Autonomous home ed - am I doing this right?

[Lookslikerain]

Background is that DS is 5 and a half, dx with autism at 3, and technically should just have started school (Scotland). He attended an amazing mainstream nursery for 2 years, but school is just the wrong thing for him.

His attention can be awful, especially if he isn't particularly interested. From what I've read, a child-led, autonomous approach is definitely the best fit for him. I'm just concerned that I'm not doing it right, or missing something. I guess the problem is that we're just continuing to do what we've always done day-to-day. He tends to stagnate if we stay in the house too much, so we've always been a busy family both during the week and at weekends (also have DD and baby DS). We do lots of museum visits, parks, library, baking/cooking, playing, meeting friends anyway, and he's always really enjoyed that stuff. And we do all the other stuff like going to the shops, post office, running errands etc. We have also met some other home-edders too, though he was pretty uninterested.

At the moment, he's into bugs and was trying to build a bug house in the garden using an empty box today so tomorrow we're going to the library to look for some books on bugs, and we might try and build a proper, big bug house so we can attract lots of them for watching. But this is something I'd have done anyway, just because he was interested, not something I'm doing because we home ed.

Am I getting this right? I almost feel like it should be more difficult and less fun!

[GarlicDoughballsInGlitter]

Singsong sung. You'd think that would be easy right? Except it would require a move out of county (because the ENTIRE COUNTY is known for lying and minimising!) disrupting other dx who are happy and settled. Moving for one child at the expense of the others. It we could HE meaning all children are happy and more importantly, achieving.

[GarlicDoughballsInGlitter]

Dc and or not it.

[GarlicDoughballsInGlitter]

And no one has given an alternative other than home ex for the kids who dony fit in a traditional school yet

[Charis1]

And some FE colleges do routinely test all applicants for Maths and English ability now, irrespective of qualifications held. So in some institutions, that already happens. that is completely different. Any new student will be extensively tested immediately, and teachers are swamped with marking in the first few weeks, or analysing if it is computer marked. You are talking about a whole massive additional burden on top of this. We don't need to do that, that is what the GCSEs are for.

[NormanLamont]

Any new student will be extensively tested immediately, and teachers are swamped with marking in the first few weeks, or analysing if it is computer marked. You are talking about a whole massive additional burden on top of this. We don't need to do that, that is what the GCSEs are for.

At application, before enrolment.

No, I think you have been misinformed, or are mistaken. or are talking about private ed, you can pay for more or less anything your self, if you have tens of thousands.

And no; not misinformed, mistaken or private provision

[Charis1]

Norman, you just seem determined to deny reality. Are you concerned about the future of a HE child your self? if so, it would be more constructive just to take on board what we have said, and take care to avoid the pitfalls.

If it is a younger child, then for goodness sake Keep up with entry requirements! They change regularly - and only seem to get harder.

If it is an older child, maybe let us have some information, and we could advise you.

We care for young people, that is why we spend our lives with them.

[GarlicDoughballsInGlitter]

And yet dc wants to go to Cambridge. I have no idea how to get him there given the trauma school has caused!

[NormanLamont]

What information would you like Charis? And what advice about my perfectly happy sixth former do you imagine I need?

[Charis1]

I just offering Norman, because you seem to not know much about how the system works, and you might want some help. You certainly putting a lot of time and energy into denying reality here, which is unfortunate, because that attitude isn't going to lower the number of children who end up heart broken, is it? If people listen to you, and those who only hear what they want to hear, might actually listen to you. Which is very sad.

[NickiFury]

"Norman you seem determined to deny reality"

Well it's not Norman's reality is it. It's yours. Numerous posters on this thread have confirmed her reality as being valid.

Now if you could just PM the name of your FE institute you're involved with then I will know which one to avoid and to advise other HE families to avoid also that would be great.

[sexybeast]

The info given earlier about GCSEs only counting if they are all done at once cannot be right as up until about a year or so ago most kids were doing some GCSEs in yr9, some in yr10 and the rest in yr 11. They were, at all the schools I taught in, in my area. (I know this will change with the new GCSEs).

[ImperialBlether]

Surely anyone who is home educating has to acknowledge that some people don't do as good a job of it as they do? Let's assume everyone who is home educating on here is doing a fantastic job. Surely you know others who don't? Surely you know others who haven't kept up to date with technology, with syllabi, with course requirements? Some who are perhaps not that bright and don't accept that?

[Charis1]

it isn't (at the moment) always only GCSEs done at once, although it is in some instances. it is GCSEs done in KS4 ( y10 and y11)

some places insist it has to be only those done in Y11, or even only those done at the end of y11. Even if they don't insist, in a comparison, GCSEs done all at once will give someone the edge over those done in two sittings.

It has been several years since GCSEs done in year 9 count for anything though.

[NickiFury]

Of course imperial just as some schools and some teachers aren't fit for purpose. There will always be some who aren't up to the job.

[Charis1]

Well it's not Norman's reality is it. It's yours. Numerous posters on this thread have confirmed her reality as being valid. that is just silly, they just haven't.

[NickiFury]

Well they have. I am one of them.

[Charis1]

I can't see it nicki, and you are not exactly numerous people, are you

[BertrandRussell]

My niece is still playing professional catch-up from some seriously crap decisions she and her parents made when they were HEding. They started with thinking she didn't need any formal qualifications.

[NickiFury]

There are a number of home educating parents on this thread who disagree with you and have not experienced or heard of any HE parent experiencing the strenuous difficulties accessing FE you describe. Go back and read the thread.

[NewLife4Me]

Have come to this late but have to arf about comments of teachers having specialist knowledge.
Mine were taught by a combination of cover teachers and those who normally taught other subjects. They were let down terribly.
One cover teacher had to cover the whole year for mat leave, knew nothing about the subject and most students failed.
So yes, I'm afraid that H.ed can provide a better education in some circumstances.

[ImperialBlether]

But Nicki, with HE you are the school and you are the teacher. In a school situation it would be very unlikely that every teacher was bad. OFSTED is there to check, too, and teachers are monitored by heads of department etc.

[Charis1]

have not experienced or heard of any HE parent experiencing the strenuous difficulties accessing FE you describe

good, happy for you, I probably see it 20-30 times a year, and it is not nice.

[NormanLamont]

Surely anyone who is home educating has to acknowledge that some people don't do as good a job of it as they do? Let's assume everyone who is home educating on here is doing a fantastic job. Surely you know others who don't? Surely you know others who haven't kept up to date with technology, with syllabi, with course requirements? Some who are perhaps not that bright and don't accept that?

Of course Imperial. All the more reason why there should be routes open to the teens in question.

You can see I'm not advocating a 'no qualifications needed' position, which makes me quite conventional by HE standards

I'm just keen to share our experience and that of people around us.

The more people are aware that admissions policies vary, the more teens will find themselves on the right course for them.

But we should probably let OP have her thread back

[janetandroysdaughter]

Bit baffled by Charis's on-off assumption that IGCSEs are easier. DC attend a super-selective academic school, where about 30-40 pupils are successful at Oxbridge each year and the rest of the 6th form go on to Russell Group unis. They do IGCSEs. I doubt they'd choose any option that looked soft in the eyes of Oxbridge dons.

OP - this thread has jumped ahead of you. What you are doing now sounds perfect, as long as he has the chance to socialise regularly whether he wants to or not. He's young. Lots of countries with better academic track records than ours don't start formal education until 6 anyway. Whether ASD or not, HE or not, children that young thrive on education that is led by fostering their interests.