Homeschooling and Special Needs.

It sounds like you need to request a re-evaluation for her IEP. I am a teacher and she sounds like the autistic kids that I have had mainstreamed (with an assistant) into my classroom.

While you have done a GREAT job with teaching her I do think that maybe she needs to be at the school for the socialization. Unless you get VERY involved in some of the homeschooling groups. You said that she is pretty social for a child with autism and you certainly don't want to lose that.

You've done a wonderful job with her, and need to be an advocate for her.

I will ask one question, however..... what type of behaviors does she have that might interfere with her learning, or the learning going on in the classroom? (Some autistic students have different behaviors that might interfere with their own (or others) learning...)

Does this school not do inclusion? It sounds like she would be an excellent candidate for a program where they have inclusion aides in the class part time for her, with maybe some other resource assistance. It sounds like she is much more advanced that most of the students in the classroom she is in.

I work in a middle school and we have a number of autistic students in the classroom with inclusion assistance, and the aide isn't in the class but maybe 20 minutes out of the 50 minutes. Granted, your daughter isn't in middle school yet, but there are a lot of autistic students in general education classes with support from paraprofessionals..... and frankly, I'm not sure she even needs the inclusion support.

Be the advocate your daughter needs. Go talk to the school and present examples of her previous work, as compared to what she is currently doing.

ETA

We used Ritalin, just normal old Ritalin. He took a whole pill at the school when he got there so it would peak in the morning then he took a half at lunch to help him with his afternoon stuff. After school we were dealing with him in a normal drug free situation. Ritalin goes completely out of his system after about 3.5 hours. I liked that. To me it was better than a released med because it peaked when he needed it and we didn't give it to him when he wasn't in school UNLESS he needed to go somewhere and sit and concentrate...like Piano lessons.

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I absolutely can not believe she is not mainstreamed. I'd be in that admin office of this district demanding them put her in her regular age class. This is completely absurd. Only kids who can't talk and have no skills are in segregated classes anymore. The kids with extreme needs are pulled out into a special classroom so they don't have to pee and poop and have the kid sitting next to them smell it. So they can work on the skills they need for basic daily living, like learning to go to the bathroom.

I can't think of any kids that are this normal and able to learn that are in classes like you're saying. I'm not saying your lying, I'm saying this school is run by idiots.

If they won't put her in her age classroom then go to the state level for help. You need to be her advocate. If they're doing this to her what about the other kids that are being treated the same way.

When I was working in the field we had to do basic entry level training within the first few months of our employment. One of the things we did is watch a Geraldo Rivera expose' on Willowbrook, a place that housed thousands of people with developmental disabilities of various levels.

One story that stuck with me 30 years later is of one young man who had be placed in this facility and deemed uneducable.

Later on it was found he only had cerebral palsy and his cognitive abilities were normal, well, he was actually very smart. He escaped and got an education and became a businessman.

Your child doesn't sound like she needs to be where she is. I'd fight for her and try to get her in a regular classroom. Even if she only picks up 1/4 of the information she is still learning and what if some day she is able to put it all together and make connections?

It sounds like if you want to homeschool, finding her social outlets will be your challenge, and if your want her to remain in public school, getting her a real education will be your challenge. That's unfortunately true for many parents, whether they have special needs children or not. IMO either situation could work but both will take quite a bit of work on your part.

I would start by gathering information about homeschooling in your area, what kind of support (if any) your school district offers homeschooling families, what kind of homeschooling co-ops exist in the area, check if there are meetup groups for homeschooling as well. Any nearby metropolitan areas M. offer homeschooling classes in outside venues like museums too. Try to find other homeschoolers in your area and ask questions, likely they have much of the information you need as far as resources, and that can help make a decision.

As far as her current school, I would document (thoroughly and clearly) what you are aware she knows vs. what she is learning and ask for a meeting with the principal and teacher to discuss what options you have for getting her a better (more appropriate to her level) education. They M. be able to use curriculum differentiation to get her on the right level but keep her in the classroom she is already in, they M. suggest she try a regular classroom. I think most educators are in the camp that students should be in a regular classroom unless they have very severe disabilities, so it's odd she would be in a separate class 100% of the time (based on what you've written). Regardless, the reaction of her teacher and the administration at the school will let you know if they are able and willing to get your daughter the education she needs.

I don't think there is a right/wrong answer, but FWIW, we homeschool and I was very, very nervous about beginning. Now we are so happy our kids are homeschooled, and actually, pretty proud that we took on that responsibility. They are happy kids and they also have many dear friends who they see on a daily basis.

Good luck!

We, too, are considering homeschooling. My son's elementary school is good, but my daughter's middle school is not. But what you are listing as your daughter's skills sound like they are right where she should be for 2nd/3rd grade! I'm confused why she isn't mainstreamed. She sounds like she could handle the work - is it purely because of social issues? I'd be pretty disappointed with letter tracing and matching, too. Maybe she needs to be reevaluated.

In terms of socializing homeschoolers, in our area, we have very active rec centers that offer all kinds of classes for homeschoolers, and we have a lot of homeschooling families. There are so many opportunities for socializing that that is the least of my worries. As it is, my daughter only has 3 friends in her school of almost 600 kids. She's so shy that she has more friends in her 35 member choir (outside of school) than in that large school.

D.,
You can do it! If you feel the best for your daughter is to home educate her then that is a route you should explore. My children are not on the spectrum so I don't have personal experience but I do have friends that are homeschooling kiddos on the spectrum and it has proved to be amazing for them. The socialization issue is so overblown it's amazing and truly is not an issue for most families. Co-ops, play groups, enrichment classes and the like are typically abundant and are wonderful ways to meet new friends. Additionally, you may find that your daughter will be accepted for who she is, quirks and all, without any pressure from most in the homeschool community.
Do a Facebook or yahoo group search for homeschool groups in your area & they can give you local information that will be helpful. As always check the HSLDA website for pertinent legal info as far as your state's requirements. A quick Google search pulled this website for info on Michigan dual enrollment. You may want to look around on it: http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-28753_65799_4008...
'm sure you'll make the best choice for your family!

not from personal experience, but all three of the co-ops to which we belonged had quite a few autistic kids all across the spectrum. the nice thing about the homeschooling communities is that there's really no segregation. kids with all sorts of learning and/or social issues, including mental retardation, just hang out with the other kids. autism was so common that it barely caused any notice at all. for us it was one of the great beauties of homeschooling. all the artificial divisions, from age to race to orientations, just went away.
khairete
S.

My youngest has a pretty severe visual processing disorder (and dysgraphia) and we started homeschooling in 3rd grade (he's 17 now). He is highly intelligent and gifted in math, but his math and reading skills were at least 3 grades apart back then.

Homeschooling gave us a chance to work with a reading specialist (how I love this dear lady - she is a retired teacher with a master's degree in reading disabilities) for many years. Keeping him home also gave us a chance to work on some of his health issues (many food intolerances and allergies).

My son also struggled with social issues a bit; he has a hard time "reading" body language. He has done many homeschooling groups and activities, and now seems pretty typical in the social department.

For a couple of years we did a hybrid school/homeschool program where he went to school two days a week. You might visit your local homeschooling support group to see if anyone knows of such an option in your area. Also check with your school district. Perhaps a full-time virtual option would work too (some of them do school activities).

I just wanted to encourage you if you feel "up" for it. It's a big responsibility but very rewarding too. My 17 year-old is dual-enrolled at community college now with a 4.0 GPA. My only regret is not homeschooling him from the beginning.

Good luck and hope you find the best solution for your daughter!

What grade is she in? Was she in a traditional classroom last year? Is there a reason she is not mainstreamed? Are there behaviors that prevent this?

You can request an IEP meeting at any time. That might be a good place to start. Let them know that there is so much more she can do academically.

Personally I would not be interested in homeschooling, but that's because I think I would be terrible at it :-). My kids and I tend to really enjoy our weekends together, but we all look forward to our regular routine during the week.

I'm not anti homeschooling at all but before you pull her out consider Making them do their job. Hire an advocate if you have to. Anytime they say "we ll suzie is doing this or isn't doing this " your response ....show me the data".
I'm sorry I know schools are resource constrained and teachers are tasked but from what you describe they haven't come close to trying to provide FAPE. Rant over

Best of luck! I know lots of mom's that HS special needs kids. There is also public on line schools like connections academy which has a special ed department and are usually a tuition free option contacted via the state.

I know a lot of people are gung-ho homeschooling, but I can offer the perspective of someone who forceably had to homeschool after our special needs son was kicked out of preschool. I had to work it around my work schedule and it did not go well at all! Our son has ADHD, OCD, ODD, anxiety, depression and an eating disorder.

I learned pretty quickly he does best when he's taught by a teacher. He saw me as mom, not his teacher, so it was a constant battle trying to get him to focus on learning. He just wanted to play. My degree and professional background is in journalism and public relations, so I didn't know any engaging teaching strategies for young kids, so a lot of it was my fault, no doubt.

Homeschooling lasted one month. Once he was on the right medications, he went back to school and since then has been in mainstream classrooms and done great. He has a 504 plan that gives him the accommodations he needs.

I would definitely meet with the teacher and make sure her classwork isn't dumbed down. I've found you do have to be your child's best advocate and if that means stirring things up now and then to ensure your child gets the right instruction and services, you do it. Also let the teacher know that while meds can help tremendously, they're not a cure-all with ADHD and there may be times her focus isn't like neurotypical kids.

Good luck!

Is it possible for her to be mainstreamed with an aide? My youngest is the same age and academically, she sounds like a typical 3rd grader. My kids have all had classmates "on the spectrum" in their classes. Some have an aide that stays with them all day and others are in an inclusion classroom where there is a specialist assigned to help out multiple students. My young cousin, age 13, is mildly autistic and has been mainstreamed with some pull-out sessions his entire time in school.

If that's not an option, I have a friend whose son is home-schooled in the morning, then he goes to school for recess, lunch, and the afternoon "special" period (music, art, etc.) right after lunch. He is one who liked the social side of school but had terrible anxiety about the academics so this has been a great balance for him. He gets to see his friends daily, run around with them, eat with them, do a non-academic class, and his mom takes care of the academics at home and in that 1:1 setting, he is thriving.

Most of the autistic students in my district are actually mainstreamed with support. There are some severe cases where the students are separated or outplaced in special schools, but those are cases where the students are non-verbal or have behavioral issues that can't be handled in a regular classroom.

I would see if you could have her re-evaluated to determine proper placement...she might be able to do just fine in a regular 3rd grade inclusion classroom or with an aide.

Homeschooling can be for anyone, it doesn't matter if the child(ren) are special needs or not.

I homeschool my only child and that is what works for us (I have many reasons for not using the public school system or private). We have homeschooling friends that home school their autistic child. My sister has three kids and homeschools her high functioning Asperger's son, that's what works best for her.

My sister had her son in public school and they kept putting him with low functioning autistic kids. He was with the regular kids and that didn't work either. She started homeschooling and this is what is working best for them. They had other issues regarding the Asperger's and the school system but I don't know all the details.

You need to weigh the pros and cons and figure out what would be best for you and your family.

I homeschool both of my daughters, one of whom is ADHD-Combined. We know many families who homeschool autistic children, as well as children with other learning disabilities. The great thing about homeschooling is that you can move at your child's pace. Though I can't speak for what's available where you live, here in California, there are hybrid homeschooling programs through charter schools where you can do most of your child's schooling at home (or through co-ops, or other venues), and still sign up to do certain classes at the charter school itself. For instance, maybe your child would like to do a science lab class in a school classroom setting, but the rest of her subjects at home. Or she might want to join the school choir and take a creative writing class at the school.

For ADHD kids in particular, homeschooling can be a huge win. I know for my daughter, we currently don't have her on any medication (I am not against it, but my daughter suffered some side effects that weren't so great, so we put it on hold for now). We are still able to complete school in a few hours per day, and I'm able to teach her in ways that use some of her boundless energy. For instance, today we played Grammar Olympics, where I taped various easily confused words on the floor (such as they're, their, and there, effect, affect, let's, lets) and read sentences aloud. She then had to jump to the correct word. We also have Grammar Twister, which is a similar concept, except that the words are on a Twister game (put your right hand on the correct answer, etc.). After lunch, I read to her while she does hand crafts (embroidery, knitting, and so on).

She's able to be active while learning, which makes things so much easier. It's hard for a normal child to sit still for a long time, but for ADHD kids, it's torture! For us, homeschooling has been a godsend. I won't lie, it takes work, but it's worth it.