Teaching at Home: A New Approach to Tutoring Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome

Faced with the apparent inability of her autistic son Billy to learn and socialize with other children at school, Olga Holland decided to teach him at home. Where traditional educational approaches had produced limited results, the author’s own method of teaching succeeded, over a period of two years, in enabling Billy to pass the test that allowed him to enter a class for gifted children. Teaching at Home explains the author’s approach, focused on adapting to the demands of Billy’s atypical mind and respecting his vivid imaginative world while attracting and retaining his attention. The author describes her use of sensory and memory techniques, social stories and humour, and gives useful advice on issues such as understanding body language, adapting the teaching environment, devising homework schedules and coping with distractions. This book offers inspiration and encouragement for parents of children with autism or Asperger Syndrome who are considering homeschooling their children, and also provides useful pointers for teachers and carers.