1. The topsy-turvy days of homeschooling do come to an end. Like everyone says, "Where did the time go?" It seems like only yesterday they were babes in arms.
   
   
2. The end" may not look like you anticipated. I always envisioned each kid firmly ensconced in a Christian college. Instead they have been dual-enrolled at the junior college while in their last year of homeschool. They will remain there for another year. One will transfer to a liberal arts school in the city and the other will remain on to earn her R.N. It's a good fit for each of them and has taught me that Mom's plans are not always the Lord's plans.
   
   
3. They will have plenty of bumps along the way. Our family is no stranger to difficulty and conflict. In many ways, the resolution of family conflict has taught them well to resolve conflict with others. It is a life skill they might not have learned on a smoother path.
   
   
4. There are plenty of paths to adulthood. Curricula, books, and methods do not make a grownup. It's relationship and talking, relationship and talking. If we keep those a top priority in the young adult years, they will continue to relate and talk as they move into their separate lives.
   
   
5. They will all eventually be okay, but they never outgrow the need for their parents' prayers. Daily homeschooling remains a school of prayer.

1. Reward systems work well for kids on the autism spectrum. The whole foundation for ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy, used for most kids on the autism spectrum at some point in their education, is rewarding desired behavior. For our 9-year-old son, who has autism, the promise of a reward is far more tangible and motivating than the fear of a consequence. That's not to say that there are no consequences for poor behavior, but a daily reward system helps him to focus and work hard. We use a token system. One glance at our schedule for the day, and I determine how many tokens must be earned that day for the reward. As the kids all gather around the dining room table, I start the morning off by asking, "Want to know what you're working for today?" "YEAH!" they all say. It's different every day. Sometimes it's a special dessert or a baking or craft project they can participate in at the end of the day. Sometimes I'll get a fun movie from the library and let the "winners" stay up to watch it after dinner. Other times it's a trip to the playground or a walk to the ice cream shop, and once in a while it's a gift from the Prize Box (a big plastic bin filled with inexpensive prizes I pick up in my travels, like at the dollar store or when I see a good sale) or a special treat from the candy basket (which is home to all the candy we get on holidays, at birthday parties, or from grandparents). Every so often, they all work together for a big, shared prize, like a trip to the movie theater or the local zoo, a special sleepover, a pizza party, or even a family campout in the backyard! In that case, they need to stay accountable to one another by earning a certain number of tokens as a group. If the prize is really big, we'll even stretch it out over a few days.
   
   At the start of each day, an empty container is placed in the middle of the table. After each segment of the day (Bible study, reading, handwriting, math, lunchtime, etc.), everyone who worked hard and had a positive attitude gets a token. For tokens I use color tiles (from our big bucket of math manipulatives). Each child has his own color. At the end of the day, we do "Token Roundup." We count each person's tokens to see who earned the reward. The person with the most tokens gets to draw a picture on the dry erase board that stays up for everyone to admire until the following morning. My kids love the chance to write on the board! In addition to encouraging my special learner to stay focused and motivated, this system helps all the kids be more aware of their behavior and attitude throughout the day.
   
   
2. As a growing family with five children, including a special leaner, my attention is often pulled away from the group to meet the needs of one child. My special learner tends to work slower than my typical learners and often needs extra help. To keep the others from getting bored or frustrated, waiting for me to get back to the lesson, I have each child working on an on-going, independent project that they keep next to them throughout the day. If they finish something quickly, or if I need to stop for a few minutes and help my special learner (or rescue a baby from disaster!), the other kids simply move on to their side project (usually something that reflects the child's unique interests and passions).

The Home Field Advantage
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Wheaton, IL 60189-0261

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