Would you have wanted to be homeschooled?

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I know many of you had bad experiences in school. My son is 9 and he has been in public school since he was 3. He has gotten lots of therapy and help there and has made great progress. However, I am very concerned about middle school and high school and the fact that he may be bullied, may continue to get put in with lower functioning special ed students, etc..etc...So I am considering homeschooling him from middle school through high school. Any thoughts or input?

I would say do it. I've been to public, boarding and catholic schools and they all where HELL. My biggest problem was bullying and getting along with the other kids.

I was homeschooled for a couple of years after things had taken a turn for the worst at school. 8th grade and part of 10th, actually. My reasons were because of the education itself not meeting my needs instead of social issues, though. I'd say it's definitely an option worth exploring. Be proactive about organizing things to ensure he still gets the socialization that school provides (look into local co-ops and groups). In my personal experience, the homeschooling groups I've come across have been incredibly diverse and accepting.

If you love your child home school him/her!! ! I should have been home schooled, but that was not an option back when I was growing up. Back then only kids who were bedridden, or lived in isolated areas far from school, were home schooled. The idea of home schooling in a town where schools were available would never have occurred to my parents. Instead, I had to put up with being preyed upon by the other kids on a daily basis all through school. I know this has contributed to my being a hermit type of person. It also left me with a dislike of the formal school system. One size does not fit all. If I had kids, whether normal or aspie, they would be home schooled!

Please spare your child the horror of being constantly tormented by the other kids, over the course of years of schooling

So ... As opposed to getting beat up at public school and maybe having a chance to learn something new each day, you ask if I would have preferred to be schooled at home by the same ignorant person who used to beat me up as well?

Public school education was my up-and-out from an abused childhood.

I guess you can't win them all. but then again. Public school is encouraged to help with social skills. Too bad that it doesn't work for autistic kids.

Too bad that there is not the option of self-learning. I tend to do very well in that type of schooling. but getting it recognized is hard, if not, imposable to do.

I would say go for it if you think he won't be able to get the right help in mainstream. I could have been homeschooled as a child because there was no way I would be able to get the help I needed for middle school but instead we moved to Montana so that was the option my parents took and there I got the help I needed in mainstream because I had an aide with me and when I was having problems, they helped me and did what was best and got me an aide. I was getting bad grades, missing school work, having a hard time with other kids and getting upset a lot and getting into fights because I mistook playfulness as bullying.

I would have loved to have been homeschooled, but in my day it just wasn't done and also both my parents worked, so it wouldn't have been possible in my individual circumstances.

I don't know how it's going to be for your son because I think it depends on the circumstances but to me I certainly don't wish I was homeschooled because that would've disconnected me completely from the world, I wouldn't have learned about how everything around me revolves and all that and I also wouldn't have met friends and all, I would've gotten bored so fast because things happening at school are sometimes surprising or entertaining.

Going to school is just as much about socialisation as learning. You need to learn to cope with the NT world as there is no other. It is not always easy, with bullying etc, but it can be done. I don't think the isolation of home schooling would help an aspie learn to cope with the outside world.

The degree of socialisation that occurred with me at high school was to be humiliated by the other children, bullied and beaten up in the school yard when the teachers weren't looking, so I really don't see how it prepared me for the NT world.

Thanks for all of your replies. It is very helpful to get insight into this topic.

Fnord, I am so sorry to hear of your childhood. I am glad that you were able to finally get away from the abuse.

Anyway, I am torn on whether to homeschool. I am a stay at home mom, and I feel that I am intelligent enough to do it, and honestly, I think it would be better for him. But, he saw me reading about homeschooling and he said "No homeschooling." So far he has had a great experience in public school in elementary because he has had plenty of assistance and he has been in a protective bubble so to speak. I think he enjoys all of the social things that go on at the school and for that I am grateful. And, I do not think there have been any major bullying situations going on.

However, as we all know, as kids get older, they get meaner. My son still flaps his hands and talks about odd things and I am just terrified that he will be bullied sooner or later. Also, he is very naïve and gullible, and I can see others trying to manipulate him into getting into trouble. Plus, he has no real friends to speak of. I guess nowdays there is more awareness of autism and bullying, but I know that bullying is still alive and well.

So, I guess I am leaning toward letting him go on to public middle school if that is what he wants and then let him make the decision if he wants to be homeschooled.

I would say let him decide but be open to pulling him out of school and homeschooling him.

I would definitely have wanted to. I went to ordinary public school as I looked normal enough. I didn't have the capability to learn how to interact with other kids. I only got traumatized by years of ostracism/isolation/humiliation. I lost all self-esteem. Even now I cannot fully recover from the effect of all the hurtful experiences. I have become very pessimistic and cynical.

In your son's case, you are at least aware that he has some issues. If the school can provide special assistance and protection, he may benefit from seeing the social aspects of the world without getting traumatized. You had better speak to the school about what they can do for him. If there is a risk of your son getting bullied mercilessly, I'd say homeschooling is more beneficial.

Re; "Too bad that there is not the option of self-learning. I tend to do very well in that type of schooling. but getting it recognized is hard, if not, imposable to do."
I totally agree, the need to 'have formal qualification' has made a society of 'exam passers' not learners. Of course you will learn better if you're learning for yourself, not to pass an exam.
At the moment universities are demanding everything be paraphrased, but as far as I can see, paraphrasing is totally irrational, the meaning must change if you alter the words.

I was homeschooled for 7th grade, then tried going back to a "normal" middle school for 8th grade. That did not turn out very well, so I went back to homeschool from 9th-12th grade. I absolutely loved it ! The freedom that homeschooling gives you is great, because you are able to create your own schedules and work at your own pace. I was homeschooled throughout all of highschool because I just didn't want to deal with the drama and other distractions that highschool unfortunately has. Being homeschooled also allowed me to start taking college courses earlier. I started taking college courses when I was 15 (still in 9th grade). Now that I have graduated from highschool and began going to college full-time, the transition has been a whole lot easier because I was exposed to college early-on.
I believe that the option of being homeschooled has many positive things about it !

~ Hilary ~