hello, my name is rosey, I am a mother of an autisic 3 year old little boy. we currently live in northwest Indiana. i am considering home schooling my son, i was wondering if i can hear from some other parents of austisic children that are currently being home schooled. how early can they start? are there any assistance with funding? are the teachers, parents or are they professional help? are there any pros and cons?

Tuscany

Hi Rosy,

I applaud you for wanting to take an active role in your son's education. Early intervention for children with autism is very important. So you could start working with your son now. If your son is not verbal, setting up a daily schedule with pictures for each thing, (get up = a bed) and having him take charge of the schedule (take off each thing) is a good starting point. You might have to start with doing this hand over hand, but eventually he will get into a routine.

Routines and schedules are very important for children with autism. Theyl ike to know what to expect, all children like consistancy with rules and expectations, but this is especially true for an autistic child. Once you have a daily routine, stick to it as much as possible.

Also, although home schooling is an option, it is important that you get your son into a social club, or play activity group. Autistic children need social interaction with peers even more so than other children. There should be an autism support group near you. Also, if you look up schools for students with learning disabilties (Like the Norman Howard School in New York), you might find a great network of parents, professionals, and doctors that are willing to help. Many states offer a program for children under the age of 4 (called early intervention) where a professional comes to your home to help you and your child. They could visit as much as once or twice a week depending on the needs of your child.

Good luck, and please feel free to Private message me with any concerns. I have worked with autistic children for more than 10 years now and although I might not know the answer, I can direct you to someone who might.

Redbone

I am glad that you want to help in your childs early development. However as he gets older he will need to have some sort of sociel skills. I have a grandson that was diagnosted
with the Autism. The Dr's were great in helping My daughter get started on how to handle that. At first it was a slow sad process. But the main thing was he had Love from everybody. Home schooling till he is of age to go to a regular school is great, But even the Dr.s Will Tell you that He needs sociel skills. and will need to go to a regular school. There are plenty of help out there. Judivine is something that my daughter used to help. They can point you in the right Direction. Good luck

RSM

Just a quick comment on home schooling. In most states other than a responsibility to identify and assess your child to determine eligibility for special education and related services, public schools have no obligation to provide any services. In my opinion, your child would be best served (if found eligible) to receive services from the public schools where you would have access to OT/PT/speech and state of the art programs to meet your child's needs include ABA/discrete trials, support of a behaviorist, etc. Even if you choose not to enroll your child in an Autism or pre-k disabilities program, you should still refer him. The assessments that are completed by your local child study team will provide a wealth of information to assist you in development a program for him in your home. Regards, RSM