New to Unschooling - from Brisbane, Australia

[Erin Kikkert]

Hi Everyone

[Meredith]

Hi, Erin. You'll find that a fair number of unschooling families have kids who would be labeled or diagnosed in school -  but it may not be evident from the beginning which kids have issues or had trouble when they were younger because unschooling works for all kinds of kids; it "works" by meeting kids where they are and helping them meet their needs and desires. 

It may help to keep in mind that a lot of what you're told about your son's needs and issues by professionals will have to do with helping him integrate into school. If he stays in school, that's fine - and having a label is a good tool for dealing with the school system and getting something tailored to your kid. Outside of school, without those pressures, a whole lot of sensory and "autism spectrum" issues (not to mention a host of "learning disabilities") are developmental (as in: they grow out of it) or fall by the wayside entirely.

For instance, a lot of occupational therapists push kids with sensory issues to touch or do things they find upsetting - touching gooey or sticky things comes to mind, since that's something my daughter doesn't like to do. In school, a kid who won't touch certain things will miss out on a certain number of learning opportunities and be subject to a lot of pressure from teachers and other children besides. But at home, my kid can decide when and how she wants to touch things and have alternatives suggested if she wants to explore without touching - or she can decide she doesn't really want to learn about whatever gooey thing is going on in the kitchen, she'd rather build or draw or read or play a game or jump on the trampoline. She won't "lose out" by not wanting to touch. And over time she's gotten bolder about deciding what she'll try and cleverer about coming up with alternatives. 

One thing you likely won't hear much of from professionals is: it's okay to take No for an answer from your kid. That's really valuable to know if you have a kid with sensitivities, and a wonderful gift to offer any child.