A recent conversation at Radical Unschoolers Network (RUN), on the topic of radically unschooling "special" children, got me thinking about my family's experience. I echo the sentiment of the originator of the discussion with, "All our children are very special, of course," but how does unschooling work in situations with labeled kids?

Unschooling has given my family the freedom to drop the label (autism spectrum disorder, asperger syndrome). The label served its purpose in the beginning when we were trying to figure out how to live more peacefully together. My husband and I learned better how to understand our "special" child, but once the awareness was there, we moved on with our life.

Language influences perception
I suspect that some parents lose sight of the child under the label. Perhaps a change in the use of language could help with this?

The child is autistic. -> The child responds in a particular way to specific conditions or circumstances, i.e., acts out or withdraws when he or she feels overwhelmed.

For my own purposes, I choose to perceive autistic characteristics as more of a personality type than a disorder, although I do believe that some damage is done to the neurosystem via the compound effects of environmental triggers such as electromagnetic radiation, manipulation of the immune system (multi-vaccination), and resultant susceptibility to heavy metals and other toxins.

Resources
Teresa Bolick's book, Asperger Syndrome and Young Children (Fair Winds, 2004), helped us understand autistic perspective and experience.

Mary Kurcinka's book, Raising Your Spirited Child (Harper, 2006), helped, too.

Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods (Algonquin, 2005) puts a different spin on ADHD.