Why I Decided to Homeschool My Special Needs Child
Even though it would have been much easier on me to send him to school.
When Graham turned three, I was nervous but excited for him to start school. Because of his Autism Spectrum Disorder, I wanted Graham to go to school as soon as possible. I knew he was smart and could catch on to things quickly, but I wanted the social interaction for him most.
At the time, Graham was almost entirely non-verbal. I hoped that being around other children his age who had stronger communication skills might help him communicate more or give him more of a desire to want to try.
I assumed that putting him in pre-school for a few half days for the first year to ease him in would be the best way to start.
On the first day of school, I cried more than Graham did.
With his Lightning McQueen backpack on, Graham walked into his classroom and didn’t even look back at me. I was so scared that he would be upset and not want to go that I hadn’t thought about how I would feel if he actually wanted to go.
I walked as quickly as I could out of the building, with tears streaming down my face.
