Asperger and homeschool help? Kind of long... Please, help me?

Question

I have Aspergers Syndrome and am in the 8th grade. I am home schooled.

I can remember catchy sayings like the first couple verses in the poem Hope by Emily Dickenson, but not facts easily

Concentrating, taking notes/summarizing, tests, reading boring things, organizing, remembering simple things (like where i put my pencil or my notes) and studying are very very hard for me. I have Very Bad handwriting/coordination skills

I love worksheets, i like reading the Harry Potter Series a lot, animals and writing fiction stories, research reports and essays.

I want to go to college to get a DVM (Veterinarian)

I have library books to choose from. I have rented a couple that should work can you please help me find a way to learn? I need to develop learning skills for high school. (Keystone National High school)

Thank Yo

Answer 1

I'm homeschooling a 12 yo with aspergers, so I know where you are coming from. In fact, we are homeschooling in part because public schools could NOT help him learn all the things that you are having trouble with.

Your parents should be helping you with these problems. I would talk to them or your psychologist about making checklists for the things you have trouble with. We have white boards all over my son's room, with lists of what's happening today, what's happening this week, what he has left to get done.

Your concentration levels and ability to handle boring things will increase as you get older. For now there needs to be a system in place. One that has rewards for working a certain amount of time and one that has set break points, so you can know that you're working for half an hour then you get to stop and relax.

In fact, many typical adults have problems with the things you mention, being organized and losing things. Most adults have a PDA to help motivate them. We have set places to put things so that they are always there. Your desk should have a place for everything. Ask your mom to help you find a logical set-up for your study area, its' really hard for people with aspergers to do that on their own.

Aspergers can be a hard thing to live with, but it is such a gift. Twenty years ago I could have been dx'ed with it, which is helpful when I work with my son because I know how hard it is for him. In other ways it's harder, because I don't want him to know all the hurts as you struggle. Good luck with homeschooling, it's been wonderful in our family!

Answer 2

Take out and read as many books as you can on study skills. Also see if your local school district or community programs or community college offer classes on study skills. And read http://www.users.dircon.co.uk/~cns/study...  Specifically for those with Aspergers/High Functioning Autism.

Answer 3

learn to type - typing is much easier than writing.

Find out your learning style - do you remember what you read or what you hear or what you do?  that will determine if you are visual, auditory or kinesthetic.  

Do you have an "obsession"?  

Learn everything you can for that interest, and see what careers you can use that skill or interest in, and then aim to learn whatever other subjects you need for that career.

Also start reading about non-verbal learning disorders. I have discovered that sometimes an Aspergers diagnosis is not always the correct one. You may have a non-verbal learning disorder (NVLD) which can encompass some of the symptoms of Aspergers. Especially if you do not have an "obsession'

Two good books to read  (about NVLD) are -

The Out of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz   and

Bridging the Gap by Rondalyn Varney Whitney

Answer 4

Well everyone has given you nice answers about 4H and stuff.  I think you should try putting your facts into little rhymes and that will help you remember them.

Also, sometimes it is just necessary to buckle down and work whether you want to or not.  Certain things will be boring... you just have to keep trying. Do things to make it more fun, but still you have to be willing to work.

You might want to take a course specifically in study skills before starting High School level work, this is a free on-line one:

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGkmj0.XtH1j...

Answer 5

If you want to become a vet have you tried  the 4H veterinarian program; if it is offered in your area that is.

It teaches vet science, and includes many hands on projects with local vet clinics, as well as lots of writing, and book learning.

This would give you the experience, and study skills with another group of students.

This may be a way to see if this is really the career that you want to pursue.

Answer 6

Well You should probably talk to your parents about helping you to change your way of learning to a way you can really learn from.

Here are some tips

1. Since you like work sheets do math work sheets for math

2. Since you seem to like to read get fun and interesting non fiction books at the library ( not boring long books). There are so many to choose from I am sure you can find lots of books about animals, history, everything!

3. Do some hands on learning, like go on field trips to museums and such. Also make plays with your siblings and friends on history subjects.

4. Find one place a drawer or cubby to keep all your school supplies and assignments.

  Hope some of these ideas helped you and your parents to make a good way to learn for you.

Answer 7

I am the mother of an 8th grade girl so I know the things I am telling you might not be easy,  might seem a little strange, but

at least some of it will be worth it.

Allot of people have problems with organizing but I think this should be your first task. Find someone to help you find a place for everything you use allot. And then label everything.

( I know it may look a little dorky, but you won't need the labels forever.)  And who knows maybe you are creative enough to make the labels  look cool!

    

Remember it always takes less than 5 minutes to put something in it's proper place, it can take a whole afternoon to look for it if it is in the wrong place, so it is always worth putting it away properly.

If it is something you use allot like pens, scotch tape or scissors try having a place for them in every room of your house that you might use them in.

.

    Have you ever tried to write your own poems or songs?

I know I could never memorize all of the US Presidents, and certainly not in order but I can sing you a song that names all of the Presidents. My daughter learned to multiply using Schoolhouse rock songs. Give poem writing a try, and if you are even fairly decent at it get your mom to buy you a rhyming dictionary. Then every time you want to learn something new pick out the most important facts and write yourself a poem.

     You also said you love to write fiction did you know allot of science fiction has science fact hidden within it?  Whenever you write a fiction story try to think of something that you are currently studying and work it into your story. While you are thinking of a way to add it to your story while making it make sense in the context of the story you brain will be helping you memorize and process the information in a more permanent way.

    As for you handwriting I can't help you much mine sticks too, and has gotten worse since I started using the computer so much.  But I know that there are allot of different fonts available on-line if you could find one that prints in cursive you could try tracing print-outs.

   If you have to read boring material it is sometimes  possible to find somewhere that you can be alone and read it out loud, again it sounds dorky but if it helps it might be worth it. If you can record yourself reading the material to play it back later as a method of studying it could help as well.

I hope I was able to be of some help to you.

BTW The link below has an example of the kind of song I was talking about

http://www.lyricsondemand.com/a/animania...

You can see the video at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCa7S3MFi...

All the president except for the lastest one in in this song!