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Allison TX

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  1. I want to thank all of you for sharing about your experiences and giving suggestions. You have all been super helpful! Sometimes just knowing that you are not the only one going through something makes it seem not quite as difficult. : ) I have read and re-read all your posts. There is a lot of useful information, and I have a lot to think about now! Thanks again!!!
  2. PeterPan, the main reason I got an evaluation was for a speech delay. Out of my five kids, 3 had speech delays so we weren't surprised by the fact that she wasn't talking a lot. She was my easiest baby and toddler by far- maybe that should have been a red flag. The only other thing that seemed odd was she occasionally wouldn't respond to her name. Since it wasn't all the time we weren't concerned about that either. When I took her to the pediatrician for her 3 year well check everything was fine- except the speech. And even that the pediatrician wasn't overly concerned about because of our family history. And she did speak- she was just sort of stalling instead of advancing in speech. She had always met all developmental milestones on time. Between 3 and 31/2, she became a little more withdrawn, and then I became concerned. But everyone around me said she was perfectly fine. When I finally went for a speech eval (because I was concerned) the therapist thought it would be worth having her evaluated by a Psychologist. She also mentioned that her eye contact wasn't great. It wasn't bad enough for me to notice, but after she brought it up I noticed it more. So I decided to get her evaluated for any developmental issues. I was a little surprised by the diagnosis, but now it seems to kind of fit. I went back and looked at the paperwork I received from the psych and all it says is- Some behaviors and her language delay were consistent with mild ASD. No number. The recommendations were for enrollment in a preschool program with teachers trained to work with children on the spectrum, speech, and OT. And she should be retested in 6 months to assess progress. She has always been really sweet and mostly easy going. She loves to play- by herself and with others, she has a great sense of humor, she doesn't mind change, she has no sensory issues. In some ways she doesn't fit the diagnosis criteria. The biggest difference that I've seen since she started therapy is with language. She talks a lot more now, we can have short back and forth conversations, and she seems more engaged with us and others. I want to thank all of you for sharing about your experiences and giving suggestions. You have all been super helpful! Sometimes just knowing that you are not the only one going through something makes it seem not quite as difficult. : ) I have read and re-read all your posts. There is a lot of useful information, and I have a lot to think about now! Thanks again!!!
  3. I apologize for not responding sooner. I completely forgot that I posted on this board! I read through all the replies last night, and I really appreciate all the help. I did not receive a number diagnosis related to ASD from the Psychologist. I knew nothing about autism at the time and didn't know enough to ask about the number. She just said she had "mild autism", and to retest in the spring after speech/preschool services had been in place for a few months to see how much progress had been made. I'll know more after we meet with the Psychologist again. I'm going to observe my daughter's class this week, and am hoping that I will have more insight into what direction to go next year. It's very helpful to hear about other's experiences- whether you kept your kids home or sent them to school. I'm just trying to get a feel for what it might look like to homeschool someone with ASD. I realize there's probably not a normal. I have yet to hear any "expert" support the idea of homeschooling a child with ASD, so I'm just curious about how it looks for people that are doing it. Also, since we're going back to the Psychologist soon, is there anything specific I should ask? Thanks again for sharing your thoughts. : )
  4. Lecka, thank you for the book suggestions. I just ordered two off Amazon and the Play Project one on kindle. I'm going to start reading on kindle and then possibly buy the book- it wasn't prime. : ) I'll try to clarify a little more. The school is a therapy center that offers group classes for kids with language/speech issues. In a group setting they work on expressive/receptive language, social/play skills, gross and fine motor skills, and sensory processing. It is 2 and half hours a day 4 times a week. They work on those skills while acting like a traditional pre K/ mother's day out with playground time, weekly themes, arts & crafts etc.. Next year my daughter would go from the therapy center class to "school" which is Pre K- 6th grade but is only for kids with speech/language disorders as the primary issue. Many of the kids have ASD, but they are all more high functioning. There is no ABA therapy at all. As far as reasons why I'm not sure I feel confident homeschooling her- I think it's a little of both. I am worried that if I take her out of a group setting she may not progress socially. I'm also worried that I don't know all of the techniques the therapists use. And I still feel that I don't understand autism- I know that sounds silly. If I'm working with her at home on social skills, and we practice with siblings and family and when we're out doing activities, is that enough? Is there something magic about being in a small group of kids her age? I'm going to request to view the class. That was a great suggestion! I will either feel that I absolutely CAN learn what they are doing, or I'll know that I need more time to learn. And I should probably elaborate a little more on her diagnosis. The psychologist who did the evaluation said she was "borderline" or "mild" ASD. She met some criteria but not all. I was told she needed speech therapy and group social skills, but not ABA. She said my daughter was not a good fit for ABA. At the time I had never heard of ABA so I didn't think to ask more. She did give me some information about Floor Time, and I've been doing that with my daughter. It seemed like how I was already playing with her previously. I'm going to start reading about the play project tonight- hopefully I'll start to feel more confident as I learn more. The whole thing is sort of overwhelming!
  5. I greatly appreciate all your replies! You all have given me a lot to think about. It sounds like it can actually benefit a lot of kids tremendously, but it requires a lot more work from the parent than homeschooling a typical kid. The class she is in is basically a preschool class with group speech therapy. It still covers all the regular preschool type activities- shapes, colors, cute themes. She also does individual speech therapy twice a week. We will definitely continue with the individual therapy. If the school was closer then I think I would continue with it for another year, maybe two. The cost is an issue, but it is doable. It's primarily the commute time. Sometimes my husband can take her, and sometimes my mother can pick her up, but there isn't a consistent schedule. My 5 year old son and I are in the car for 3-4 hours on the days we drive. I feel it's really unfair to my little guy. At least when we get to the school my daughter gets to do something fun, but my son has to turn around and get back in the car again. : ( It's not ideal.
  6. Hello! I posted this question on the General Board and it was suggested I post it here too. I have homeschooled for 12 years, but I have no experience with autism. I keep hearing that school is the best option for these kids because their social needs are different than "normal" kids. But I've also heard that having a child on the spectrum is a big reason TO homeschool. Is there anything that you would recommend for someone considering homeschooling a child with ASD? Is it a lot different than homeschooling a non-spectrum child? Thank you for any help or thoughts. I'm feeling confused about what I am capable of doing and what will be the best for my child. I realize these kids vary significantly, but I want to hear about all different experiences because I don't know how high functioning my child will be.(She's just turned 4) I just want to hear that there are people that have homeschooled successfully and don't regret that choice. I should also clarify- I'm not considering putting her in the public school. She is currently going to a private school for kids with speech and language issues and some learning differences. She started in August right after we got a diagnosis. She has made amazing progress with her speech. There are only six kids in the class with 3 teachers- one of them a speech pathologist. She enjoys going and we couldn't be happier with her progress. But- we drive close to an hour each way, 4 times a week. Next year it would be 5 times a week. And she would need to leave the house even earlier because the start time is earlier and we'd hit morning rush hour traffic. It makes it hard to participate in some activities for my other two kids still at home because of the schedule. And it's very expensive. I guess I'm trying to decide if I can provide a home program that is as good or better than they can provide at the school. I will definitely continue with speech therapy as well. ​I guess I should also add that she is generally a very happy, sweet little girl. She likes to go places and doesn't seem to mind change. She likes other kids/people, but she has a tendency to withdraw and go off by herself if I let her. Her main issue seems to be speech/language, with some occasional quirky behavior.
  7. Thanks, Kinsa. I'm going to post this on the Learning Challenges board. I appreciate all the thoughts. I think my problem is that I DO feel the therapists are experts and I have no clue what to do! I think it's kind of silly, but that is why I feel so nervous homeschooling her. I feel like they have some sort of knowledge that will help her and I'm missing it! I never felt this way homeschooling my other kids. Part of the problem is I don't think I understand autism very well if that makes sense. I've tried reading about it, but she seems different than books. : ) We did consider moving to be closer to the school, but we were told she may not need the school for more than a couple of years. So it's probably not worth a move anyway. And it is an extremely expensive area of town, and we don't really want to live in the city- we like our acreage. But we haven't completely ruled it out. Are there any books you all can suggest or anything I can do so I will feel more prepared?
  8. Thank you for all the replies. I realize these kids vary significantly, but I want to hear about all different experiences because I don't know how high functioning my child will be.(She's just turned 4) I just want to hear that there are people that have homeschooled successfully and don't regret that choice. I should also clarify- I'm not considering putting her in the public school. She is currently going to a private school for kids with speech and language issues and some learning differences. She started in August right after we got a diagnosis. She has made amazing progress with her speech. There are only six kids in the class with 3 teachers- one of them a speech pathologist. She enjoys going and we couldn't be happier with her progress. But- we drive close to an hour each way, 4 times a week. Next year it would be 5 times a week. And she would need to leave the house even earlier because the start time is earlier and we'd hit morning rush hour traffic. It makes it hard to participate in some activities for my other two kids still at home because of the schedule. And it's very expensive. I guess I'm trying to decide if I can provide a home program that is as good or better than they can provide at the school. I will definitely continue with speech therapy as well.
  9. I have homeschooled for 12 years, but I have no experience with autism. I keep hearing that school is the best option for these kids because their social needs are different than "normal" kids. But I've also heard that having a child on the spectrum is a big reason TO homeschool. Is there anything that you would recommend for someone considering homeschooling a child with ASD? Is it a lot different than homeschooling a non-spectrum child? Thank you for any help or thoughts. I'm feeling confused about what I am capable of doing and what will be the best for my child.
  10. I'm considering this for my dd 14, but I can't find very many reviews. I downloaded the first lesson, and we like the way it is written, but I would love to hear from people that have actually tried it. Thanks!
  11. Thank you everyone for the detailed responses. : ) It seems that many people have had success with R&S- I just don't see it mentioned much on these boards. The reasons Singapore didn't work for us previously (it's been 10+ years since I've used it!) were probably because I was a new homeschooler at the time and didn't feel very confident teaching math, and because it was a different approach to math than how I was taught, and my older kids got frustrated with it and seemed to need more hands on and repetition. I didn't use it very long with any of them. The only thing that has changed is that I've seen a lot of people have success with Singapore, which for some reason gives me more confidence that the approach works. : ) And this child picks up math concepts easily and quickly, so I'm thinking he may not need as much drill and repetition as the others needed. My plan was to finish out the year with Singapore and Horizons combo, but I would really prefer to just use one program. And if I'm going to make a switch to R&S, I'd rather do it sooner than later. Maybe I should finish out the year with Singapore, see how it goes, and re-evaluate over the summer? I'm sure this seems silly, but he is my first kid that LOVES math and it comes easily to him, so I don't want to screw it up! :lol:
  12. Which one would you choose and why? My ds 5 has finished Horizons K and Singapore Early Bird, and he is now almost done with Singapore 1a and about 1/4 way through Horizons 1 book 1. He still has not memorized all +/- facts, but can do most of them fairly quickly in his head, and he understands the concepts. I was using both programs to see which would be a better fit, but I don't want to continue with two programs if possible. I think I like the mastery approach better than spiral, so I was leaning towards Singapore. But Singapore scares me for some reason- I've tried it three times with my older kids and gave up each time. It is so different than how I was taught math, so I don't feel super comfortable teaching it, but it seems to be the most suggested program for a "mathy" kid. I feel like I will be shortchanging my ds if I use something else. And now I'm considering using Memoria Press, and they use Rod and Staff. I've been reading about why they selected R&S for math and it makes sense to me. But is it a good choice for a "mathy" kid?
  13. Thank you everyone! You've given me a lot to think about. I almost bought the whole kinder package over the summer when I was at a conference, but I decided to just use what I already had. Then a few weeks into the year, I wished I had bought it, so I ordered the K guide, and I do like the look of it- but I don't know if I'm ready to switch over 100%! I thought it would make life easier to have something completely planned out because I am tired- he is child #4- but I'm not sure I LOVE all the choices for every year, and if I start changing a subject here or there, then I won't have the simplicity of a planned out program. Math and Writing/Grammar are the two main subjects I'm not sure about. I like R&S math, I'm just not sure it's the right fit for this kid. And I've always thought the writing program looked confusing, but I've never tried to use it. It seems piecing things together will probably be a better fit, but I really want to order that very pretty MP core! : )
  14. I am looking at MP for my little guy for 1st next year. Has anyone used a full, or almost full, core from MP? Do you like most of the components? Do you use R&S math? Do you like the LA recs? Is the amount of work doable? Have you continued to use the cores for more than a year? Is it interesting/fun? I bought a Kinder guide form MP to look through and get ideas for this year, and I really like it, but right now we're using different phonics and math, so I'm deciding if I want to make the switch. My other thought is piecing together using mostly WTM recs, but I'm worried I'll miss the daily schedule. I've used HOD for ten+ years, and although I modify every year, I like having a plan to work with. Starting from scratch makes me a little scared. Thanks!
  15. Thank you MyLife. I'm glad to hear that MLLE is working for your mathy kids. We did take the placement test, and he places between Level 1 and Level 2. I went ahead and ordered both levels so I can look through them. I have a feeling from the samples that Level 1 will be mostly review for him with the exception of hundreds place value. I think I'll have a better feel for the program after I can look through a couple of levels.
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