In 2006 I wrote about Patty and I’s decision to homeschool our son Trevor to help provide a learning environment more conducive to his autism. Twelve years have passed and it is time to write about how things turned out.

Trevor started seventh grade with a personalized schooling plan. Patty focused on language arts and I focused on math and science. He also attended a homeschool-assisted school that offered English and math classes and attended a science class in the middle school that he would have normally attended. Patty and I designed the curriculum together with Trevor’s school counselor. It was a hybrid of homeschooling and traditional education that we felt gave Trevor the best chance of success. Trevor’s counselor was amazing in working with us and putting Trevor’s well-being first. Blended teaching worked very well in 7th grade, but we also noticed that Trevor was not getting enough socialization with his peers. In eighth grade we decided to begin the process of bringing him back into the public school system. Patty continued to focus on language arts and math and science subjects now provided by Trevor High School. I like to joke that I was fired as a homeschool teacher and my wife and son were the ones who fired. In fact, integration was the correct answer because it allowed him to get the necessary socialization by spending more time in school while at the same time giving him an additional 1: 1 focus through homeschooling. In ninth grade, we felt that Trevor was ready to fully integrate into the public school system. As we packed our homeschooling materials, our involvement in Trevor’s schooling and socialization growth was still strong.

From ninth to twelfth grade it brought some high points, but it also brought a lot of struggle. Trevor was bullied and made fun of by many other students who took advantage of his autism. He had a hard time distinguishing between kids who made fun of him and being a friend. Because he lagged behind his peers in his social interaction skills, he said and did things that were inappropriate. He had some close friends who were genuine in their friendship, some of whom he is still friends with today. One bright spot in high school was Trevor’s participation in the drama club. He participated in many performances both on stage and behind the scenes. The drama club was his “clique,” and although some in the club took advantage of Trevor’s autism, many accepted and cared for him.

Trevor graduated from high school in 2011 with plans to go to college. Feeling that the jump from high school to a large university would be too drastic for him, he attended a local university for two years while living at home. He had developed a love for film and photography, so he decided to specialize in film studies with an emphasis on photography. These two years were critical to Trevor’s growth as he continued to progress academically and at the same time allowed him to work on socialization and adaptation skills. In her sophomore year, she decided she wanted to transfer to a four-year college majoring in film and media studies. His decision on where to go was an outstanding example of decision making through empirical data analysis and pros / cons articulation. He developed a visibility board with a series of decision criteria, including offering important offerings, family closeness, and church offerings. He narrowed his choice to two universities, Central Washington University and Arizona State University, which meant that he would live away from home. He finally settled on the state of Arizona, comfortable through its analysis that this was the best option. It was also during this time that Trevor wrote about his experiences growing up with autism in Six Word Lessons on Autistic Growth.

In August 2013, we took Trevor to the ASU Tempe campus, helped him set up his dorm, and dropped him off to begin his junior year of college. While it was a bit unnerving being within a thousand miles of him, we had the reassurance of knowing that there were several family members in the area, including Trevor’s older sister Briana, who was now a nurse in nearby Scottsdale. His last two years of school were those of tremendous growth. He had to figure out many things on his own, make new friends, and be responsible for his own studies. Fortunately, he was connected to a church group that was a short distance from ASU. It fit like a glove and the church group was a highlight of his time at ASU. He came to experience life and dealing with roommates, most of whom he felt were too immature for him. We got several troublesome calls when you lost your wallet, had computer trouble, or had a hard time coping with some situations. She graduated from ASU in December 2015 Cum Laude with a degree in Film and Media Studies.

His life after college was filled with a lot of anxiety. Now he was out of school and it was time to support himself. He had no job upon graduation, so Patty and I decided to hire him for our company as our Director of Media. He worked with us for 17 months and we helped him develop good work habits. We set up a monthly review process called “gifts” in which at the beginning of the month he would expose what he would have done at the end of the month, which we would then review at the beginning of the following month. It was an outstanding process in the sense that the three of us were aligned on what he had to do, and he was responsible for getting things done. In July 2017, Trevor was hired by the Northwest Center, where he divides his time between facilities management and marketing. His marketing assignments have been fruitful, including being interviewed by two local television news stations.

Today Trevor is 26 years old. He lives alone in a condo that we bought for him along with two other tenants on the autism spectrum. He pays the rent, manages his own money, is as self-sufficient as any 26-year-old. You still have some challenges that you will continue to have for the rest of your life. You will always need someone else to help you train you in situations. It was a lot of hard work from all of our parts, but Patty and I are excited about his future and are grateful to be in a position to help Trevor.

See part 1 here http://ezinearticles.com/?How-an-Autistic-Child-Changed-A-Career-For-the-Better&id=79694.