Our homeschooling journey began in 2001, when I started reading books on the subject. The books that helped me the most were A Mom Just Like You by Vicki Farris, The WholeHearted Child by Sally Clarkson, Praise Her in the Gates by Nancy Wilson , and Lifestyle of Learning by Marilyn Howshall. With my husband’s blessing, we started homeschooling our daughter in 2003 when she was in 1st grade. I enjoyed that one year with her and she enjoyed it too as she had her Mom one on one.
During that year, Scotty was still enrolled in a special day class (Learning Handicapped) as a 6th grader. He really was just functioning as a high 1st/2nd grader. He had low frustration tolerance, self injurious behaviors and limited expressive language. Being in public school for the last 3 yrs didn’t have much effect on him socially until now. His classmates were approaching their teenage years(~11 yrs old) and were getting more vulgar. Girls were also acting different and getting interested in boys. I wasn’t sure yet whether or not I could homeschool him, but towards the end of the schoolyear, he came home and gave me the “finger”. There was another autistic child in class who shouted a curse word together with his finger in class. Because it got attention, he imitated it without knowing what it’s meaning was. After that incident we knew we had to take him home.
Taking him home was a hurdle. Hart Ransom Charter school at this time had never had an autistic child this far behind and who needed so many services. They had one autistic child prior but he had Asperger’s Syndrome (a very high-functioning form of Autism) and was on grade level. Of course we had to call an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting that involved the Hart Ransom Principal and Superintendent, the Selpa (county) director, speech therapist, Hart Ransom resource specialist, the Principal from Eisenhut Elementary, and the county autism inclusion specialist. None of them agreed to bringing Scotty to Hart Ransom and the Superintendent asked me if the child was being consulted about this decision. Another teacher also told us that we didn’t really have autism experience. I think what she meant was that neither of us have a Master’s Degree in Special Education. Quite hilarious isn’t it? Based on our experience, these were the nicer school officials. In Modesto City Schools and Sylvan Unified School District, you would have to put up a fight and maybe even require an attorney to advocate for you. After that process which took about 2 months, he was enrolled. With the support and encouragement of my husband, and friends from church, he continues to be educated at home.
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