Autism and Flexischooling

by Lawrence, Clare; Beardon, Luke

• ISBN13: 9781849052795
• ISBN10: 1849052794
• Edition: Original
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-07-15
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub

Summary

A growing number of parents are considering part time or 'flexischooling' as an option that might benefit their child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but face concerns such as: Is it possible? Has anyone tried it? How can it be set up? Above all, does it work? This book answers all these questions, and many more. Covering both the home and school angle, it explores ways to evaluate whether the option is right for your child, organising the arrangement effectively with the school and ensuring that curriculum and examination goals are met, and also includes case examples of successful part time schooling at both primary and secondary level. This is the first resource of its kind to bring together all of the information needed for both parents and schools to consider the merits and disadvantages of this approach, and to evaluate it as an option for individual children.

Author Biography

Clare Lawrence is a teacher, autism worker and mother of two children, one of whom has Asperger syndrome. She works closely with schools across the UK, exploring practical solutions for how to make education more accessible for children on the autism spectrum. Clare lives in Cambridgeshire, UK.

Table of Contents

A Note on Terminology	p. 9
Foreword	p. 13
Introduction: Why Would We Want to Do That?	p. 15
Mainstream inclusion: where are we now?	p. 15
Why consider flexischooling?	p. 17
What is flexischooling?	p. 19
Can anyone do it?	p. 20
Is it legal?	p. 20
Is it a right?	p. 21
Can I change my mind?	p. 22
Is it part-time education?	p. 22
Is it more suited to the child with lower academic potential?	p. 23
Isn't it the school's responsibility to meet his needs?	p. 23
If school is so inappropriate, why not just home educate?	p. 24
A Consideration of Flexischooling
Why Does Flexischooling Work so Well for the Pupil with an ASD?	p. 28
A shorter time in school	p. 31
A longer time at home	p. 40
Winning all round	p. 54
Summary	p. 56
Setting it Up	p. 57
Persuade the school to consider it	p. 57
Work out how to record the 'full-time education'	p. 61
Summary	p. 63
Making it Work	p. 65
Practicalities: keeping him safe	p. 65
Agree what constitutes 'success'	p. 65
Curriculum content and examinations	p. 71
Extra-curricular activities	p. 73
Summary	p. 75
Facing the Critics	p. 77
Challenges you might come up against	p. 77
Comments and responses	p. 80
Looking to the future: employment	p. 86
What about me? Parents and flexischooling	p. 87
Flexischooling in Action
Sam's Story: A Mother's Perspective on Flexischooling	p. 90
Before school	p. 90
Sam starts school	p. 93
Homeschooling	p. 95
Sam's needs	p. 97
Starting to flexischool	p. 99
Age 7-11	p. 103
Flexischooling at home	p. 114
Age 11-18	p. 119
Some Final Questions	p. 126
Are there disadvantages to flexischooling?	p. 126
Can it work for the older child?	p. 127
What about working parents?	p. 127
Doesn't he miss out on schoolwork?	p. 127
Can he still take exams?	p. 128
How do you know what to teach?	p. 128
Can he still have support in school?	p. 129
Do external agencies still give you support?	p. 129
What do others who have tried flexischooling have to say?	p. 130
I don't have the expertise to teach him! Can we still flexischool?	p. 130
Don't siblings feel hard done by?	p. 131
Isn't it an organisational nightmare for my disorganised child?	p. 131
My relationship with the school is already rather tense. Will we be able to work together?	p. 132
My school says flexischooling is illegal. What can I do?	p. 133
What if he still hates the parts of school he does go in for?	p. 133
Whose responsibility is it to make sure he is getting a 'full-time education'?	p. 134
Does it work?	p. 134
Into the Future	p. 137
References and Further Reading	p. 139
References	p. 139
Further reading	p. 140
Index	p. 141
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