I am one of a large world-wide community of radical unschoolers - folks who are consciously deciding to raise their kids with thoughtfulness, awareness and compassion. (Not raise the kids so the kids will have those, but using those attributes in raising the kids) Many, many people started unschooling because they had a high-needs child, and they did not like what they saw happening in schools. Lots of these kids would have been diagnosed with Asbergers, or ADHD, but because radical unschoolers work from a place of celebrating what your child can do, not focusing on what they can't do, most forego getting any kind of diagnoses.
What I have seen is amazing - given time, patience, a lot of autonomy and love and connection, these kids are growing up to be amazing young adults. Fully aware of their gifts and passions - or at least knowing that knowledge will come with time. These are kids that would have been labeled in school and made to feel inferior because they didn't fit the curriculum and status quo. My heart aches for kids who receive these labels, and are forced to try to fit into the school-mold. My sister is a special-needs teacher, so I know folks in the system are truly coming from a place of concern - but the system doesn't truly serve these children.
Are they indigo? Is there a reason so many parents are responding by totally rearranging their lives so their children can thrive? I don't know. I do know that many of these kids are aware, deep, totally conscious beings - they are already
eagles.
There have been unschoolers as long as there has been school - but this seems like a whole shift in how kids are related to and treated. It feels like we're riding a wave of energy. I don't have an explanation for it.