Another thought (which maybe someone mentioned as I only skimmed) is a tutor to come in once or twice a week. It sounds expensive and hard to find in a rural area. But rather than an actual subject expert I am thinking more of a friendly high school junior/senior who could come and just be companionable to your DS for an hour or two while you are still there, playing whatever role you feel is useful. Call it logic/strategy class and have them play new card games (or instead think of something that sounds interesting to your DS). You would be there and available, but perhaps with time would be able to go off to get something else done, or rest. And would pay them not a tutor rate but a babysitting rate. We did something like this last year and it was awesome, and the girl is in college now and DS spends hours at her house (very happily) every time she's home
Our other solution was getting used to driving long distances. So my other thought is if the first homeschooling group doesn't work out (we checked out several that just were too different in focus for us), find another even if it's further. Last year I ended up going with DS regularly once a week to one homeschool group class an hour away. More driving time than class time, but was absolutely worth it. For DS, but also for me. The teacher was okay with a parent sitting in the back of the class when they heard that DS would be happier that way. Halfway through the year I was able to transition out to the hallway (where parents often hung out and chatted). It was not even the first time the teacher had had a parent sit in. Having an externally delineated schedule even one day of the week was a relief, it wasn't all up to me.
There was another benefit of organized homeschool classes (I mean weekly organized classes run by parents but taught by a teacher, which you may or may not have access to depending on your area) was they were heterogeneous in age, and taught at a higher level than DS's public school experience. The increased engagement in the subject material (over what was available in the public system) distracted DS from his own personal issues more than I expected. It was a new physical setting too and it didn't look "school-like" so he didn't have the mild ptsd type response he had to his regular school building.
Anyhow, don't give up entirely on homeschool groups or classes if tomorrow's group isn't right.
