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DW_a_mom
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19 Aug 2011, 10:38 pm

I am wondering if anyone here as experience with some of the "new" project based, subject-integrated, mini-community educational approaches. Many local high schools are touting them as a way to help students develop more real world skills, and my son has been placed in one for his Freshman course work.

And that is the reason for the question.

We actually met with the school last spring to express deep concerns about the suitability of this program for an Aspie child, noting that the promotional materials listed "teamwork" as a selling point, right after "project based." Teamwork isn't exactly my son's ideal way to do school work. However, they were confident that the program had the school's best teachers, a fantastic individualized approach, and yada yada saying that they felt really good about this for a child like my son, and please please please give it a shot.

So we agreed to give it a shot.

Two days into the school year and my son is skeptical. Seems the High School has placed many special needs and AS kids in the program (most of whom are good students), and my son has yet to do any real work in any of the four integrated classes (English, history, science and PE) because they have been engaged in team building games (most of which my son has done before in Scouts).

If this isn't going to work, my son would rather make the move sooner than later. But I also don't want to sell an idea short just because it feels way too new age for my sensibilities.

Has anyone been in one of these? What were your experiences?


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Mom to an amazing young adult AS son, plus an also amazing non-AS daughter. Most likely part of the "Broader Autism Phenotype" (some traits).


DW_a_mom
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25 Aug 2011, 1:29 am

I ended up linking to this post from the parenting board to cast a broader net. There is discussion there if anyone is ever interested.


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Mom to an amazing young adult AS son, plus an also amazing non-AS daughter. Most likely part of the "Broader Autism Phenotype" (some traits).