Comments on: Winter Break http://teenautism.com/2008/12/30/winter-break/ Beyond ABA, after OT . . . what now? Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:39:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Tanya Savko http://teenautism.com/2008/12/30/winter-break/comment-page-1/#comment-2197 Tanya Savko Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:32:59 +0000 http://teenautism.com/?p=227#comment-2197 Chapati, thanks for your kind words. We do follow the public school term schedule, but the exams are different for homeschooled kids, and the requirements vary by the state in which you live. Your brother sounds so resilient - it is truly a shame that intelligent people have to work so much harder just because their learning style does not conform to the standard teaching methods. And Maddy, indeed it is a marathon, but at least the scenery changes a bit along the way! Chapati, thanks for your kind words. We do follow the public school term schedule, but the exams are different for homeschooled kids, and the requirements vary by the state in which you live. Your brother sounds so resilient – it is truly a shame that intelligent people have to work so much harder just because their learning style does not conform to the standard teaching methods.

And Maddy, indeed it is a marathon, but at least the scenery changes a bit along the way!

]]> By: jess http://teenautism.com/2008/12/30/winter-break/comment-page-1/#comment-2196 jess Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:48:36 +0000 http://teenautism.com/?p=227#comment-2196 stretching ourselves, our patience, our hearts .. the labor of love .. i may not homeschool, i may not have a teenager yet, but i am there with you and yes, the breaks we need .. the breathing space . so hard won but so necessary .. thanks for the reminder stretching ourselves, our patience, our hearts .. the labor of love .. i may not homeschool, i may not have a teenager yet, but i am there with you

and yes, the breaks we need .. the breathing space . so hard won but so necessary .. thanks for the reminder

]]> By: Maddy http://teenautism.com/2008/12/30/winter-break/comment-page-1/#comment-2195 Maddy Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:37:22 +0000 http://teenautism.com/?p=227#comment-2195 Eek! You mean that well worn groove just gets deeper and more ingrained? Somehow I sort of knew that.......at least that's positive confirmation that we're in for the marathon not a sprint. Best wishes Eek! You mean that well worn groove just gets deeper and more ingrained? Somehow I sort of knew that…….at least that’s positive confirmation that we’re in for the marathon not a sprint.
Best wishes

]]> By: Fearless Females http://teenautism.com/2008/12/30/winter-break/comment-page-1/#comment-2194 Fearless Females Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:14:35 +0000 http://teenautism.com/?p=227#comment-2194 I think it's so great that you homeschool your son. It's so obvious that he's in good hands... I agree with breaks...yummy, vacation!! Have a good week of doing things just for you! I think it’s so great that you homeschool your son. It’s so obvious that he’s in good hands…

I agree with breaks…yummy, vacation!! Have a good week of doing things just for you!

]]> By: Chapati http://teenautism.com/2008/12/30/winter-break/comment-page-1/#comment-2188 Chapati Tue, 30 Dec 2008 10:04:37 +0000 http://teenautism.com/?p=227#comment-2188 Tanya, you're amazing, I really admire you for being able to home school! Do you follow the same term structure and exams as the standard school system in the US? The blanket approach to the way people learn is my bane with the school system - I was so lucky that how I was taught, and examined, happened to be how I learn best, but my brother really struggled. He is emerging from the shadows of the torture that was school now and showing his true abilities at the age of 17. I wish the UK school system had allowed some flexibility, some time, for him to step back and mull over things earlier, find his feet...he learns differently, and we just were not given the time to discover and apply how before he had to move on to the next topic, only half-learning the first one! I'm not blaming the teachers - they have enough to deal with as it is, but rather the whole system, the aim to get top grades, to be in a class for the right age rather than the right ability, and so on. The 'you have to enter school at 4, leave at 18' rigidness of the whole thing. I really do think that is why some kids 'play up' - they feel a sense of worthlessness when they can't do something, when they struggle year in year out. Eventually it makes some better at dealing with life, tougher, more hard-working (as in the case of my brother), but others more rebellious. Tanya, you’re amazing, I really admire you for being able to home school! Do you follow the same term structure and exams as the standard school system in the US?

The blanket approach to the way people learn is my bane with the school system – I was so lucky that how I was taught, and examined, happened to be how I learn best, but my brother really struggled.

He is emerging from the shadows of the torture that was school now and showing his true abilities at the age of 17. I wish the UK school system had allowed some flexibility, some time, for him to step back and mull over things earlier, find his feet…he learns differently, and we just were not given the time to discover and apply how before he had to move on to the next topic, only half-learning the first one!

I’m not blaming the teachers – they have enough to deal with as it is, but rather the whole system, the aim to get top grades, to be in a class for the right age rather than the right ability, and so on. The ‘you have to enter school at 4, leave at 18′ rigidness of the whole thing.

I really do think that is why some kids ‘play up’ – they feel a sense of worthlessness when they can’t do something, when they struggle year in year out. Eventually it makes some better at dealing with life, tougher, more hard-working (as in the case of my brother), but others more rebellious.

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