My Son’s Brave Return to School After Six Years of Learning at Home

After six years of homeschooling and online learning (three years of each) my son decided he wanted to go back to a traditional face-to-face class setting. It was a big step for him, especially since he is on the autism spectrum.

Finding a school that could accommodate his needs wasn’t easy. We visited seven schools. Even those with departments dedicated to special education turned us down, saying they needed to prioritize students who were already enrolled. Thankfully, two schools assured us they accepted children on the spectrum. He took entrance exams at both, and to our relief, he passed.

We let him choose which school he preferred. He chose the bigger campus because he liked the open environment and, being the foodie that he is, was especially drawn to the spacious food hall. That sealed the deal.

At the start of the school year, I stayed with him the whole day, just in case he needed support. He wasn’t used to handling money or using a phone independently. On his second day, he accidentally left his wallet at the cashier. On the fourth day, he lost his phone, but thankfully a classmate helped him retrace his steps, and he found it.

His class started with 17 students. When it was his turn to introduce himself, he bravely and proudly shared that he has autism. I believe that honesty helped set the tone for acceptance. Instead of isolating him, his classmates made an effort to understand him. We’re thankful that he never experienced bullying. The school also hosts regular mental health programs and seminars, which may have contributed to the students’ empathy and patience with peers who are different.

One of the early challenges he faced was during group activities. The teacher didn’t assign groups, and my son struggled to find people to work with. He would ask in their group chats who was available, but often got no response. I eventually wrote a letter to his teachers, requesting that they assign groups moving forward so no student would be left out or stressed like my son. I understand that his classmates might have been unsure of what he was capable of at first. Perhaps they thought he would be a burden. But my son proved himself, he met deadlines, contributed actively, and even outperformed others at times.

Around October, he received another diagnosis: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). We began to notice repetitive behaviors like counting, which sometimes made him late for class. Teachers mentioned he wouldn’t leave the room right away, often staying behind to fix chairs or clean. He started medication, though it didn’t take effect immediately.

Some of his classmates would help him out when they saw him stuck like guiding him to class or gently calling his attention when he was “freezing” in place. According to his psychiatrist, the OCD was likely triggered by stress. Transitioning back to physical school brought new challenges that online learning didn’t have.

We asked him if he wanted to stop, reassuring him that it would be okay if he chose not to continue. But he always insisted on going. He loves the school, even if it’s also a source of stress.

Despite everything, he passed all his subjects with high grades. We were particularly worried about Statistics and Probability, but he surprised us by scoring even higher in that subject than in Filipino.

Now he’s preparing for Grade 12, and when we asked if he still wanted to continue, he said yes! he wants to graduate from senior high school.

I just hope for the best and that he can keep going. He’s already shown so much strength, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Do you have a child or know someone navigating school with special needs? What challenges or wins have you experienced along the way? I’d love to hear your story in the comments. Let’s support and learn from each other.