I Didn’t Plan to Homeschool – But I’m Glad I Am

Like so many families, we never imagined we’d end up homeschooling. It wasn’t part of the plan. We assumed school would be the place our child would grow, learn, and be supported. And for a couple of years, it was working. 

I had my daughter enrolled in a two-year Autism preschool program where she started to receive OT and Speech. She adored her teacher and everything was going well. Then we moved to a new city and started Kindergarten through 2nd grade in a Special Day Class. Again, we had a wonderful teacher and core para-professional staff that were attentive, encouraging, and truly supportive. We had our challenges as our daughter was now getting older and processing new things, every day. We had a minor setback in 3rd grade with a new teacher that didn’t quite cut the mustard as they say. We finished out my daughter’s 3rd year with her previous teacher, and everything was fine. 

Unfortunately the way the program is, it was time to again switch to a new teacher. Due to some personal discovery as well as discussions with other parents, my husband and I decided that this next teacher, the only one truly available in the area for our daughter’s grade level was not a good fit for her. 

This was the start of our homeschooling journey. For 4th and 5th grade, we homeschooled using The Autism Oasis as our curriculum of choice. 

Was the jump scary? Yes! Overwhelming? Definitely at times. But also… freeing. 

Homeschooling gave us something the traditional system couldn’t: the ability to build a learning environment around our child instead of forcing our child to fit into someone else’s.

We were able to:

• Follow her interests (instead of a rigid, goal-based curriculum)
  
• Integrate AAC naturally into every part of the day
  
• Take calming or sensory breaks when we needed to
  
• Replace “behavior plans” with genuine connection and understanding 

We tried school again for 6th grade, but for reasons I’m not going to go into here, it still just wasn’t a good fit. Going forward, we are homeschooling. It’s just the best choice for our daughter and for our ease of mind. 

It hasn’t been perfect, but it has been worth it. If you’re a parent feeling unsure about whether you can do this, you’re not alone. I was in your shoes not long ago—and I’m here to say, you absolutely can.

Want to talk it through?

Schedule a free 45-minute Zoom consultation with Heather to chat about your student, take a look at the materials, and get your questions answered. No pressure—just support.

👉 [Schedule your free meeting here]

Jennifer Bullock, Contributing Author

Homeschooling-experienced mom to a tween, non-speaking daughter, Jennifer is also Marketing Outreach Coordinator for The Autism Oasis. With 20+ years experience in marketing, advertising, and social media communications, you will see her occasionally supporting the blog and social media channels with various content related to Autism Oasis.