Home Educating Our Autistic Spectrum Children: Past, Present and Futures

by Terri Dowty (editor)

Mainstream educational provision for children on the autistic spectrum can be inadequate or inappropriate, and an increasing number of parents dissatisfied with the education system are looking elsewhere for an approach that will suit their children's needs. In this book parents who have chosen the home education option for their children on the autistic spectrum candidly relate their how they reached the decision to educate at home, how they set about the task, and their feelings about the issues raised by their actions. Alongside these personal accounts, Home Educating Our Autistic Spectrum Children includes a supplementary chapter on getting started with home education, written by a former advisory teacher for special needs, which offers a wealth of helpful tips and answers frequently voiced questions about teaching materials, curricula and socialisation. A separate chapter on home education and the law provides solid practical advice on legal rights and relations with the education authority. This sympathetic, readable book aims to give parents whose children are not receiving appropriate support at school the confidence to consider home education as a realistic option. The balance between true stories and practical advice ensures that this invaluable book will inspire and inform.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder

300 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2001

Reviews

[Cams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This opened my eyes in a big way and made me realise how closed-minded I actually was. I was one of those who worried about socialisation. For me, that's what school was all about. But for our 5-year old son with AS, school is about something different. He's just not ready for school at all, poor wee lad.

The final chapter with the legal ramifications was very useful, although I'm in Scotland and am aware that the legislation is different here.

The book was well edited (although I could do without the circumflex on role) and well put together. Some of the chapters are more relevant than others, so whatever was useful to me and my family may not be the same as for yours.

The list of resources is excellent and gives one a springboard into what was, for us at least, the unknown.

Recommended.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

My low rating has nothing to do with the overall value of this book, but merely it's value for me, as it was not what I'd hoped it would be. If you are planning to homeschool a child with asperger's, you might want to read it.

As the mother of a child with nonverbal autism, I found this book to be a waste of my time. I couldn't relate to or even take anything away from the majority of the articles.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was extremely helpful as we decide what to do with our son for kindergarten. It is the story of about 15 families, their experiences with having an asperger's syndrome child in school, and what happened when they took them out of school. A surprisingly good and informative book.

[Robert Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of different anecdotes from a lot of different parents on how they the homeschol their autistic child.