I have a 6 year old that has been diagnosed as NLD, dysgraphic and ADHD. We barely made it through Kindergarten at our public school (actually, I think they passed everyone with the assumption that more significant learing takes place in 1st grade). He is very good at memorizing, but his cognitive skills are very poor (low functioning). The developmental psychologist believes that he is o.k. at our public school with some resource support. Everything I have learned about NLD says that he may need an individualized learning plan, which I know the public school cannot provide for him. With his NLD problem he is very naive and immature in his socialization. Everyone sees him as a good kid and his classmates seemed to like him last year. I am afraid of using the public school to “improve” his socialization because he really needs supervised socialization to make sure he is learning how to appropriately socialize. I am thinking about keeping him in public school for another year to see how he does since he is learning (slowly) and he isn’t complaining about school (yet). How do I know when it is time for home schooling?
Re: When to pull out?
I homeschooled my son who has ADHD in the first grade. I knew that it was time to pull him out when his self-esteem plummetted. He also lagged behind academically and socially. I tried various techniques with and without medication and did not like the results of this. Homeschooling provided that one on one relationship that he needed. His self esteem grew and he felt competent again. He now is in a wonderful charter school and doing well without medication. Each year has it’s own problems but he has managed to do quite well. He is 10 years old and in the 4th grade.
It is time to pull him and homeschool when it becomes obvious to you that the school has little interest on providing a program which will effectively work for him, and instead will only offer him a substandard, generic program. You have indicated that you see this beginning to happen already: “(actually, I think they passed everyone with the assumption that more significant learing takes place in 1st grade)”.
Rare are the Districts that believe FAPE is a proactive format. Most often they work with the basic principle of do as little as we can get away with, and fudge the reports so we can’t lose Due Process.
We pulled my boy (autistic non verbal) out of a completely innappropriate setting where he made zero progress, and actually regressed in his skills. Within 7 months of starting our homeschool program, my boy’s testable IQ went from 37 to 71 (both times using the school’s staff to do the testing.) We will continue to homeschool him (going on 2 yuears now) until such time as he is cognitively connected enough to sit in an inclusive setting.
I am not against public education for special ed in theory you understand, but considering how it is implemented in far too many districts, I am against it in practice.
Good luck to you!