HELP Looking into Homeschooling ADHDer, Public school failed

Oh and I forgot to mention that my first grader also has a degenorative hearing disorder that will get worse as she gets older, in requesting her to be put into beginners Sign classes I was told “lets wait until she is worse in hearing”

Connie,

I took my son out of ps in 3rd grade and it is the best thing I’ve ever done. He is so much happier and he has made tremendous progress in the past 2 yrs. My son is ADHD so sometimes it is difficult to deal with but most of the time we are ok. Start by finding out the laws in your particular state. I also urge all home schoolers to become a member of the Home School Legal Defense Association. They help to protect your rights if school officials try to hassel you.Once you find out the laws in your state you can begin the process of taking them out of school. Please be sure to do everything by the book!! You don’t want any legal trouble. Here in Al. we have to homeschool through a church umbrella.Every state has different laws so that is your first step. When you actually pull them out, you will need to find a curriculum that suits their needs. A homeschool group in your area will be able to help you figure out what you need and how to get started. I have bought some curriculum that haven’t been what my child needed so I usually try to go to curriculum fairs in our area. You can save a lot of money by using used books. You can also find a lot over the internet on Ebay and U bid etc.. Good luck to you and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I am. Janet

Since your son is ADHD, I’m surprised the school system essentially gave up
on him where a diploma is concerned. It’s kinda depressing to be told you are
all washed up academically at 9 years old. Sounds like a school district in
North Carolina where I used to teach.

Anyway, in all seriousness, some of the best resources I have found on
homeschooling are at Barnes and Noble, in the Education section. They not
only have books with tried and true advice on homeschooling, but websites,
addresses, organizations, etc., which can help you get started.

Remember……….Thomas Edison’s mother was told that her fourth grade son
was dull-witted………and would never amount to anything……..and that it was
simply best to take him out of school. Unless he has severe mental limitations
that you did not document, there is no reason your ADHD child should not
be able to achieve academic success.

Good luck to you!!

Connie- I home school a second grade ADHD and CAPD son. This is our second year. While it is never easy, it was the very best thing I have ever done for him. And while some days I have my doubts and most days I am worn out, I know deep in my heart it is what I am supposed to be doing with my life and his. My first year was very stressful. My son learned to read last year but struggled in math. I am certain that the reason he learned to read was that I found a good reading program that matched his learning style. I actually use three programs for reading. But math was a different story. I used Saxon Math and it was not a good fit for him. I contacted a retired college professor, Dr. Grayson Wheatley, and had him assess my son. He has written a couple of very good math resourse books. He recommended a math program called Investigations in Number Data and Space. It has been wonderful and our answer to math for my son. The most difficult aspect of home schooling is finding the right mix for your child. How does your child learn? Mine must move and can only sit for 15 minutes at a time. He hates math work sheets, which Investigations does not use. I use a reward system to motivate him to complete tasks and assignments. I use Programmed Reading. It is also one of my favorite programs. This board is very good. Also, I would link up with other home schoolers. Good luck. Sharon

To homeschool or not is your choice and I completely understand your reasons. But before you do that in response to ignorant statements made by school personnel (and I’m school personnel myself) you may want to challenge them. If your son has an IEP, there are avenues available for you to contest their plan to just give him lifeskills. You can go straight to the director of special ed, ask for independent evaluations, get an advocate or lawyer, etc. If you haven’t already you may also want to visit some online parent groups for kids with special needs, they can help you too. If you want to homeschool him that’s great, but I wouldn’t want to see you doing that just because they are not doing their jobs. That may be what you eventually decide just for that reason, it’s your child after all, but I just wanted to make sure that you knew you are not stuck with that IEP and if you don’t like it, you had to homeschool or go private.

Sincerely,

Shelby

Hi Connie,
I’m sort of new to this website, so please bare with me. I was actually looking for information regarding the importance of ” Labeling people with Disabilities.”
Interesting enough, I’m glad I came to this website. First off, I want to share
with you something that happended to a friend of mine.
Andy has ADHD to the max! This child has had a rough time with the public school system and his parents(especially mom) have been through hell and back. Please Connie, do not give up! Abbie (Andy’s mom) had to go to bat for her son, so she became very familiar with Andy’s rights, as well as the families, when it comes to the school system. I can’t stress enough that every child is entitled to a free education. We, as parents are our children’s best advocates. It’s so important Connie, for you to find a counselor (outside of school) for your son (and family). Please dig in and start looking for other parents who also advocate, or someone with these qualifications who have been professionally trained. Your local community center or counseling center should be able to help you find someone qualified enough to meet your son’s needs. I can’t stress enough that this is truly a family issue, and I’m sure you know this, but I just had to stress that! My friend had to get right into the principles face and demand action! I promise you, if the school’s see you back down in any way they will take full advantage of your actions, and suggest you take your son out of public school. They don’t always want to be bothered!
My friend ended up enrolling her son in “Sweetser” which is a home for mentally disabled (ADHD falls under their guidelines) and children with different behavioral issues. Andy attended for two years and the school had to flip the bill, which was around $35,000.00 a year. Outrageous you say? Just remember, we are the customer when it comes to the care and education of our children. I am pleased to say that Andy was slowly introduced back to the public school and doing great! He’s acting like the typical 13 year old boy, but what a difference these past five years has done for Andy. By the way, Andy was nine when all this started. Please don’t give up on your son by yanking him out of public school. I think some of our educator’s have become laxed in their own education about learning about the needs of children who need special care. This of course is an important issue that needs to be addressed in our colleges across the states. I have so much more I could share with you, but I think I’ve certainly carried on enough. I hope I’ve given you reason to fight for your son’s educational needs along with his friendships, and the issues of not being left out of the most important years of his life. If you wish, you may contact me at my home email. One more fact I would like to mention. I also am a single mother with three great kid’s who have also been diagnosed with ADHD. We work around, through, in and out of many issues on a weekly basis, and you know, I wouldn’t have my life any other way!
Take Care,
Sandi [email protected]