Aspies For Freedom

Questions on school tests would be better constructed and there would be enough teachers handy to explain questions upon request.

Heck I have trouble taking the online "Are you Aspie" quizzes because I need to ask for more information about the questions.  Like if it is a True/False question , but they put 2 elements in the question. Well, what do you say if one part is true but the other element is false?  Like "Have you enjoyed role playing fantasies with children?"   How do you answer if you are a D&D geek but hate children?

Or "Are you unusually sensitive to pain?" If you can endure more intense pain than typical people would tolerate, do you answer that you are "not" unusually sensitive? What if you also enjoy pain and have become a a connoisseur of different kinds. Do you reply "more" sensitive?

In such a school it would be better if the tests in most subjects were very clear, literal and straight forward.  Also, they should allow notes to be written in to elaborate on the answer if the student needed to be more clear.  It would also be good to have options on the way one learns best. Whether it be by needing visual input or audio, or whatever.

I had the PE thing on my mind last night and wanted to add that to the list today.  I understand the goals are to teach "teamwork" and balance and agility and self confidence and all that tripe. But it sure didn't work that way. I never got one benefit from gym classes but I sure got emotional scars.

If the school HAS to have PE and insist everyone has to do it (which I'd prefer not to) then at least don't allow that cruel humiliating  ritual when the PE teacher designates a couple popular "captains" and tells them to take turns choosing which kids will be on their team.  The unpopular or unathletic kids are always last to be picked and the team grumbles about having to take them. Then, of course,  if the team loses for any reason, they all blame that person and have further excuse to be cruel to him after PE is over.  I think forcing people to physically compete against each other is pretty barbaric anyway.  Don't even get me started on "Dodge Ball".

The ideal school for myself would be like....5 people in every class, but then you've still got a chance to have that one jackass...so...ugh there's just no way to do it. There's too much reliance on others being polite.

Yikes jedi! I cringed reading that.  Okay, no obligatory teams in school !!!

I avoid seminars where the brochure says we will "break into small groups" or "team with another participant".  I went to one where, to my surprise, the presenter told us all to clasp hands with whatever person was seated next to you and stare into their eyes without speaking (for however many minutes) while you imagined  your skin enveloping them and your inner essence making a "connection" with theirs.  **whimper**  I think I need to rock a while.

When I was in 8th or 9th grade, I was dreadful at Algebra. I was  confused and of course that got worse each day as the class left me behind. I think I squeaked by with a D. This convinced me that I was unable to do math.

Got to college and had to take Technical Algebra as part of my computer science degree.  Surpisingly, there was no teacher. You went to a library type room at a time of your choice and asked the attendant for the group of slides for the next lesson. You picked an empty booth with headphones and pnrivately viewed the algebra lessons at your own pace.  When you felt ready, you went  to the live attendant to take the written test for that module. It made an amazing difference for me. I got all high marks (A's). After that, I loved math again.

So, I would want to see options like that in a school. Alternative ways to learn.

Surpisingly= surprisingly  pnrivately = privately

Are you grading on typing here?

I have always wanted a place like that, the only problem is that the fact that I would be going to a different place then those who lived near me would weird

I think an Aspie could make it quite well in the public schools if they were taught some survival skills. Unfortunately those skills are far from "politically correct" so they can't be taught by "responsible" teachers.  I think there needs to be an underground school taught by adult or even older Aspies who have survived and learned in the public schools.

I think each student should have their own space (like art students have at university). A three sided booth about 2 metres square with a desk, which the kid can use for working in. The child could use the space to study/create whatever they like, put their own things in the space and put pictures on the walls.

That way they wouldn't be distracted as much by other children and could feel comfortable in an environment they have created.

A teacher can easily monitor what the child is doing (as each booth is only three sided) and the children can still interact if they want.

It seems to work at art colleges anyway!

These two are of importance to me. In my high school, and now in my college, my parents and I have got plans in place to allow me to calm down in a room, on my own. By a break time, I am usually in need of a 15 minute calming down session, if possible by playing the piano. If that is not possible (exams are one reason that come to mind) then I need to go somewhere else- so the schools both have found me rooms to go to. I realise most schools are not this understanding, but this helps me attend as many lessons as possible. Some days, some lessons are too much for me, especially if a piano playing session has not happened, and they understand, I will see the teacher concerned after the lesson, and they let me catch up with the work. Due to my college being smaller, this happens less often, but even when I was only attending n<50% of lessons, the teachers try and help me stay on top of the work load as best I could.


Also, I strongly believe that having a person (teacher or other member of staff) who is Aspie helps. They can teach you without strange non-literal phrases, which I find a great problem. When I am teaching (I teach when not in college myself) then I make sure that all comments/instructions are as clear as possible, and I understand what the Aspie students mean with their comments (something which is not always the case with the NT teachers) They also can help you sort out other problems, for me that included changing a light bulb, so I could concentrate in my calming down room, tell you how a day will be planned (very useful for days when  the usual routine is not enforced) so you know what to expect.

Though, if I had my choice, I would like independent learning, without having to speak/interact with anyone. This is not, unfortunately, ever going to become a reality, though.

Ive thought about this for many years(people who got bullied,I didnt know what aspies was at the time)
An exelent idea,imho

I just think it confuses me and it make me loose consentracion witch I allready have a big lack of,it makes it even more difficult,its like really OTT
But I think thats what you were saying anyway Erkolos

oh...damn.i didnt want to do that.

I've been exploring alternative schools for about a year now.  None that I like are in our area, and none that are exactly as I'd like exist, to my knowledge.  AERO offers support materials on how to start your own alternative school, but I know that I am much better at starting something than finishing it. And so.

Here is what my "dream" alternative school looks like:
Democratic
Non-compulsory
Year-round
Ungraded
learner-centered

In short, a supported learning environment wherein the students have as much say as the instructors and determine how they wish to shape their individualized curriculum.

I like Luai_Lashire's idea about splitting up the weekend. I always had problems with each year's increased amount of homework being too much for my system for planning when to do it, and I think it would have been easier to plan and harder to procrastinate with free time more spread out through the week.