My name is Christopher and I have two disabilities that have been diagnosed.  The disabilities are Asperger’s Syndrome and dyslexia, both are mild cases.  There are good and bad points to my disabilities, the good are that I have exceptional capability in maths, IT and physics.  The bad points are the history of my life at school.  I find it very difficult to find anything good about school.  I was bullied a lot and I was upset a lot and this has made me very wary of anyone my own age.  When I was removed from school, my mum tried to find a school that will help me with my dyslexia, but I didn’t have an intense case of dyslexia, so special needs schools weren’t capable of helping me, and mainstream schools were too strict and close-minded to anything but average kids.  This caused many problems but when my mum first suggested that she home schooled me I thought ‘Great.  Now I can get told off at school and at home and things are going to be the same’, but I thought about it and there wouldn’t be anyone but me and my mum schooling me, so I thought it couldn’t be that bad.

After a while I found working at home has advantages I wouldn’t have thought about at first.  Firstly I found that if I have a bad day because of my Aspergers, we can tone down the day and carry the work over for tomorrow.  This kind of flexibility has helped a lot.  With the Aspergers, I have found that if I am having a bad day, tempers can be short.  Also working at home gave me a familiar surrounding in which I felt safer, much safer than being in school.  But it was still worrying, at the time, to go outside, because I was afraid I would still be bullied, but at least I could come home to school and feel safe.

In fact, being home educated was the best thing that ever happened because any time I feel upset I can look at my two crazy dogs and feel lucky that my mum, who has more tolerance than any teacher, is teaching me and knows how to cheer me up, make me feel special, like I don’t deserve to be upset the way people have made me feel all my life.

People think that once someone’s home educated that the community disappears.  Well, they’re wrong.  In fact that community is very much there.  There are groups everywhere in every town.  I have found at least two in my area.  I get around and talk to people my own age, younger and older.  There’s been problems like in any group, but nothing that you might not see in a good school, accidents, falls and opposing opinions, but no bullying, no gangs and I felt safe around these people.

Now that I am 14, I can’t imagine going back to school.  I have had so much from my mum that makes me happier.  She has given me an education and has helped me get a pass on my GCSE physics at the age of 13.  I’m waiting for results on a maths and IT GCSE as well as for physics which I resat to get a higher grade.  I have really benefited from home education because it has allowed me to move ahead where I can, but given me time to work harder on the things where I want to do well, but because of my disabilities, I have been unable.

NB:- Since this was written, Chris has achieved three GCSEs, is taking a fourth in evening classes, is on the second year of A level physics on an HE basis and is attending college doing a diploma course in Electrical Engineering and Electronics. However, according to his mum, the most impressive aspect of HE has been the confidence HE has given him. Seeing him happy and motivated is worth far more than paper qualifications.