Why We Chose Homeschooling

There are two schools of thought when it comes to learning from home. There are the 'but children need socialisation and need to be a part of a community' people, who assume we took the 'easy' way out. Then there are the people who had considered it themselves. These people have genuine questions. Perhaps there are people that are somewhere in the middle? I haven't met any.

I can't comment on the 'right' way to parent. They forgot to give me that parenting manual at the hospital, and like most parents out there- I'm totally winging it. But I can explain why we are doing it. The answer is pretty straightforward. My responsibility as a parent is to meet the needs of my children.

Curiously, the educational needs of my own two children couldn't be more different. I have one child, twice exceptional (ADHD and gifted), who has always been one of the youngest children in their year, and also one of the highest achieving. They screamed through primary school with mostly A's and B's, thrived socially... and things are looking pretty much the same in high school.

My youngest, who we will call Master 6 (M6), is also very intelligent. But his learning style isn't what you would call 'typical'. He has a unique and fascinating way of understanding concepts and the world at large. He is autistic, and he is equally as amazing as my first born. For M6, learning must be done in short bursts, without all the classroom 'fluff' in the middle. He learns quickly, gets it done, then he's off trampolining or building elevators until the next lesson.

It's not the work that he struggles with. It's the environment. The fluoro lighting, the noise, the people, the movement, the crying, laughing and the talking. The music. M6 suffers greatly with sensory overwhelm. The way his brain processes all of the 'data' from a seemingly mundane day-to-day activity. He may last the day. But by the next, his nervous system is kaput.

Today he is keen beans.

Tomorrow he is an emotional mess and we don't make it out the door.

On top of this, the way he learns requires constant consideration and adaption. For example, if the topic isn't interesting enough, or isn't related to a special interest, or conversely; has an animated character involved that doesn't pass the vibe check... you may as well put the activity through the shredder.

We do a lot of hands-on learning. Worksheets, yes, but also rotating activities to maintain interest. Learning through computer activities, YouTube shorts and age appropriate books. But also learning through living; cooking (health, measuring, reading, learning about fractions, scientific reactions, home skills), gardening (science, maths, health and PE, as well as being grounding and therapeutic). Play! So much can be learned by enjoying life.

M6 has a natural knack for navigation (in real life and on Google Maps), traffic rules and traffic lights, and an interest in the mechanical aspects of elevators and escalators. What's more, he FREQUENTLY goes on 'excursions' that are low cost, 1:1, educational and fun. We bought annual passes for our most local experience so that we can go when we like and learn new things every time. We also have our regular occupational therapy and speech pathology to attend.

We have less rushed mornings, and routines that work for us.

Socialisation involves time with extended family, meetups at gymnastics sensory sessions, spontaneous play with children at the park, and interactions on our regular day-to-day outings. His socialisation simply looks a little different to school-based socialisation. But that works for him.

Now, before some of you come at me, never have I EVER said that there aren't teachers out there that are capable of this kind of support. I am certain that there are! There are some brilliant schools with incredible staff that do their absolute best, plus some, with the resources they have access to. The issue is, every autistic child has their own unique set of needs, and sometimes it isn't possible to fully accommodate for every child. (I can just accommodate for my two. Teachers might have twenty-two).

In summary, school is going to be brilliant for one kid, and throw another into complete turmoil. Master 6 is Kid B.

For us, homeschooling isn’t about choosing the 'easy' option. It’s about choosing the environment in which M6 can actually learn, regulate, and enjoy being a kid. It also means that as a parent, I have had to make sacrifices in order to meet the needs of my child. It's not easy. But it's worth it.