Bee started distance education in 2022. Mainstream school was no longer feasible, Bee's attendance rate was at 38% and his mental health was in rapid decline. Getting him to school each morning was a monumental task and I was having to pick him up early most days.
Once Bee commenced his distanced education (online through a private school) it became more and more apparent just how much assistance he required. During Term 3 he was put into a consolidated program which was tailored to his abilities and capacity.
By the end of 2022 we were starting to get the hang of how this new style of education worked and the flexibility it provided us. Bee was still school-resistant, so I had to find a way to provide him with some choice as to what each week looks like. Drawing inspiration from an inclusive education course I had attended several years ago, I came up with this card system:
Depending on how many appointments Bee might have each week we plan our week out with the cards. He can choose one yellow card (general activity) each week to break up the four core subjects he is encouraged to engage in. As each lesson/activity is completed the card goes into the "Done" box - this way he has a visual reminder of what he has left to do and what has been achieved.
Any resources I make are colour coded to match these cards (i.e. English is blue, Maths is red, etc). this helps both of us with organisation. I expect to continue this system in some variation or another as we start home-schooling next year.
