| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp |
| Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp. All rights reserved. |
| about the book |
| The Homeschool Diner's Guide to Homeschooling With Special Needs Homeschooling with Aspergers by Julie Knapp, copyright 2005 What is Asperger's Syndrome (AS), anyway? It's a fairly new diagnosis within the Autism Spectrum of disorders. Among other symptoms, "Aspie" children have specific difficulties with social skills and nonverbal communication, yet they can be gifted in one or more academic areas. As a result, the traditional school setting is often a poor fit for them. Many families with "Aspie" children have turned to homeschooling as a way to accommodate both the strengths and weaknesses of their children. The resources below describe Asperger Syndrome, detail just how "quirky" a child must be to be considered "Aspie", discuss the similarities and differences between "Aspie" behavior and the behavior of gifted children, and offer some practical approaches and strategies for education and behavior modification. In addition, there is a list of online groups where families can seek advice and support for homschooling their children with Aspergers (and other spectrum disorders). What About Aspergers 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 aspies 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 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 designed around "homeschooling for academic reasons" will already have several other members with aspie children. 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) 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 A Way of Describing Autism a clever analogy comparing autistic people to different kinds of unusual rocks. Other Aspergers Resources How parents and educators can help -- 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 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" |