Nicole Willoughby

With my 5 year old unschooling is fairly easy. She shows an intrest in something such as internal combustion engines ( our latest) and I help her explore and find answers for as long as that intrest holds.

My three year old son has autism and is nonverbal. He goes to preschool right now where he is directed through different preschool activities. This often requires teachers physicaly escorting him to his correct activity.
If he is left to himself he will spend the entire day chewing on his sock, possibly watching a video and running around the house aimlessly. He does not play with toys......a typical childs way of learning new things at this age.

I want him to reach his full potential and I really dont want to see him in public school past preschool but Im not sure how to go about unschooling him.

Nicole



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wifetovegman2002

--- In [email protected], Nicole Willoughby
<cncnawilloughby@y...> wrote:
>

> If he is left to himself he will spend the entire day chewing on his
sock, possibly watching a video and running around the house
aimlessly. He does not play with toys......a typical childs way of
learning new things at this age.
>
> I want him to reach his full potential and I really dont want to see
him in public school past preschool but Im not sure how to go about
unschooling him.
>
> Nicole



Nicole,

Radically unschooling him might be the single most important thing you
could do for him. Seriously.

Unschooling doesn't mean leaving him to himself all day. Unschooling
has never meant that.

You should join Anne Ohman's list Shine With Unschooling. There are
lots of parents there with autistic children either who are radically
unschooling or who are asking the same questions you are.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shinewithunschooling/


~Susan McGlohn

cncnawilloughby

Susan,

Thank you so much. I went and joined Shine with unschooling and
plan to lurk for a while. It is wonderful to know there are others
in my same situation that I can learn from.

<<<<<<<<<Unschooling doesn't mean leaving him to himself all day.
Unschooling
> has never meant that>>>>>>>>>

Im sorry I worded that in a bad way. Now that I reread it I feel
like maybe I gave the impression that I had a sort of go do whatever
as long as your get out of my hair attitude.

I guess I should explain more and say that I dont know what his
intrests are. He cant talk .. Ive been trying to teach him new signs
but he has learned eat and drink and more and thats all he is
interested in thank you :)

Its kind of ironic. All the "professionals" worked hard to convince
me that school was the best place for him. One of the things that
was sure to get better were his communication .
Before he started school he didnt have to tell me what he wanted i
just knew. Now that communication is almost gone. I dont know for
sure if its because he is seperated from me 3 hours a day or just
because he is getting older.

Nicole









-- In [email protected], "wifetovegman2002"
<wifetovegman2002@y...> wrote:
>
> --- In [email protected], Nicole Willoughby
> <cncnawilloughby@y...> wrote:
> >
>
> > If he is left to himself he will spend the entire day chewing on
his
> sock, possibly watching a video and running around the house
> aimlessly. He does not play with toys......a typical childs way of
> learning new things at this age.
> >
> > I want him to reach his full potential and I really dont want to
see
> him in public school past preschool but Im not sure how to go about
> unschooling him.
> >
> > Nicole
>
>
>
> Nicole,
>
> Radically unschooling him might be the single most important thing
you
> could do for him. Seriously.
>
> Unschooling doesn't mean leaving him to himself all day.
Unschooling
> has never meant that.
>
> You should join Anne Ohman's list Shine With Unschooling. There
are
> lots of parents there with autistic children either who are
radically
> unschooling or who are asking the same questions you are.
>
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/shinewithunschooling/
>
>
> ~Susan McGlohn