The concept of unschooling is a broad one.  Most take it to mean homeschooling without curriculum.. some take it to mean that there should be no force or compulsion for children at all.  {This concept is called 'radical unschooling'.}  For our family, we define unschooling this way:  "Learning is fun, not compulsory."  We use whatever resources that are available to us- yes even workbooks.  The essential point being that the child chooses what they want to learn, when and how.  Some may wonder if this method is 'effective' even with neurologically 'normal' kids.. and I think the question itself needs to be looked at.  Effective at what?  Helping the kids learn when they are ready and really absorb knowledge, and confidence.. or jump through state defined hoops?  

"Autism is a physical disorder of the brain that causes lifelong developmental disability." {Children with Autism, a parent's guide, by Michael Powers.} There are many kinds of autism- it is a spectrum, with the most severe autism on one end ranging up to ADD on the other. Autism's most noticeable symptoms include delays in social skills, language {receptive and/or expressive}, as well as abnormal reactions to sensory input and abnormal relationships to objects or events. I will give some examples. My daughter is now high-functioning autistic at 8 yrs old. She still has difficulties playing with children close to her age- she doesn't understand the rules for the games, or what is expected of her, and I usually have to work with the other kids to get them to accommodate her. She sometimes doesn't understand what is being said to her; it's best to speak slowly and clearly. Most frequently, others do not understand her speech as she still has difficulty with some sounds {for instance the 'sw' sound always sounds like 'f'}. She has gotten over the sensory issues for the most part, but when she was younger she would flip out in large fluorescent lit stores, and lose it if her clothes had a tag inside. She still has odd fixations- certain toys, staring fixedly at family members, personal space, etc. She has come a long way since her diagnosis, and most of her eccentricities are totally normal to us now.

Most approaches to autism highly emphasize the need for structure. This is not anathema to the concept of unschooling! It is simple to set up a flexible daily routine. Many children with autism have a hard time with transitioning from one activity to the other. For this reason, when my daughter was younger, we created a daily schedule. I took digital photos of activities we had around the home, and made icons for meals, etc. We would look at it after each activity, yet when we felt like skipping something or doing something different there was nothing to stop us. We also made a weekly schedule so the kids knew what to expect for the next day. This became unnecessary in the last yr or so. Nowadays, we just have a loose routine: we get up for breakfast, the kids play and watch movies, we have lunch and homeschool in the afternoons, or do our outings for the day- whether it be errands or homeschool-related, the late afternoons are for finishing up projects for the day and housecleaning. After dinner is playtime again!

A child with autism needs a lot of individual attention. In a school system, their needs are often over looked. Instead of telling the child what to learn, we are freed to figure out where the child is at, how they understand the world around them, and teach to their strengths and curiosities.  The child's difficulties can be used as a learning tool- for instance, my daughter learned her ABC's by digging up the letter shapes out of a bin full of dried beans.  She loved the way it felt on her skin, and it became a fun way to learn the alphabet while meeting her need for stimulation.  If a child needs more time, or more perspectives on a skill in order to 'get it', an unschooling parent can take the time to reach the child in a way they understand. Conversely, if a skill is already mastered, there is no reason to dwell on it! When there is a social setting, with other homeschooled kids, any difficulties are quickly handled by the ever-present parents. There is no need to worry about teasing, as it is quickly noticed and dealt with. This kind of support in social situations is unmatchable. Every time there is a problem, it is possible to observe and later discuss it with the child, so each occasion becomes a learning opportunity.

I had planned to unschool my children before they were born. When my daughter was about 3, it became obvious to me that her difficulties were not 'normal'. I read a lot on the subject, and soon realized it was autism we were dealing with. At the time she would smack herself in the face at a grocery if someone made eye contact, or injure herself at home repeatedly, for hrs, if we did not understand her requests. She really wasn't coping. I took her in to see a neurologist and got the diagnosis I needed to hopefully get help- therapies, etc. I went to every state agency, but was unable to obtain the services we needed, even with the diagnosis. I knew that the cost of taking them to court would be better spent on her, so I buckled down and studied. I bought every book I could find about visual supports, occupational therapies, etc. I read all about ABA, and instantly disliked its behaviourist approach to children. My child is not a lab animal!! We did many home therapies, and a wheat and dairy free diet, until we saw the light at the end of the tunnel. She began talking instead of just using sign language, and began moving forward developmentally. After some time, we moved to a regular diet. The day we all had pizza and ice cream as a family was a glorious day!! Now she has recovered what I call, 'developmental momentum'. Personally, I don't care if she is a yr behind her peers now, as long as she keeps moving forward. :-)