I’ve had this question posed, and really, there’s one short answer—and a much longer one. The short answer is that Liam’s challenges have accelerated faster than we can cope with in a public school environment, and we don’t believe it’s beneficial for him—or for the school system—to continue.
The long answer?
A lot of people don’t see past Liam’s tow-headed exterior. He throws a tantrum in a store or chatters on endlessly about cars. If it comes up and we mention his ASD diagnosis, they say, “But he’s so outgoing,” or, “He doesn’t act autistic.” Or they just stare when he’s screaming and crying and drooling, raving about some perceived injustice as we drag outside to the car.