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risingphoenix
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10 May 2007, 1:39 am

Did anybody here visit a school with an alternative teaching concept such as Waldorf or Montessori?
I'm interested in if a child with Aspergers or ADD would be more likely to benefit from such schools (more so than from regular ones I mean) or if maybe they'd even be worse than regular schools. What do you think?


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Eller
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10 May 2007, 2:53 am

It depends what the child's interests are. If he/she is interested in natural sciences, it is absolutely the wrong concept, because those alternative teaching concepts usually happily exclude science. If his or her main interests are art and/or music, it might be worth a try.
I went to a school with extra arts and music classes. Before starting university I had to make up five years' worth of chemistry and science classes, I was awfully behind, and I was just lucky my father knows enough maths to teach me at home. Most likely a normal school would have been better for me.
My parents thought it would be easier to get along with the other kids at a school with that sort of concept, but it was not true, kids are the same everywhere. I got along fine with my classmates but I don't think that would have been different at a "normal" school. I had problems adapting at elementary school, but those sort of "grew out" by themselves.



wanderingstar
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10 May 2007, 10:33 am

I have been involved with home schooling, waldorf and montessori schools and think their approaches are better than the typical school setting. There is more freedom and room for individuality. Of course schools have different personalities and just because it follows a method of learning doesn't mean it is the same type of learning environment. The Montessori school my children attended had a great science discovery program.
Since you asked, I think that the classroom (not so much the school) needs to fit the child's learning preferences. My son does best with more structured type of teachers, direct, scheduled and follows a set of non-changing rules. My daughters prefer a more relaxed, artsy type teacher who gives them more creativity in their work. They all loved montessori because the school they attended was very child lead learning.



artsyfreak918
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10 May 2007, 10:41 am

There is actually a Montessori school around where I live... it's actually okay but I agree with Eller. I mean, they do focus on some mathematics in the school but not so much of some sciences like evolution or the ways of chemistry. I have heard that a lot of people like Montessori and that it's a good learning enviourment. It's small and perfect for aspie kids or students in the autistic spectrum. They would have chances to improve their social skills without all the pressure in a huge regular school. Just to make sure students don't get left behind in science though, I would first recommend a small private grammar school that teaches at the regular ciriculum of the public schools or above the normal ciriculum.


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