Monday, October 5, 2009

What do we do with "Middle School"?!


My son Anthony is turning 12 on December 8th, and is heading fast toward Middle School, and I'm very frightened!!! He's already said that he wants to be homeschooled next year, and I'm seriously beginning to look at that as a very real option.


But you know what I really want to do? I want to poll the folks out in the Antelope Valley where we reside, and find out just how many parents out here of special needs children are freaking out about Middle School also. Why, you might ask? Well, 3 big reasons come to mind: 1) How will Anthony navigate 6 different teachers in 6 different classes, when he's only in 1 room for the whole day now? 2) Anthony obssesses on 1 friend. This friend has been with him for the past 2 years. How will the shock of not having him around be? 3) HORMONES!!!! It's enough for a typical child to try to make it through Middle School with their hormones raging! How is my son going to handle his hormones through his world of autism? He can barely reason with anyone now! He can barely relay to me what incidents took place in his day now! This morning his teacher told me that I would be bald by the end of Middle School. I'm not willing to accept that stress, either for him or for us, his family.


So again, I need to ask: How many parents in the Antelope Valley are looking at these same fears, and becoming increasingly paranoid and paralyzed by them? Right now, I'm one of those parents, but I don't want to stay that way. Right now, I want to pull the blankets over my head and just cry from exhaustion. But I can't!!!! Anthony won't benefit in any way from that response.


My husband and I have decided to try to see how great the need is out here for families of children with special needs to be homeschooled through Middle School and even High School. I'm just going to dive in head first and see what I can uncover. Who knows!! We may even be able to start a school that is dedicated ONLY to those children who require special learning techniques. I can't think that it's only me so "who am I"? "How can I make a change"? What I really need to ask is "how can I NOT make a change"!?


I'll journal my findings here so check back often. And anyone who HAS any thoughts or ideas or needs as mentioned above, don't be afraid to speak out!


We can do it! We HAVE to do it!


~ Susan

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