Homeschooling Week 14

Homeschooling Week 14, a set on Flickr.

We finished up our Science lessons on human bodies by doing several sensory experiments out of ASK magazine. Ben had a lot of fun with those. We studied about Prussia and the beginning of the German states in History. We studied about expression in Art. Ben is making up sentences now! He also got a 90% on his Spelling Test! Huge improvement!

Homeschooling Week 13

Homeschooling Week 13, a set on Flickr.

Thanksgiving week so it was short. We are reading the Harry Potter series then comparing the book to the movie afterward. We also added "The Gospel According to Harry Potter" by Susan Neal as both a devotion and a guide to the Potter series. Ben continues to take pictures and we critique them. He got two Lego sets and put them together this week so he's been busy.
We finished up Week 13 work the week after Thanksgiving.  Read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.  A full week of therapy including a session with Brandi, who did not seem to agree with Ben's I.Q. Test.  I do agree with it.  It may be lower due to his failure to cooperate, but for the most part I agree with it about his strengths and weaknesses.

Homeschooling Week 12

Homeschooling Week 12, a set on Flickr.

Lots of exciting stuff. Ben wrote letter to soldiers in Afghanistan and did a great job of it too! He built new Lego creations. We read the first 12 chapters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. We started on a new music program. We explored apps on Ben's new iPad and found some great apps for Ben! School work, not games. Ben started therapy with the OT and loved his visits to the school. We worked a lot on map skills this week. We also started a new science program that seems to be working out well. Finally, we read about sand dunes moving on Mars for our current event.  Lots of fun stuff ... but every day Ben tells me that he HATES school work. *sigh*

Homeschooling Week 11

Homeschooling Week 11, a set on Flickr.

Testing is complete. I met with the Special Ed Coordinator, the Principal, the Special Ed teacher at Buckner Elementary, the Speech teacher at Buckner Elementary, and the Occupational Therapist. The testing was reviewed. Ben has an IQ of 91, which is right at average. He scored high in verbal comprehension and low in processing speed core subtests, which is short term memory skills and focus needed for math and writing.

Ben has mild to moderate autism and qualifies for special therapy through the school district until he finishes the fourth grade if he continues to homeschool. His special ed therapy will continue until age 22 years as long as he is enrolled as a full time student. (This is what I understood).

We begin Week 12 with two 30 minute sessions with Ms. Hooper to work on language and social skills with 3-4 other children. There is one boy who has Asperger's Syndrome, but other than his professor's voice and his need to have things in set places he shows no symptoms compared to Ben. Ben is Buckner's first child with Autism that anyone remembers at Buckner Elementary, but when he moves to the fifth grade he will not be the only child with Autism.

Ben will also have a 30 session weekly with an Occupational Therapist. I'm hopeful and feel good about the people and kids that Ben will be working with at Buckner Elementary.

Ben was sick with flu and fever Thursday and Friday so we didn't get a lot done. I let him play computer games, but mostly he put together legos to represent parts of his Ninjago game.