BellaOnline Forums Education Homeschooling Special Needs Homeschooling?

Has anyone ever homeschooled a special needs child?

Anyone ever had any luck getting the school district to provide the services your child needs without trying to force your child into the school?

Samten,
Can you qualify what you mean by special needs? Some people have very disctinct ideas about what that means and doesn't mean <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

All of my kids have a special need of sorts.

Kid #1 is dysgraphic and has some neurological damage that affects her fine motor control (hence the writing issues)

Kid #2 tested as gifted but since I put very little faith in the tests. The school dist where she was tested pretty mucg had 1 test...if your child was under 5 and reading fluently, they were gifted. That was it which I think is VERY sad since giftedness isn't always about reading.

Kid #3 is 3 now and reading almost on her own. I suppose district would consider her gifted but I'm not going to have her tested. One thing I have learned in the past 10 years is that most of the time the test doesn't do anything for the kid if you are going to keep them home anyhow.

Kid #4 is just a toddler but he has genetic medical issues which in my definition qualify as special needs.

Kid #5 is on the way and showing signs of microcephaly and he will most likely have the same genetic condition my older son does..but we'll know nothing for certain until he's here.

With my 1st she was to start speech therapy at the school but I ended up declining the services and I've always found a way to pay for what she neededout-of-pocket, including a very expensive tutor with the right experience who taught her how to read and write!

meg

I was thinking Speech, Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral palsy to name a few.

My son currently attends a "preschool" for children on the Autism spectrum and recieves speech therapy. We are going to start seeing a feeding therapist because he does not have full use of his lips, tounge or the front part of his mouth. He eats altoids but can't handle a PB&J sandwich.

Samten - my son has to see a feeding therapist (I forget the fancy name) when he was younger.

Meg

My children received speech therapy and we didn't get pressure to put them back in. I think that's because, though, the schools saw they'd have a challenge. My children were very gifted with special needs in certain areas, but very advanced in others. The schools didn't want to cope with all that. The speech was a waste of time usually, and today I'd do it at home. The other disabilities were handled by me, and really, when the learning was personalized, they really didn't have any problems.

There are online support groups for parents who are homeschooling special kids.

Many states/provinces, districts and schools have policies (and sometimes even laws) that state they MAY elect to offer services to homeschooling students; but, most are not required to do so unless the child is enrolled in classes in the district. Some may do so without charge. Others may do so if the parent picks up at least part of the cost. And many won't provide services at all.

But, it never hurts to ask.

I wish it could be that way for us. One of the biggest reasons we are going to the feeding therapist is because, despite her best efforts, he is not making progress with some sounds. After a year he can now make an isolated "buh" sound. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

In this school district they go out of their way to exclude homeschoolers. And I am sure many many other school districts do not follow the law, several have even point blank refused to, so parents of special needs students who need the therapy (but not the schooling) need to know the laws in their state so that their children can recieve the services they need. I don't know many rich homeschoolers and I personally can not afford 4-6 hours a week of speech therapy. With the cutbacks in Medicaid (I can't afford the insurance for my son either) it wouldn't surprise me if speech therapy isn't cut out completely...But that is a rant for a political forum.


Story Time:

One of the school districts in my state had an announcement on the comminity billboard (The TV station that shows community stuff) telling people they needed to report any special needs child that is not currently enrolled to the school districts.

Yup, 100% against the law in this state.

Sorry to drone on and on. My son will be 3, yes 3, in DECEMBER so I have to start now to assure my son can continue to recieve the services he needs. It is really disturbing to me that they want me to send my 3 year-old to school. He is 3. 3 year old's sould be playing not worring about learning "pre-pre-pre-kindergarten skills.

One thing you should be aware of is that most speech and language is really just language. One therapist told me it's nearly always that way. With few exceptions, the therapists spent all their time on language, which my children didn't need since they were advanced in that area. Speech is done in groups, not one on one. When I asked what we were doing there if they weren't going to work on speech, they said it was because my children were good role models for the language delayed children. So we gave up. There are books on speech therapy at home now, and I'm quite sure I could do what they did, since they usually sent the speech part home for me to do anyway.

Samten,

As a former educator I will let you know-NO MATTER what the school district says-you and you alone make decisions for your child.They CANNOT make you do anything you feel is not good for your son. I also agree that three is way too young to be in school full time. A three year old is still a baby and I believe he needs his mother most of the time.Don't be bullied by the school district because, believe me, they will try to bully you.

I have seen some horror stories in public schools and that is one of the main reasons why I left. I saw a child who had been retained 3 times in elementary school and once in high school. In his senior year, a teacher who had just gotten her M.A. in learning disabilities discovered he was dyslexic.

She went to the administration and was told to keep her findings private-they didn't wnat a lawsuit!She got him the help she could but he graduated high school without ever learning to read!

Go with your gut instinct and with your heart. He is your child.


Need help? Call on Sacred Jude!!

I think everyone is concerned I will antagonize the schools just for fun.

I know the state laws front and back. I also know the schools have a warped view of who should and shouldn't be helped.

They screwed me over, I refuse to allow the same to Bry.