Hi Cbruddy, I too, homeschooled my son for 4 yrs.. I used CAVA, acronym, California Virtual Academy, but they exist statewide. The program is phenomenal, a big work load, but your child will still get their IEP needs met. Nice thing about this is that the services are one on one so there's more time devoted to them. My son ended up transitioning fine to a public high school, currently doing well. I can honestly say that the individual time you spend with him/her is something that can never be taught in a regular school. So, it's a great foundation, plus, you have lots of freedom with the schedule. Enjoy, and don't let anyone discourage you, you can teach your child far more than anyone. Good luck!

Hello! You are certainly a very experienced home-schooling mom. YOu asked about advice for your 13 year old child with autism. My recommendation is that you use as your quidepost, the question, "What is best for my child?" What are his needs, interests, and capacities? Check out all the options and measure them against your list of needs. I have a nonverbal son with severe autism and home-schooled him for 15 years. While it was hard in the beginning, we ended up doing very well; he learned skills far beyond what was originally predicted for him. Now at age 18 he is in a public school program that is meeting his needs and that he enjoys. Having him in school allows me to focus on learning the transition process and getting ready for the next big step: adult services. You are very experienced, so you will be an excellent judge of how things are going for him. If you place him in a program and it doesn't work out, you can pull him back into home-school. I know some families move back and forth between home-school and public school, depending on the situation for that year. A final note, some people needlessly fret that children may not learn social skills in a home-school environment. My son is nonverbal and was home with me for years, yet he is a little social butterfly and loves being around the classroom staff and other students. Best wishes to you and your lovely family! Martha, autismchaostocalm.com

Hi there, I have a son low on the spectrum coupled with ID and physical disabilities. He started kindergarten at a public school this year and I was terrified! However, we have a really great district and they have gone above and beyond what I expected. I think the social part with the peers is important, it's tough for them, but it helps later if they can learn how to be around social groups. Good luck!