Thinking ahead for my Aspie dd

[scrapbookbuzz]

My daughter will be 13 this year and will start high school in a couple of years. I'm beginning to look around and plan NOW so that I'm not caught up short when the time gets here. Although we evauate from year to year where we'll have our kids for school, I know that until high school we'll be homeschooling but when it comes time for actual high school, I don't know!

 

As stated in the subject header, she has Asperger's Syndrome. I know her well enought that I can tell you what will set her off and how to get her to do something without a fight, usually. My weak point with her is teaching composition.

 

What have you found that works well for preparing a writing-challenged student for high school (and college) English?

 

Thanks!

[Elizabeth in WA]

Persuasion has been the most important ingredient in getting my ds15, Aspie to write. He does want to go to college for Engineering and has been made to realize that he will have to pass Freshman comp to achieve that dream. Until I had him convinced that he would have to learn to write at least adequately, there was nothing I could do with him.

 

For the actual writing process, we have done two things. First a sheer words on paper thing with NaNoWriMo and my promise to never read any of it helped get past the initial writing block- this was also during the persuasion phase. Now we are using IEW American History-Themed writing with some success. It seems to work because he is given a great deal of structure and clear instructions as to what to write about. We will finish both volumes this year and then do Classical Rhetoric next year as well as beginning to work on timed essays.

 

His writing does look formulaic. It may always look formulaic. But at least he is writing, and I think it will be enough to get him through the minimal writing courses required in an Engineering program.

[scrapbookbuzz]

Thank you for your input! I have started to use IEW with her and realized, today, that I need to step it up. What really got this whole thought process going, including my inquiry, was watching "Temple Grandin" and noticing how even she was required to write a rather large paper or two. Time to step it up even if it comes with grumbling. I did have my dd watch half of the 2nd TWSS video with me because I knew it would help me teach it to her. God willing, we'll get her where she needs to be with this!

[AngieW in Texas]

IEW is the program that worked for my Aspie (both of them, since I'm pretty sure the psychologist who did her testing yesterday is going to come back with a diagnosis of both ADD and Aspie for my oldest). It's great at giving very clear parameters for how and what to write. Windows to the World with Jill Pike's lesson plans is a fabulous year-long literary analysis program.

 

My oldest HATES literary analysis, but she's already turned in 3.5 page and 4.5 page literary analysis papers for her English Composition II class at the cc. She has turned in MUCH better work for her teacher there than she ever did for me.

[scrapbookbuzz]

Literary analysis? Hadn't thought of that! Thanks for the information!

[Hunter]

Step Up to Writing isn't cheap, but there are a LOT of free online resources for it, that a parent could use to get most of the benefits of the program. I don't really want to link, because I'm not sure what is legal and what is copyright infringement :-0 I think maybe some of the schools think no one but their own teachers and students are using the worksheets.

 

Videos introducing the program are here.

 

I managed to get a hold of the $150.00 3rd edition secondary teacher's manual for $3.00! It was listed misspelled and mailed from the UK :-0 I just got REALLY lucky. I sure do wish I'd had this when homeschooling my aspie!

 

This is a VERY, VERY, VERY formulaic program meant to be used in EVERY subject and in EVERY grade, district wide. It produces great test results with at risk students, but is unnecessarily restrictive for many gifted students. It's as controversial in the PS setting as Saxon is in the homeschool setting.

 

I'm trying to pick and choose what parts of the curriculum to use in my own self-education, but if I were still homeschooling, and had a large crew to teach, I'd be using this curriculum as is and saying "good enough". I'm impressed, very impressed with this curriculum. The color coding system is ingenious, and the wealth of generic worksheets for all subjects makes it great to use with unit studies or any textbook.

[Brenda in MA]

I would also recommend IEW. Once you've learned the system yourself from the TWSS, I'd suggest getting one of the history-themed books. The lessons are straightforward and include checklists and style helps. She will probably like the structure and knowing what to expect. The history-based books will complement whatever you're studying in history, and they include most of the source material you'll need.

 

Best wishes,

Brenda

[Julie in MN]

My dd has an Aspie type personality. I felt IEW helped to force her to say things in her own words, which she really needed to learn due to per perfectionist & black/white tendencies.

 

However, I didn't feel IEW helped her to write what she thought, or to form her own thoughts (i.e. an original thesis statement). I think something like Writing Strands would have been better for that. The posts from Nan on this thread (and the quoted links to Nan's other thread) are the kinds of things I think might have helped my dd: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242417&page=2

 

Julie