school efficiently.
Assembly lines don't work well when the products aren't all the same.
The problem is that educators have zero experience with kids like
yours who are growing up outside of school. From their point of view,
success in school is success in life. Failing in school -- dropping
out -- means (to them) failing at life. And likely they're right in
their world because kids who drop out often believe that's true also.
So the kids often don't try to succeed.
If you told most teachers about unschooling, they would think that's
appalling and a quick road to life in a cardboard box under an
overpass. Their belief doesn't eliminate the 1000s of unschooled kids
who are doing great, moving onto jobs and college. Not knowing isn't
the same as not being true.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> The school makes me feel like I'm hurting her by removing her. And IFrom a school point of view, you are. They're trying to get her to be
> worry if there is any truth to that.
as close to what *they* need her to be to run the school efficiently.
Assembly lines don't work well when the products aren't all the same.
The problem is that educators have zero experience with kids like
yours who are growing up outside of school. From their point of view,
success in school is success in life. Failing in school -- dropping
out -- means (to them) failing at life. And likely they're right in
their world because kids who drop out often believe that's true also.
So the kids often don't try to succeed.
If you told most teachers about unschooling, they would think that's
appalling and a quick road to life in a cardboard box under an
overpass. Their belief doesn't eliminate the 1000s of unschooled kids
who are doing great, moving onto jobs and college. Not knowing isn't
the same as not being true.
Joyce
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Meredith
"jen" <kyleighncoltonsmom@...> wrote:
If there are services she needs that Can't be found (or afforded) outside of school, then maybe - but it's also possible you'll have the same or better access to services as a homeschooler. I've heard both over the years.
It's also the case that there are "issues" which are only issues with a kid in school. At home, there's no rush for a kid to be able to perform the sorts of tasks kids "have to do" at specific ages in school. You have time to help your child find lifetime solutions to problems she would otherwise have to wait until eighteen to learn - or a series of "right now" solutions until she's ready for something else. In that sense, unschooling can be Better for kids who don't fit in the typical mold.
Your best defense where child services is concerned is 1. Know the Law! and 2. Be confident in yourself and your family. In fact, it's worth contacting child services proactively in your situation to find out if there are any services They can hook you up with. They might know a good OT who works outside of the school system, for instance. Treat child services as potentially helpful service professionals rather than scary ogres and it will make any interactions you might have much much better.
---Meredith
> She is in tharapy OT/ST out side of school. If I bring her home to unschool like i did my 6yrold The school makes me feel like I'm hurting her by removing her. And I worry if there is any truth to that.****************
If there are services she needs that Can't be found (or afforded) outside of school, then maybe - but it's also possible you'll have the same or better access to services as a homeschooler. I've heard both over the years.
It's also the case that there are "issues" which are only issues with a kid in school. At home, there's no rush for a kid to be able to perform the sorts of tasks kids "have to do" at specific ages in school. You have time to help your child find lifetime solutions to problems she would otherwise have to wait until eighteen to learn - or a series of "right now" solutions until she's ready for something else. In that sense, unschooling can be Better for kids who don't fit in the typical mold.
>>Also woundering if they would start stuff with DSS. (not that they could find anything (just my anxioty))*****************
Your best defense where child services is concerned is 1. Know the Law! and 2. Be confident in yourself and your family. In fact, it's worth contacting child services proactively in your situation to find out if there are any services They can hook you up with. They might know a good OT who works outside of the school system, for instance. Treat child services as potentially helpful service professionals rather than scary ogres and it will make any interactions you might have much much better.
---Meredith