the tools we had developed when they were a preschooler have been outgrown. Their triggers and struggles have changed; they need more support with social skills. They are also now more capable of being responsible for their own reactions.
Recently, we went to the beach with several other families. My daughter was so excited to see her friends, but I wasn’t sure if she would recognize them when they met because, although they play together regularly, but have never seen each other’s faces. You see, we were meeting up with families from an online homeschool community based around Minecraft.
Getting an IEP for my autistic son was a nightmare, it included a denial and an advocate. His needs don’t show up accurately in the testing environment because he is a good reader and has a great memory. We tried applying a second time after we had his official Autism diagnosis and it was uphill battle because their previous testing showed no need. Eventually we got one only to have it reduced the next year. He was thriving, but he was thriving only because of the IEP accommodations. We knew he would not be able to adjust to a normal classroom environment.
I see you struggling to homeschool your challenging child. I see you struggling to decide if the public school is doing enough for your child. You question if you can give them everything they need to succeed. You question what you are doing wrong to create the challenges you are facing with your child. Let me tell you, Mom, you are doing a great job!
a last minute stop to the Fort Donelson Visitor Center in Dover, TN. We traveled from Nashville to get there and Google’s direct route was rather scenic.
