Yes. We love them. Some libraries do carry them but not here. I don't know that all students are going to enjoy the style because they are pretty straight forward and most don't have a high amount of visual content - they are really lectures. They do have really good return policies so if you try it and don't like it they will give you a refund. Also, know that the sales are very frequent. If you buy one product you will get PLENTY of catalogs and chance to shop for more.

Yes, I agree - nursery rhymes, songs with hand motions, dancing to music, and any kind of interactive activities with music - like hand drums, etc. Ultimately it will serve a child well to have this foundation for hearing language before being taught phonics or letter sounds.

That is rough. It is a lot of years to not have a break. It is a positive sign that he can stay at home and I hope you see improvements with drop offs.

I wasn't sure from your post. Do you agree with the diagnosis? One way to approach it now might be from a gifted perspective. This is a helpful book: http://www.amazon.com/Parents-Guide-Gifted-Children/dp/0910707529/ref=tmm_pap_title_0 Also, if are gifted groups or a psychologist who works with gifted kids in the area that might be worth considering. This is a good book for parents about helping kids make friends: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Friends-Are-Hard-Find/dp/096220367X If you have not already done so, I would talk to your son a bit about introversion and the idea that even introverts benefit from making friends. This can be presented in a supportive way that helps him understand his need for alone time to recharge, but also encourages him to see that he can be a good friend.

For most schools it is fine to do it either way. It depends on your student too. We did it by subject for our son because he had some high school and college credit before the last four years. It would have been really hard to present that year by year and not have it come out really odd.

Creekland - Just in case it helps... UK offers a cognitive science major, not sure if that appeals to him. UK has a med school and phd program in microbiology so there are courses and always the option to take graduate courses as well. So, the resources are there and they may allow a self designed major as well. Just mentioning this in case he's needing more options for big award schools. As you would expect with such a big award the University of Kentucky Singletary scholarships are very competitive. These scholarships go to kids who are really exceptional - very high test scores, great leadership, etc. Good to note that deadline in January is coming fast. Anyone interested can check with the scholarship office to see if this is still the case, in previous years the National Merit awards have been to all National Merit finalists who indicate Kentucky as the first choice by the the spring deadline. Also, it seems worth mentioned that UK is homeschool friendly and there have been homeschoolers who have won these big scholarships. I agree these types of scholarships are worth considering for students who are competitive. It is a great thing to get a free education!

http://www.allina.com/ahs/ski.nsf/page/10982-GS10839SKRIKKToeWalking.pdf/$FILE/10982-GS10839SKRIKKToeWalking.pdf This explains some other reasons for toe walking. Tight heel cords over time can become a problem so depending on how much of the time the child is toe walking I would really want a physical therapy assessment. If has other physical problems I would also want a doctor to rule out problems such as cerebral palsy.

Yes, we make it and is good. Do you have an Asian market where you live. The seaweed isn't particularly expensive. I'm kind of a purist I guess because I really like it best with Japanese sticky rice. You can mix your own sushi flavoring with vinegar, sugar, etc. - or you can get a packet of sushi seasoning mix which doesn't cost more than maybe three dollars as I recall. The other thing I really like are the inari sushi - the sweetened tofu pockets. Those you can get in can - maybe $5 or so. Just make the sticky rice, add the seasoning packet, put in the little pouches and people think you did something fancy. This should help: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/dining/05mini.html

Oh my. I imagine that wasn't what you had in mind!

Try score report instead of scorecard. On Google images ACT score report http://www.gworldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ACT-scores-creeping-up-in-math-science.jpg Hope that helps.

It is great that you are finding information that will help you chart out a path for your family. As you are finding The Explosive Child helpful, I wanted to make sure you are aware of the resources available on the Lives In the Balance site. There are some helpful videos and podcasts. http://www.livesinthebalance.org/

Great story! Congrats to both of you!

We've dealt with grade skips and early college. My suggestion is for right now grades are really irrelevant. Strictly graded curriculum doesn't tend to work well for PG kids as they are more typically all over the place and further ahead in some subjects than others. For now, make sure your child has access to the appropriate level of work and that they get some challenge so they are able to learn the value of persistence and working through frustrations and ignore grade levels entirely. I would encourage you to be low key with other people as you discuss her academic situation and not make too many predictions (particularly in her earshot). If you decide to grade skip that's something you can do much further into middle or high school. I would not make that decision until you see a number of factors in place: strong ACT/SAT scores, college level writing ability, ability to persist and complete courses such as AP courses, a plan in place to complete the required high school courses, etc.

Hang in there. It will get better. In my experience the absolute most difficult time is right before and right after diagnosis. Once you have a plan in place and can begin to see progress it should help. At the time of diagnosis it can feel bigger than it really is, but in time you can put it into context and see it as one part of a bigger person and a bigger life.

It may well be that he's doing BETTER as a result of this. Kids need downtime and processing time. The fact that he was happily self engaged is probably a sign that it is was something good for him and good for his brain. Just a gentle comment and you can decide if and how this applies to where you are right now... but often the first reaction with a diagnosis or a potential diagnosis is for the parent to blame themselves. It is natural because if we caused it, we are in a way in control of it. Having a kid with medical problems is unfortunately really the opposite of something we typically have control over.

A couple of ideas: 1. There are many good children's books about emotions. Our library had what seemed to be dozens, so it might be good to check your library. Here's an example: http://www.amazon.com/Feelings-Shelley-Rotners-Childhood-Library/dp/0761323775/ref=pd_sim_b_11 2. Role play can be fun. Trying saying the same phrase with different emotional expressions, different tone of voice, etc. 3. As far as general social skills this is a really good book intended maybe for kids slightly older than your daughter. http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Teaching-emotion-communication-children/dp/1885477910

Try these books: http://www.amazon.com/Different-Minds-Children-Asperger-Syndrome/dp/1853029645 http://www.amazon.com/Uniquely-Gifted-Identifying-Exceptional-Education/dp/189076504X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b/175-6140922-2762346 http://www.amazon.com/Misdiagnosis-Diagnoses-Gifted-Children-Adults/dp/0910707677/ref=pd_sim_b_3

No, you wouldn't list it on a college application. The only pre college honors to list would be something truly superstar level like winning the National Spelling bee. Benefits that some people find: -acknowledgement, ribbons, ceremonies make kids feel good for academics -scores may be helpful for advocacy with school. -really outstanding scores might clue you into the need for a different approach for high school. -really outstanding scores can earn scholarships for camp or college courses. -scores that are on level for college may be useful in qualifying for dual enrollment in high school. -it can be nice low pressure test experience so your kid gets familiar with going into a school, bubbling answers, etc. Because nobody has to see the scores it is less pressure. -can start to get kids thinking a bit about what they will need to study to be ready for college. -some kids think it is fun to take tests. I don't at all see it as a make it or break it thing. If you have the money and it like it would be good for your kid, do it. If not, skip it.

I strongly agree with the suggestion that now is the time to require him to get some different experiences to get more used to being around people. When you are worried about your child and you've seen them have trouble in various activities it can be tough to keep putting yourself out there, but it is really necessary. A few years from now you won't have the power you have right now and if his options get narrower and narrower that's not good. The COMPASS test is on the computer taken at the college campus. Often it is used for placement rather than admissions. So, they may let in everyone but just use the test to decide what level courses you start with. I wouldn't rule out any college option without talking directly to a real staff person in admissions (not just a student who answers the phone). Other ideas for activities: Library reading groups or game groups community groups for interests such as chess, computers astronomy master gardener program http://www.ahs.org/master_gardeners/ volunteering http://www.volunteermatch.org/ mentoring from a neighbor or friend volunteering to help neighbors or friends part time jobs adult education courses in any area of interest I agree with you that there is no problem with graduating a year later. It isn't a race.

Start with taking a sample version of the SAT and the ACT under simulated test conditions (quiet room, use a timer). Compare results and see if one test is better for your student and concentrate on that test. Some students do about the same but some do much better on one test than the other so it is worth paying attention to that. Take sample tests at home and analyze results and work from there. Plan to take the test of their choice two times - maybe once junior year and once fall of senior year.

The point for some students is that rather large university scholarships can be tied to National Merit. It is also an honor that people often keep on their resumes even into graduate school.

This is not at all uncommon for Asperger's. What sort of therapy or social support has he gotten for his Asperger's? If this behavior is sudden, a visit to the pediatrician may not be a bad idea just to check and see if there are any other physical things going on.

One thing you might want to do if you have not already done so is check the websites of the colleges your child is considering to look at what specific CLEPs they will give credit for and does it meet a specific requirements. Some colleges accept CLEPs but then you look at the breakdown the credits are "general" credits which for most students aren't worth a lot. Also, they may not give credit for some of the more entry level CLEPs. And, you may want to compare what credit they grant for AP. It is really going to depend on the student. For some students the APs offer more depth of learning and a better chance to develop some specific skills in essay writing and so forth. They typical lead to more credit per test than the CLEPs and they carry more weight for admissions. Of course the good thing about homeschooling is that you get to decide what is best for your student. You can always do a combination of the two as well.

Jen, I'm not sure what happened years ago but now students are only eligible to compete for National Merit in their third year of high school. While students can take it as a 9th or 10th grader those tests can only be for practice (for the practice exam - crazy, huh?) The last time I saw statistics boys were overrepresented but not like the picture from your school - more like 55% versus 45% or something like that. Boys do tend to score higher on the SAT. Overall people have become a lot more savvy about testing for sure.

I hope you can figure out something. It sounds like you are doing all the right things. It is really tough when one problem runs up against another.