Autism Spectrum Disorder

[Edwardo Piet]

Yeah I think homeschooling is fine so long as it is compensated with daily group activities with other kids outside the home. Otherwise it seems it can be a bit detrimental, especially to kids with autism.

Yeah that's just it you see. All 4 of my younger siblings turned out fine, and they didn't even have a year of school like I did. So even when home-schooling succeeded with them it didn't succeed with me. My education was fine but I missed out on the rest and struggled practically and socially.

I doubt I would have coped any better if I'd stayed at the school I was at though. With all the bullying and complete obliviousness to my struggles there. It's a pity there wasn't a better school nearby and that my family couldn't afford to take me anywhere further. They didn't have many more options really.

It was my dad's idea to take me out of school. But I do wonder if I would have coped in THAT school. What made matters worse is two of the kids who bullied me the most: Their parents were friends with the headmistress, who proceeded to treat me very badly, while she favored them. The two kids swung me around and around by each arm, and despite being a year older than them, all the other kids were bigger and stronger than me, even the girls. (I didn't average out in height until after my growth spurt that started at 13. My mom even took me to the doctor as a small child and they had this graph with heights for children, and I was shorter than the shortest point on the graph. I'm now averaged out at five foot seven... but I was tiny for my age up until I was about 13 or 14)... So after they swung me round and round, I tripped one of them up so I could escape. My dad taught me to do that if I get attacked, to defend myself. The kid who got tripped up either couldn't tell the difference between a kick and a trip, or they flat out lied and said I had kicked them. Anyway, the headmistress, in charge of the whole school, responded by scolding and shouting at me and saying "How would you like it if I put my foot on YOU?". I found that experience very traumatic and very confusing, especially considering I was the one who was attacked and a person in position of authority was telling me off for defending myself, and it's one of the few visual memories I remember vividly. Along with my father's physical violence towards me... or some of the best RL times in my life like visiting Orbital concerts.

So at least it was probably a good thing I didn't remain in THAT school.