ASD Son Y10 thinking of starting Home Ed

[wasnotwasweregood]

Good evening all,

My son is 14 and at a main stream academy. He has high-functioning ASD (diagnosed at 7) but is really struggling at his school. We've tried for so long including flexi-schooling as he is currently at home on Fridays with us. We pay for a couple of tutors to do an hours 1-2-1 with him.

We're really, really worried about his mental state. He unbends during the holidays then is back to being stressed out and wound up at school. He has friends but we are pretty worried about the direction that friendship group is taking. We have an emergency appointment with CAMHS next month.

The final straw is that he seems to be doing really badly academically. He's a bright kid however I am realising that he has such an anxiety knot at school that it's almost impossible to learn anything else. Also he has a real problem with sitting exams.

All in all we've reached the stage where we are seriously considering home-schooling. I work part-time and I think I could re-jig my hours to just do mornings. Other half works from home and I could be home by 1.30 to school in the afternoons (we probably can't afford for me to stop working). Do you think that could work? Could I work part-time and homeschool in the afternoons, I understand I would need to provide around 5 hours of schooling a day?

Also DS is 14 and in Y10 but August born. If we did this could we treat him as a Y9 pupil and take him back a year? I know private schools can do that - could we if home edding?

It feels like a really big step to take but we've reached the point where we feel a big change has to happen as we can't go on like this. I'm really nervous but want to explore this as a possibility.

If anyone else has been in a similar position I'd really love to hear your experiences. I know it's not uncommon for autistic students. Many thanks for your help.

I would have a read of websites such as 'Ed Yourself' to learn more about home education.
You need to provide an education that is efficient, suitable and full time. Full time is not clearly defined but you certainly do not have to sit down with workbooks for 5 hours a day. You don't have to stick to school days/terms and remember the school day includes an awful lot of wasted time (walking to classrooms, getting stuff out, kids playing the fool etc), it also includes activities such as PE. One to one learning is so much more efficient. There are also a lot of video/interactive resources online free or paid so your son could work independently in the morning on some bits and then with You in the afternoon.
You don't legally have do GCSEs at home (although highly recommend doing at least maths and English Lang) so things such as school years lose meaning. You certainly don't have to do 11 subjects at 16. Home educators tend to do less subjects, spread them out, study them in shorter bursts (many do a subject in 9months), you are not tied to the same compulsory subjects as school so have more flexibility to pick subjects that suit him, many take an extra year delaying college by a year.

The following link might be helpful. The Facebook group linked from the main page of the wiki is a good source of support if you do decide to HE.
he-exams.wikia.org/wiki/Considering_Home_Education_for_Qualifications%3F

Thank you @itsstillgood, that's a really helpful message. I'll start looking through those web sites. I have a couple of coffees lined up with friends who are homeschooling and I know they are doing it in a few really different ways so it will be interesting to hear their experiences too.

Thanks again.

Does he have an EHCP? If so, then you will need to ask for a review meeting as the LA will need to know how you can provide what provision is set out in Section F.

sounds like ds only we stopped school june last year in year7!

year 8 we`ve been using an online school (at home) instead. its worked wonders! we use my "my online schooling".

yes it costs££ , we pay £234 a month for 5 subjects. but the change is immense, plus academically he`s doing much better than he did at mainstream.

My children using my online schooling, topped up with extra lessons from myself. My children have transformed from very unhappy, exhausted and in pain (due to medical issues) to alert, knowledge hungry fiends who are willing to work harder than ever before. They are now thirsty for knowledge as it is at their own pace, and reflects their interests. My youngest is probably ASD, as she has already been diagnosed with sensory processing/ auditory processing disorder. In 5 months, she has made 2 years progress and caught up on the deficit from her school days. I was very worried about home schooling to start, but it is so flexible and there are so many resources out there...it now fits well with family life. Your son may qualify for DLA, and that could fund internet school?

Thanks @theweebleshavelanded I'll have a look at the online school, I'm feeling very guilty we didn't do this years ago...

That's really great to hear @scoobydoo1971, I'm feeling more that we could really make this work positively for him. He's just wobbling a bit because he wants to do the most 'right' or 'normal' thing. Hopefully we'll get there!

He doesn't have an EHCP @fecktheboss, so that's a bit easier than having to apply to the LA.

Thanks all.

well he would be doing the right thing, theres quite a few home schoolers now. ds and his asd works with online chooling as its a structured timetable/ routine and the classes are a bit like school minus all the stuff of mainstream he couldnt cope with!

its a big mind shift .

to go from "school" and everything about it to change to educating in a new way. ds is in a sort of 1/2 way house between mainstream and home education . he`s taught classes by teachers over the internet (and yes theres homework!).....but on the dining room table, nice and quiet, no distraction etc teasing, noise and chaos etc. smaller classes means more attention and discussion on topics and a better understanding.