Note to self, proofread before pressing Submit.

I don’t HS (yet, it is getting considered as an option because of a work move). If it ever comes to HSing for you I’ve heard that some people purposely set up a separate physical space that is the “school” zone in their house. It doesn’t have that distance from home aspect but it might give.

As for interaction among other kids it seems pretty common among HSers to organize loose groups of other HS parents where they can to give that to their children.

But my older child G is more like what you’ve described… his “learning mode” has to be at school. I told the school to forget the homework; I’m NOT doing it any more. Two hours of screaming and rolling on the floor (the kid, not me LOL!) are not worth it for a two-sentence paragraph or whatever. Hopefully the teachers understand.

IMO, (and I don’t know whether you’ve ever covered this aspect or not, Kristina,) the children who are mentally incapable of being in gifted-type classes… the staff seems to “buy” that those kids are autistic. They seemed to think Elf was “manipulating” all the adults. Like, he woke up that morning thinking of all the trouble he could get into because he had the wrong pencil or someone touched a red crayon he was using. Mmm hmm.

I’m a former teacher and I have to admit that I, like Chris H., don’t think I’d be able to homeschool my kids. I mean, I *could* if I really needed to, but I think it’s important for my kids to have that separation between school and home. They need that act of physically going somewhere else to get in to their learning mode, if that makes sense. I mean, they learn at home but in a less structured way. When they’re home they’re able to be more on their own agenda and it’s important I think for them to have that outlet. It teaches them self regulation – i.e. I can get through my school/work/whatever because I’ll be able to go home at the end and relax. Home is my safe place to truly be myself.

:-p

Does it really matter? Especially with the changes in diagnosis in the past few years? Plus, Whidbey is really way up there in what is essentially the boonies! (and don’t forget it is a military town, not unlike Ft. Dix, NJ). It is not the same population density that surrounds the area near King and Pierce County (note that I included the link to CHILD, which is right there in the midst of the largest county in the state!).

Really, it is not a big deal.

Plus, there are some interesting state wide funding clauses that favor small districts (Washington residents look up “John Rogers”, the political person, not the schools named after him!).

YET! A past posting of yours disputes that:
http://www.autismvox.com/a-school-that-just-accepts-autistic-kids/

You wrote that last June, that predates the September opening of Wintros.

If I learned one thing through my experience, it is that the responsibility to educate my children rests with me whether I choose public, private or home school. The state does not own them. Why does anyone need to know what is going on in my classroom?

I’d like to think that we don’t live in a Nanny State where I or my children should be examined to live up to some state “standard.” If I’m not receiving any funds, I shouldn’t be accountable to anyone at all. Once you go down that path, you realize that the state could make sure you’re serving nutritious food to your kids next. Or providing adequate health care. Or getting the children enough sleep each night. Or whatever.

And all these things are GOOD things, but I stand on my Fourth Amendment right at the front door. There just comes a point where the state needs to mind its own stinkin’ business.

PS. I do have two older children in public schools, and one of them is autistic. So happens that in THEIR cases, it’s working reasonably well. So, I’m not really at odds with you per se. :]