ds has just annouched he wants home schooling - he's 4 -sorry long.

[frustratedmom]

Any one else dealing with a bright child who is due to start school in sept but has been ready for over a year and has decided that he needs schooling NOW and that I need to do it NOW.

He has been home schooled before. Once to kill a temper tantrum that lasted 4 hours cause his cousin was at school and he was too little (he was 2) that soon stopped and a neat trick. Last september the request raised its head the first time for proper. it controlled his behaviour (which were struggling with at the time) but his nursery found out and it was made clear in front of him that they felt it was damaging to him. I set it up so he did 5 mins reading, 5 mins writing / letter formation, 5 mins counting, had playtime mid morning, lunch and afternoon. Messy play and directed activities so was not outside the capabilties and expectations he had of himself.

He has finally got over the damaged caused by the nusrery and after a day of temper read an ORT reading level 4 book almost fluently (it confidence and prefers level 2 when not). His writing skills are coming on a bomb and maths is onto sums and grasping concept of multiplication and division.

Do I go with his wish and drive and ignore the concerns of the health visitor and GP over the implementation of home school. or do i go with their views. or do i do a mix ?

Concerned he will be bored at school but concerned he will loose love of learning.
HELP!

Some help here - thanks. I think the biggest problem that I have is that I am trying to balance a child who would really rather be single topic obsessive. Unfortunately he thinks that work sheets are for babies (but he first wrote his own name unhelped and unexpectedly at 2 1/2) He really wants to be just like his cousin who is 3 1/2 years older and has no concept of development in that I actually held him back 1/2y from when HE wanted to start potty training, and 1 y from when he first started wanting to learn to read. He has 2 scientists for parents and describes himself as a scientist. We have visited the science museum so much they nearly know us by name .

However, a major temper this afternoon - don't you just love when they scream at you when your driving. has put a few things in perspect about the whole situation. All of his issues behaviour, sleep etc were solved when we did the home school thing. I think the name was more important to me as it force me to be organised. He is obsessive with order and routine and I am plain chaotic. I think it worked as a concept as i force me to provide an environment that he was clearly craving and I struggled to provide without the added emphasis.

Think might resolve this one through another approach - going to ask for help on getting me sorted so the knock on effect helps him. Any help greatly recieved.

You probably won't like my suggestion but here goes... I think you should say everything you have just written to your son's doctor

Unfortunatly I have. They want the school to deal with it. He has been assessed for asd and scored 7 with 8 being on spectrum. He struggles in a lot of social areas and areas with control having OCD tendancies with scheduling, and handwashing, he even has sensory issues but there is not enough to diagnose at this young age and it was felt that school would be best to deal when he starts. As they would see him enough to get the bigger picture.

I have been asking the medical profession for help since he was 18mths but they have provided little support and mostly critism. One peadotrician said to get him to play golf (which he does when calm -otherwise it gets dangerous) and to challenge, channel and stimulate. So have struggle through. could have done with knowing about this forum earlier. the support and advice is fantastic!

Have you posted on the Special Needs forum there are a great number of experienced "mums" n there happy to offer help and support. 4 isn't too young to be diagnosed but sometimes it takes parental power to get there. good luck

Have tried but have done a lot of remedial work with him. Am adhd and now how early intervention is beneficial so the minute things have shown themselves to becoming an issue I have sort to deal with them. Also have a great book called kids in the syndrom mix - which suggests you pick a solution to a problem and that it doesn't matter if a child has a problem if they have a symptom then that solution is likely to work for that point. I have posted a few questions but in specific areas of issue eg sleep and behaviour. Most aspects otherwise are pretty sorted but I think the Organisation-adhd conflict is probably where the solution to the remaining issues lie as it is when this temporarily resolves that calm may occur.

If he is ASD then he is boarderline as I have been told it can be almost impossible to diagnose. Will check out special needs for a possible solution though. Thanks for suggestion

Sorry also dyslexic and just realised above doesn't make clear sense. I mean:

1. Book says ignore diagnosis pick problem aspect (eg hand washing compulsively) use solution. OCD or not it don't matter.
2. ... boarderline and I have been....

Sorry its an off day

I'm not suggesting your son is ASD but there are a lot of features in your description which someone on SN may be able to help you with.

I know but I have to wait until he starts school. No help from medical profession unfortunatly. Suspect SN at school will be fantastic but have til wait until sept to access that. . But have had a very positive first visit of ds to school which sugests my hard work may have paid off with him. So I suppose it is now time to turn the focus inwards. help

North West outings - Liverpool has some excellent free Museums -
1)Conservation Museum - has information about conserving/preserving objects, with plenty of hands on type exhibits and screens
2)World Museum - has museum about Space, free planetarium shows, aquarium, natural history section, ethnography section
3)Maritime Museum - Customs and Excise gallery, International Slavery Museum and lots about ships!
4)Walker Art Gallery.

For a very scientifically minded 4 year old, sounds like he would enjoy Eureka in Halifax (quite pricey though...) or the National Media Museum in Bradford (Free!).

Oh and have you tried Urbis, it can be quite variable, but they have a computer games exhibition starting soon (£3 admission). And has quite a funky lift.

what is Urbis and more importantly where? Haven't made trip over to liverpool as its a couple hour drive over. But it defintely sound worth it. Maybe train pass here we come...
Thanks.

Urbis is right by the wheel, Harvey Nicks, Triangle shopping centre etc.

I have bothered to get over to Liverpool Docklands on the train with my two and it is worth it. The space and light and goings on are all amazing there I think.

cool.

he doesn't know what he wants...he is 4. You are the grown up and need to decide what is his his best interests. They are pros and cons for both

you may find a school that can stretch him or you may not. you could always do extra bits with him at home and still send him to school or you could home ed him yourself,

I am a teacher and I have 3 normal children of my own, but my biggest worry about not sending them to school would be the social side. I Think school teaches alot more than the 3rs (both postive skills and negative skills)

Never consider home ed once he was school age. it has been a cause of getting him there- without wanting to kill him.

I wasn't responding to your post Jabberwocky-I was just pointing out that he is unlikely to get worksheets when he starts school.There is nothing to stop him doing them at home if you want to-there are plenty on the market.

Havent read everything but a quick suggestion. My son use dto play reader rabbit discs on pc a lot before starting school. He loved thm learned a lot. they follow the national curriculum. Eg he played Y1 in nursery, Y2 in Reception. He found them lots of fun & hopefully learned some useful stuff too

Thanks for advice. Unfortunately we have to use screen bans for behaviour reasons too regularly to rely on screen based solutions.
But will bear it in mind