| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp |
| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp. All rights reserved. |
| The Homeschool Diner's Guide to Homeschooling With Special Needs Homeschooling with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) by Julie Knapp, copyright 2005 What is Asperger's Syndrome, anyway? Asperger's is a fairly new diagnosis within the Autism Spectrum of disorders, based on the presence and severity of a list of signs and symptoms (see articles below). What is noted by most people, is that "Aspie" children have a hard time learning everyday social skills and seem lacking in "social grace". They also seem oblivious to nonverbal communication, often failing to pick up clues from body language and tone of voice. Though they require assistance and specific training to help them function in these social areas, children with Aspergers are not mentally challenged -- in fact, many are gifted in one or more academic areas. As a result, Aspie students in public schools may require a mix of special education services and gifted education services that, unfortunately, may not be possible in some states or school districts. Even when appropriate services are provided, the traditional school setting may just be too socially stressful for the child with Asperger's. Most teachers don't have special ed training and many find it hard to understand and deal with aspie behaviors. Aspie children need a lot of one-to-one assistance (from a caring and understanding adult) to learn to navigate everyday social situations. An assigned school aide may not be trained to help the child accomplish this goal. Aspie children often find it hard to make and keep friends, and need kind, objective, and consistent adult feed-back and instruction to learn these important skills. With on-going assistance and training, children with Asperger's can learn what it takes to be a good friend, but they may still be "different" enough to have trouble fitting in with the crowd. This makes aspie kids highly prone to bullying, and schools have (historically) found it difficult to consistently monitor the behavior of children at the playground, lunchroom, in hallways, and on the bus or the walk home. For these, and many other reasons, more and more parents are deciding that public school is a poor fit for their student with Asperger's. Some turn to small private schools. Others have turned to homeschooling as a way to address and accommodate both the strengths and weaknesses of their children. Parents who have been struggling to have their child's needs met in a public school setting are often relieved that they can, finally, provide their child with a safe, supportive environment that promotes both academic growth and positive socialization. What About Asperger's and Socialization? Parents often wonder if their aspie child will have enough chances for social interaction in a homeschool environment. Happily, many parents find that they are able to provide healthier, more controlled, and more positive forms of social interaction than the child was typically experiencing in a classroom environment. The chance to experience positive social experiences can be very beneficial to social growth. Parents of aspie children appreciate that they can actually observe their child in social settings, providing on-the-spot guidance, as well as the chance for discussion of social issues afterwards. Even in group events, such as homeschool field trips and co-op classes, parents are usually welcome to stay and help out. In addition to briefing their child on expected behavior before the event, they can provide additional input, or even intervention, during the event. Teaching and learning social skills becomes as natural as learning any other school subject. It is also an advantage that homeschool gatherings usually have plenty of adults present -- which means more adult guidance to immediately curb any negative behaviors, like teasing or bullying. Of course, each homeschool group has its own dynamics, and it may take a visit to more than one group to find the right "fit". Often parents find that a group with many families who homeschool "for academic reasons" will already have several other members with aspie children. What resources are available here? The resources below describe Asperger's Syndrome, detail just how "quirky" a child must be to be diagnosed with Asperger's, offer some practical approaches and strategies for education and behavior modification. They also discuss the similarities and differences between Aspie behaviors and what might, instead, be common behaviors in gifted children. In addition, there is a list of online groups where families can seek advice and support for homeschooling children with Asperger's (and other spectrum disorders). General homeschooling resources are found throughout this website -- a great place to begin is with the Homeschooler's Guide to the Galaxy, which will help you get started. What is and isn’t Asperger’s "The Australian Scale"-- a checklist of AS symptoms from OASIS What Asperger's Syndrome Looks Like from the Little Professors website A summary of various "Diagnostic Scales -- from the OASIS website (click on "What is AS?" on the sidebar menu) Autism Disorders: Sorting it Out by Martin L Kutscher, MD-- a nice summary of differences between Autism, Aspergers, NVLD, Semantic- Pragmatic Disorder, Hyperlexia, PDD-NOS, Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disinegrative Disorder, and relation to ADHD The Discovery of "Aspie" Criteria by Carol Gray and Tony Attwood -- a wonderful look at the positive traits, strengths and talents, of aspies and how to provide encouragement and praise for these traits Sounds of Asperger's -- two voice recordings of kids with asperger's A Way of Describing Autism a clever analogy comparing autistic people to different kinds of unusual rocks. Exhaustion by Lise Pyles -- a great analogy for the social difficulties faced by those with Aspergers Social Skills to Work on With Aspie Kids by Lisa Pyles Other Aspergers Resources How parents and educators can help -- this Diner section has links to lots of strategies and approaches Good websites to browse for Asperger's resources Online Support Groups for Those Homeschooling Children with Aspergers, PDD, HFA, NVLD, and Autism Hitchhiking Through Asperger Syndrome a book by Lisa Pyles Homeschooling the Child With Asperger Syndrome: Real Help for Parents Anywhere and on Any Budget a book by Lise Pyles -- practical advice and wonderful insights ZAC Browser -- a free web browser designed to present online info in a manner friendly to kids with autism spectrum disorders School & College Selection Criteria Checklist for Students with Aspergers Syndrome (AS)-- good things to consider when choosing a school, from dixonlifecoaching.com Related Diner Resources Help with Social Skills -- a list of resources Learning to Communicate -- a list of resources Homeschooling Reluctant Writers and Children Who Hate to Write Helping Aspie Children Deal With Handwriting Problems Giftedness and Asperger’s: Is Your Child Gifted? Asperger's in Gifted Children -- a list or articles and resources Misdiagnosis of Asperger’s in Gifted Youth -- article from SENG discusses how gifted children can be misdiagnosed as having asperger's For more information on gifted children with learning differences check out the Homeschool Diner's "Twice Exceptional -- Online Resource Guide to 2E" |