Something else that helped us is we hung a calendar in DD's room and got some emoticon stickers. Every day we had her choose a sticker that represented the day. If it was an angry or sad face we had her identify the trigger. It helped us to be aware that nearly all of DDs worst meltdowns happened on Sundays (transition back to school) and snow days (change in schedule). So we could be extra vigilent then.

I really love everything Laurel Springs say they have to offer. The price is within our budget and in addition to an excellent self paced accreted curriculum, with an easy to use platform, I would like my daughter to have a prom (even if it means traveling for it), a social platform outside of FB where she can connect with other students, some live help from teachers (though I will hire a tutor for the most difficult subject)...all things Laurel Spring says they offer. But the reviews on the school are wildly polarized. I've read every thread on WTM that mentions Laurel Springs, reviews on Niche and GreatSchools, etc. so I am hoping for some additional and possibly more recent opinions.

I really love everything Laurel Springs say they have to offer. The price is within our budget and in addition to an excellent self paced accreted curriculum, with an easy to use platform, I would like my daughter to have a prom (even if it means traveling for it), a social platform outside of FB where she can connect with other students, some live help from teachers (though I will hire a tutor for the most difficult subject)...all things Laurel Spring says they offer. But the reviews on the school are wildly polarized. I've read every thread on WTM that mentions Laurel Springs, reviews on Niche and GreatSchools, etc. so I am hoping for some additional and possibly more recent opinions.

Definitely looking to change algebra courses. Ignitia is just not working for this particular subject.

My DD struggles to learn math via text based curriculum. She's stuck in Algebra 1 halfway through her first semester. Can anyone recommend a curriculum that relies more heavily on video modules/recorded lectures?

Ignitia is not ideal for her in every subject. We'll likely keep her on it for English, definitely switch to a different math, and would like to get her in a secular Science course. Ack, yes. We have been working on social skills for 5 years (we met/adopted her when she was 10 or would have been working on them a LOT longer). She does well in team sports, structured situations. She'll participate in basketball, volleyball and equestrian sports. We read Aspie teen books and discuss. And she'll have therapy ongoing as well.

Its a 12-16 month program (she'll 'graduate' the program we think in the full 16) but, even if it wasn't, at $40K/year, unfortunately, yes it is impossible to continue it. We were praying for an internship but they just discontinued the internship program, much to our and DD's disappointment. This year would not have even been possible without the generosity of family members with deeper pockets than us. We can however afford the $700/month it seems a good online school will cost :hurray:

Definitely will use his attitude as a gauge. And will take your advice. I am in sales in a field where its very typical to get asked to compare what I offer to competitors so just seemed like a pretty normal "ask" given my background. When I am asked to compare, my best practice is always to stick with facts first–how we are similar, how we are different (competitive advantages)–and if I am unsure simply to say "not familiar with that one" and offer an overview of our features and benefits. Trashing the competition or telling a customer a competitor is a bad buy is always a no-no!

I just got off the phone with someone returning an inquiry from Forest Trail Academy. I was trying to find out how their program compared to Ignitia, the Alpha Omega curriculum my daughter's school uses now, and WOW was he condescending!! First, he nearly dismissed it as a Christian curriculum (you mean one of those workbook programs...no we're nothing like that). When I explained Ignitia was in fact computer based, he told me he'd never heard of them (that's how obscure the program must be). I told him it was part of a group of educational options offered by Alpha Omega and rattled off some of their others. When I named Switched on Schoolhouse, he told me he knew that program was a terrible one (it was impossible for a child to learn anything from it). He did little to say how their curriculum was superior, but he was downright nasty about her current program. I am not saying it's perfect...obviously it's not or I would not be looking elsewhere but since when is it good sales practice to put down a parent's choice of school? That's putting down your potential customer?

DD is 15 and I can't say we've mastered this because she is currently enrolled in a therapeutic boarding school but in my experience teaching your child to recognize he's getting overwhelmed before he gets to the point of blowing up is going to be key to controlling his emotions. In the short term, earplugs or head phones and music. These work really well for DD. Also if he does not have his own space for school work, set up up a cubicle for him, even if its just three sides of a cardboard box where he can focus without visual distractions. DD gets mad as a hornet if her school work is interrupted by boisterous peers.

Thanks for the suggestion...I had not even noticed the Special Needs board. Just cross posted:)

Homeschooling a 10th grader this August and are researching outsourcing options. DD is on the spectrum, diagnosed with what used to be called Aspergers and now just high functioning autism. She's a solid A/B student but struggles with critical thinking and social skills. School has been a nightmare because every change in schedule, every unstructured social interaction, has the potential for a meltdown. We enrolled her in an ACE academy which was nearly perfect (students learn from workbooks, desks in cubicles, limited involvement with teachers or peers) but break time got her big trouble. And unfortunately the workbooks are easy to cheat. Instead of reading the material, she'd just skim the text for answers to fill in the blank questions. She'd guess at the answers to other assignments then memorize the answer key to get a perfect score on the retake. She was flying through assignments (never had homework), coveting her gold stars and perfect scores but the curriculum left her ill prepared for high school. She's in 9th now in a therapeutic boarding school that uses the Ignitia program. I feel like she's actually learning now, but I am researching other options for when we begin homeschooling at the end of her program. She is making good grades on Ignitia but slow progress. She has been at it since last May (working straight though Summer) and has completed just over 40% of her Science, Life Skills and Social studies courses, 30% of Algebra and 70% of English devoting 8 hours a day. They've reducing her Algebra workload so she can catch up in her other classes, so we'll see what happens now, but when she was in traditional middle school it was not uncommon for her to spend 3-5 hours on homework in order to keep up. So we need a reasonably cheat-proof curriculum wherein she can work at her own pace but that is not so difficult she will need more than a year to complete each subject or whose platform is so complicated she'll have trouble navigating. The hubby and I both work full time so it also needs to be a curriculum that requires minimal parental involvement, though I work from home so can monitor and devote a couple of hours before/after work for help. We'll also be hiring a tutor for math. She is planning on going to college and will need state aid, so accreditation is a must. Budget is not a deciding factor and the list we are looking into now (many based on things I've read about them on WTM) includes: Laurel Springs Indiana U Oak Meadow The Potters School Clonlara American HS Mizzou Advantages BYU International VLA I am open to using up to three difference curriculum though would prefer to narrow it down to two. Would love to hear from anyone with experience with any of these... or with suggestions for others to look into that would meet these criteria. Thanks so much!

Homeschooling a 10th grader this August and are researching outsourcing options. DD is on the spectrum, diagnosed with what used to be called Aspergers and now just high functioning autism. She's a solid A/B student but struggles with critical thinking and social skills. School has been a nightmare because every change in schedule, every unstructured social interaction, has the potential for a meltdown. We enrolled her in an ACE academy which was nearly perfect (students learn from workbooks, desks in cubicles, limited involvement with teachers or peers) but break time got her big trouble. And unfortunately the workbooks are easy to cheat. Instead of reading the material, she'd just skim the text for answers to fill in the blank questions. She'd guess at the answers to other assignments then memorize the answer key to get a perfect score on the retake. She was flying through assignments (never had homework), coveting her gold stars and perfect scores but the curriculum left her ill prepared for high school. She's in 9th now in a therapeutic boarding school that uses the Ignitia program. I feel like she's actually learning now, but I am researching other options for when we begin homeschooling at the end of her program. She is making good grades on Ignitia but slow progress. She has been at it since last May (working straight though Summer) and has completed just over 40% of her Science, Life Skills and Social studies courses, 30% of Algebra and 70% of English devoting 8 hours a day. They've reducing her Algebra workload so she can catch up in her other classes, so we'll see what happens now, but when she was in traditional middle school it was not uncommon for her to spend 3-5 hours on homework in order to keep up. So we need a reasonably cheat-proof curriculum wherein she can work at her own pace but that is not so difficult she will need more than a year to complete each subject or whose platform is so complicated she'll have trouble navigating. The hubby and I both work full time so it also needs to be a curriculum that requires minimal parental involvement, though I work from home so can monitor and devote a couple of hours before/after work for help. We'll also be hiring a tutor for math. She is planning on going to college and will need state aid, so accreditation is a must. Budget is not a deciding factor and the list we are looking into now (many based on things I've read about them on WTM) includes: Laurel Springs Indiana U Oak Meadow The Potters School Clonlara American HS Mizzou Advantages BYU International VLA I am open to using up to three difference curriculum though would prefer to narrow it down to two. Would love to hear from anyone with experience with any of these... or with suggestions for others to look into that would meet these criteria. Thanks so much!