Hi OP, I home ed my DS (8) who has autism. We pulled him out of school 2 years ago as we felt he was being woefully let down, bullied, not supported. The whole house just breathed a sigh of relief as we were so worried about him all day when he was in school. I had an 8 week old baby at the time and home ed wasn't something I'd ever planned to do but from our point of view it was necessary at the time for his mental health.
We initially tried to recreate school at home with breaks, sitting down at the table etc but it wasn't much fun, or sustainable. So we took some time out, went for days out, had movie days at home, just let him play and do gaming and just be.
Now we are pretty free range. He goes to 2 home ed groups, weekly foreign language and practical science both with qualified teachers and small groups where he feels comfortable, and subjects I wouldn't be able to teach him well. He is also going to be starting a computer club soon. That is enough for him for now.
He does stuff at home- projects about history, space etc. Reads lots of books and researches stuff he is interested in. For maths he uses workbooks or khan academy online. Some days he just chills out with his 3ds or youtube. He has learnt so much, is working ahead of his age group and I strongly believe this approach has been beneficial owing to his ASD and how it affects him. For example he sleeps badly sometimes and dragging him out of bed for a busy school day would lead to a tired, grumpy, stressed child. I can now leave him in bed and have a lazy day if I feel he needs it.
It is hard sometimes. I am juggling his needs and those of a toddler. I have to make sure he is seeing other children, I am responsible for sustaining his friendships whereas at school they just see other kids automatically. I feel pressure and worry that I am doing him justice. Sometimes I want a break! But it is also lots of fun. And I know he is being kept safe and cared for.
I will never put him back in mainstream school. We have the possibility of a specialist school opening locally and we are going to look into it. But if we don't feel it is right we will keep home edding instead. Good luck with whatever you decide.