I can understand why people home educate

[Blossomgoodwill]

Dd is such a good girl when she isn't at school. We don't have the stress that comes with school.
Do you know something she hasn't needed her Ritalin or Melatonin at all since breaking up from school. Makes me wonder why we give it to her at all. Just so she conforms at school
If it wasn't for all the therapies she gets (SALT, OT, social skills etc) then I would seriously consider it.

I know what you mean BH (happy xmas btw!). But we can't keep them at home because it presents no challenges and will become a habit. I have a friend whose DS (with AS) was so difficult about going anywhere she let him stay at home a lot where he was fine. But now he won't go anywhere and she is a prisoner.... sorry about that cheerful story! But at least we can get the benefit when they are at home, although it was the opposite for us for years, and the school is there to deal with the difficulties. I don't know what to say about the meds though. Maybe you should try sending her back without them and see what happens? But don't tell the staff at first or you won't get a clear picture.

Keep in there, you're doing a fantastic job and you WILL see the benefits of all your hard work. My DS, now 10, had speech delay and AS traits, and has improved tremendously. Given the choice he would never leave the house, but he has had constant interaction with other children (I became a childminder partly cos I thought if I put him in childcare they would not be able to cope with him - I went out to work with the first two), and now, although his 'personality' will probably not basically change, it is very much modified - people seem to accept him as being rather charmingly eccentric and he only needs help with his social skills at school. However, I know what it's like when everything is an uphill struggle, even to get them to listen to a simple instruction. I suppose we've become a bit hardened to his protests about doing anything and cheerfully carry on in spite of him (if he said yes to anything I might faint!)