I want to shout it from the rooftops! He found his way without school ❤️

Proud Mummy Moment! I just want to shout out about my son Samuel who has just phoned me with some wonderful news. Many of you know of him and his early struggles in school and that we ended up unschooling after a long and often hair raising journey to get there. He is now at 19 in his final year of his software engineering degree at the University of Queensland. As part of the work for one of his papers he has been going into industry to interview people and after one day he received a call from a company that said they had an internship going and they thought Samuel should apply if he was interested. He was not looking for work but the sound of it was something that really interested him. The date of application closure was the day they called him. He furiously filled the application and sent off his CV (which for someone with his executive function issues is huge to get himself into gear and organised to do this!) and was then called for an interview with 40 other applicants and he being the only homeschooler. He went for the interview and felt that it had gone well but was up against some other very talented young programmers. However, he got a call last week and was told that he was wanted for a second round of interviews. The interview happened on Tuesday and he was called last night offering him the internship!! Tears of joy from this proud Mama! He will be going in one day per week paid and taught all that they can teach him and then at the end of his degree has the offer of a full time position. My out of control (to others!) boy diagnosed with ADHD/ASD/ODD/Gifted and with learning difficulties (namely dyslexia and severe dysgraphia) who was suspended from every single school bar one (and he went to quite a few schools), who we were told needed serious psychiatric help by one school principal and who left the school system crushed, depressed and with little to no self esteem has just proved them all how wrong they were about him! I always knew that they were wrong but he didn't! He came home and was allowed to be the wonderful, smart human being that he is and always was. It was just that school didn't always see that and tried to "fix" him when he was never broken! To all those parents who worry about their children - please have faith. I know sometimes it is a huge leap of faith but Samuel was allowed to follow his passions and do things HIS way and I am so very proud of the young man he has become and his achievements today. He has proved to me that you don't need others to teach you, tell you what you need to or should be learning. Having a passion, interest or aptitude in something and being allowed to follow it really does work - well it has for my family anyway and I am sure it will for most heart emoticon

Asperger's Cats

Life through a different Window

The Autism Paradox

Oh lordy this is soooooooooo true - the human brain is an amazing thing! ♥

The Autism Paradox...

1. It's easy to recite an entire book but difficult to make up a story

2. It's easy to line up toys but difficult to stay in line

3. It makes perfect sense to climb on the sofa but little sense to sit on it

4. Memorizing the Presidents in order - 10 minutes. Packing a school bag - 10 hours

5. Family pictures on the wall are boring but that speck of dust next to it, now that's fascinating!

6. Talking about weather patterns - piece of cake. Talking about my day... impossible!

7. Ability to focus on spinning objects - timeless, ability to focus on homework - 3 seconds

8. Being called by name, can't hear it. Some owl hooting in the distance - clear as a bell

9. How to operate the remote control - zero instruction. How to button up pants - intensive instruction

10. Navigating social rules - poorly skilled, Navigating from the back seat of the car - highly skilled

By Jenē Aviram
This article is property of and copyright © 2003-2007 Jene Aviram -http://www.nlconcepts.com/