Highschool or homeschool | Autism PDD

fwiw - our developmental ped. says that, in general, middle school is actually the worst for kids who are "different". She actually says that things tend to get better in high school, especially towards the end - as individualism is more valued and tolerence of differences begins to increase. She says that lots of parents homeschool their HFA kids for middle school and send them back during high school.

I don't know if anyone else has thought about it... but...

I'm really worried about Zoe going to highschool (eventhough it's a few years away). In the scheme of ASD she presents as being naive and is easily fooled. She isn't severe enough to get the protection of supervision at school with an aide etc... she'd be on her own at lunch and before and after school etc. I feel like it'd be just like letting the wolves have the sheep. And, worry that I'd be setting her up to be taken advantage of or ridiculed.
Have any other parents chosen to homeschool your HF kid? Or how has highschool worked out?
I know there are some of you who are ASD... how did highschool go for you?

I vote for homeschooling.

I think being in a large group of just your own aged peers is not a realistic preparation for "real life". However, being in your home, and doing activites in groups with groups that are of a very diverse age group, imo, that is a more realistic preparation for adulthood. If you are concerned about your daughter being so naieve that your afraid of her falling into the traps of drugs and promiscuity, then I wouldn't even give her the opportunity to show up.
Protecting her while you know she is naive is a better way to help her develop "solid feet" for adulthood.

Our high school has peer tutors. Typically seniors are matched with younger students. This might give your daughter a friend that should not lead her astray. I know kids can be mean, but there are some nice ones too.

Have you asked your daughter how she feels about high school? Will any of her current friends go the same school? If she wants to go, I would let her. You can always move to plan b if it doesn’t work out.

Indeed, middle school was a bit more of a challenge then high school, and those first 2 years of high school for me were rough to. The last 2 years were the best ever, I had friends, became social, learned alot myself and actually had a good time during those years and thru collage.

I beleive that if the kid is high functioning enough they should get the middle school and high school experience. Yes, its a rough few years indeed, but with homeschooling you dont get that exposure to peers, making it harder to deal with them (in theory) in the future. I think I owe my success in life to the fact that I was always exposed to peers and after learning a bit about social behavior thru observation, it paved the way for me to make more friends and actually enjoy my school experience towards the end anyways.

I think a little sruggle can be good, it toughened me up, allowed me to see how I was messin up, and could then figure out ways to correct the behavior so I could be somewhat popular towards the end.

Their is alot of worry, and being naive myself when I was younger was not cool, got me into lots of trouble, but again its something you learn from, another life lesson.I have too heard that middleschool is the hardest. I know two parents
who homeschooled during those years but both said that reintegration
after that for high scholl was pretty tough.
I still have a few years left but my current plan is to make sure it is a
school that is truely inclusive to kids with differences. All schools have
the 'value differences and help all kids reach their potential' in their
philisophy statement but few are actually inclusive. I think schools with
splitlevel grades or a higher population of special ed might by nature
have a more inclusive curriculum but on the other hand they might not
provide the structure some of our kids need. Either way make sure that
your kid's IEP includes something for help with transition to the new
school.I haven't started thinking about Q going to high school yet because I don't what to do about Quinn going to middle school in 2 years. I feel the same way that sending him to the middle school in my town may be like gving the wolves the sheep also. I'm not sure what to do.

I've been thinking of alternatives. One alternative for us could be moving to a town close by that has K-8 schools. Maybe there would be more supervision in a K-8 school. I'm not sure, but if there is I would feel more comfortable. I'm also considering homeschooling.

Maybe I'm sexist/overprotective/paranoid... I guess, my concern is more outside the classroom and having an ASD girl who's socially naive, easygoing and willing to be friends with anybody. She doesn't understand alot of the pop culture stuff like fashion, much music, or celebrities etc. ... she's into rocks and bugs. But, she's also very cute and friendly... (I know I'm her mother). My dd is in a mainstream class with no aide and has LD's. I'm worried about letting her run with the pack and not seeing where trouble might lie...eeek! There's so much opportunity for her to be lead into things like skipping school, sex, drugs, stealing etc etc

Right now in elementary school real trouble is not really an issue. They can't leave the school yard so there's constant supervision.

Yeah, my dd goes to a K-8 at a school with 250 kids... which is very small. So, I fell relatively safe until HS.

DS survived middle school transition without any major problems. He had an aide and a resource class. The aide stayed with him 6-8^th grade.

This is DS first year in HS. He has a new aide and a resource class– like middle school. This is week 7. However the last 2 weeks he has been in the hospital working on behavior issues. We started talking about HS in January. My DD goes to the HS, so we have been there many many times to numerous events. We took him over the summer. He does not eat in the cafeteria. I don’t think other kids are the problem. I think mentally, he was not ready. The change in familiar places and people, the larger building, more students, and higher expectations are a lot to adjust too. I think a lot of the adjustment occurs in the mind of the child before they ever enter the building. Dorian has not verbalized what we can do to help him so we can only guess.

I would suggest that you meet with the HS staff and explore all programs available. I am going to ask the school about ½ day program.

I vote Home School too! I have lots of friends that homeschool for several ages some with disabilities and some gifted. The children are happy, their self esteem is great, they seem to be a few years younger than they actually are because they are more sheltered from the pop culture. Thank God I say.

Google Home School Defense League. They have a great website. Homeschoolers are well networked and educated. You can find homeschool groups to do activities with. You also have the right to send your daughter to school for a few elective classes if you choose (taxes at work!). For example, if you do not feel comfortable teaching math or spanish.

My personal plan is to use the school system to help catch my son up with OT, SLP, etc and then if I see any self esteem issues arise or I am concerned about "cross contamination" as my friend calls it, then I will pull him. Homeschoolers can do anything kids going to public school can do but usually do it better! Check that website and your fears will subside. Good Luck!

I just ran across this article about an Aspergers high student who did well taking live online classes. He was physically located at a special school, but his classes were through an online service, allowing live contact with the online instructor. This was in the UK, but I'll bet something similar exists in the US:

http://www.careandhealth.com/Pages/Story.aspx?EntityID=aeb56 e25-693a-43a1-9ad8-d525adcd4f6b

Here's a current topic on our forum about online schools in the US:

http://www.autism-pdd.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=20729&am p;PN=1