AIBU to consider Online Schooling.

[ButterfliesnWaterfalls]

(Posting here for traffic)

Hi all,

Hope you're all well.

DS is 9 and in Year 4. He has Autism, but is currently in a mainstream school.

Every single day, I get tears in the morning and then continuous anxiety of "I don't like school mum, I don't have friends" etc.

Having said that - he seems to be doing okay at mainstream, doesn't have friends but is 4wt in most areas currently, and teachers are happy with his behaviour.

I am seriously contemplating Online schooling for him starting Year 7 only due to lack of social interaction he has with his peers currently. He's mostly alone from what I've been told. And this affects him. He keeps asking me "why don't I have friends? Why don't people like me?"

I have read about Inter High and My Online School. I'm more inclined towards the latter.

What has everyone's experience for homeschooling been? Do you use online platforms or other resources? I'd prefer structure to his day so he knows what to expect.

Please share your experiences. Especially if you have SEN kids.

Thanks in advance 😊

(I guess my AIBU is:

IABU and I should send him to secondary to at least give it a try and then pull him out

Or

IANBU and take the plunge by deregistering him to manage his anxiety levels).

[DarcyLewis]

I am home edding my child and we do a mix of video lessons, online lessons and free choice stuff. He also does sports classes and home ed meet ups.

[FeelinHappy]

We have an autistic Y7 child. School is not easy but it is very much better than primary was, and it's such a different beast I'd be inclined to try it.

Since he's got an EHCP could you look into getting a private school place funded on that? You'd need to prove that the state school couldn't meet his needs, but if you're on the point of withdrawing him anyway then that may be possible. I'm a bit wary of private schools myself, but I know they work for some and I keep an eye on a couple in case we need a plan B. (Not that we can afford it either, but every year he stays in state the private option becomes a little less crippling!)

[Thatisnotwhatisaid]

The school should be doing more to ensure he isn’t left out like this because it isn’t kind or fair at all. I would seriously be pushing this with them, all schools have a zero bullying policy and I would argue that excluding him is a form of bullying.