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My daughter, Jessica, had always been bright, began reading at age 2 and a half, could count to several hundred
by age 3, simple maths by age 4. Her behaviour had always been 'challenging' but I just assumed she would 'grow out
of it'. She went to our local primary school for 2 years, where she was described as shy and quiet. This
did not sound like a description of the child I knew and loved, at home she was not quiet, she was aggressive and prone to
screaming. We would always be late for school as she would stall our leaving as long as possible. When I collected
her from school she would hit me and her little brother and then run off. She could not seem to control her behaviour
during class assemblys and had to be carried out of the infant nativity due to disruptive behaviour. This was all very
painful to watch. During the summer holidays she was like a totally different child, she was relaxed and much less aggressive
towards me and my son. I had thought about home tutoring before as I could tell she was having difficulty in school.
I decided to find out more about it and where I stood legally (see www.education-otherwise.org/Legal/IndexToLegalBits.htm ), then took the plunge. Not sending her back to school after the summer holidays felt so right and it was like
a weight lifted off our shoulders. Nearly 2 years on, and after trial and error, we have a routine sorted and it
works well for our family.
Although Jessica became less aggressive and more confident, there were still problems with nightmares, irrational fears,
impulsive behaviour and poor social behaviour. She was referred to see a specialist who later diagnosed her as having
an Autistic Spectrum Disorder. I had suspected for some time that this was the case, but to actually have the diagnosis
came as a bit of a shock. It certainly explained her behavioural problems and other aspects of her personality.
Our home education is adapted to suit her particular needs. I use a visual timetable to show her exactly what she is
going to be doing that day and she finds that helpful and comforting. She does not get too distressed if the routine
changes but she likes to be informed in advance of anything new.
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