My ds (13 year old) took "Journey to Narnia" from the Potter's school. It was great. Ds had to write a variety of papers with thesis and also answer questions from the Narnia books he was reading. In those questions, there was a lot of creative writing assignments, questions about author themes, Biblical themes, and just general comprehension questions with a twist. He is taking English 2 next year and a Logic class from the Potters school. My weakness is English writing and Literature discussion. While I wish there was a face to face class he could take, that is just not possible here so this is the next best thing. I also found that my ds really works harder for other people and likes to get a good grade. Overall, I was really happy with the class. It really pushed him to do better and really helped him improve his thinking skills and writing skills. Beth

With $1400, you could hire someone to come into your home once or twice a week (you'll be paying around $50 a week for 24 weeks or so) for a special art class or science class. You could even save up the money and pay someone to homeschool your children completely every morning for a month and give yourself a rest when the new baby comes. I think if you had another family or two, you could have a nice community and each mom could teach a week. Beth

The caregivers for disabled adults/children in my state is also trying to form a union. All unions may be good for the workers, but not good for the disabled people. The state gives each person a set amount of money to use for workers. The more money the caregivers make, the less hours each disabled person gets. They needed to go about it a different way. Also, the union will require every person signed up as a caregiver to pay up to 85% of the union dues even if they don't join the union which will deplete my workforce since I don't use them much and who wants to pay union dues on a job that you only work once a month? I am allowed to pay my workers a lot more than the going rate. I think that people should be paid more for what they do, but a union wrecks it for the disabled consumer. Also, a LOT of states do not have respite services or any kind of help for disabled children/adults. This woman is probably desperate for help and her only option is most likely to pay out of pocket. I should stop. Beth

I have the online version. I thought I wouldn't like it, but other than the video section, it has all tests and quizzes online, a schedule of what to do that day online, the TM online to check answers, and a place where I can input all of his grades on labs and review questions. Then, after all that is done, it gives me a grade! It's very teacher friendly. It is time consuming for my ds, but he really is learning well with this program. My only problem is that if he answers a question on a review a little differently, I have no idea if it is right or wrong because all of this is soooo over my head. Beth

I was totally going to warn her also! Anybody who's had more than 2 kids cannot jump on a trampoline without consequence! Beth

The type of scenario about leaving an adult child at a homeless shelter is not the first time I've heard it. It's happened in TN also. It's really shocking how horrible services are for developmentally handicapped adults (and children). I would liken it to telling a poor person who cannot afford food for their child to put their child in a homeless shelter so they can live. This is not what developed countries do! There are now little houses that Chinese people can leave their disabled children so that they can receive the help they need to live. Doesn't this sound similar? No offense to anyone, but it always confused me how we as a society can suggest abortion of disabled children but provide all sorts of support for them as they grow. Now, as I've been researching states and benefits for disabled children/adults, I am unfortunately seeing that our society as a whole (only 19 states provide help for parents financially who have severely disabled children) is consistent. The powers that be don't want them to be born, and they don't want to support them as they live. I have been shocked and dismayed at how we are treating severely disabled adults and children as a whole. There are pockets of real help, but I am finding they are few and far between. I can't believe we are treating people like we are. Beth

There are only 19 states that have TEFRA. That is part of our problem. We are needing a much larger income in states that don't have TEFRA. We are want to take care of our son, but we need to be healthier as a family. What we have going on is not working for us. We are willing to avoid state care for our son so we can provide it ourselves. For example, Michigan was a state that a few years ago did really well for disabled kids and then got a new governor. The whole system changed. There are waiting lists for services everywhere. We need to not be at the mercy of a state legislature. We have to provide for our child anyway we can and we need to live better as a family. It's been a very long road and a very hard road so far trying to figure out what to do. Every time we think of me getting a job, we both know that I would be the one stuck juggling the family stuff, medical appointments...everything. I would need to have a job where they were very flexible. And, we would be winding up paying for someone to take care of my son after school anyway which would eat my whole salary. The stress is already getting to me without the stress a job would bring. We just really need a lower cost of living and a higher salary. Having to figure out how to support a disabled child REALLY stinks. Beth

Well, we are 8 minutes from a Target and grocery store and the library and coffee shops are 5 minutes away. My mantra has been "If Target doesn't have it, it doesn't exist" since the nearest mall is 40 minutes away and that's just pure driving at 70 mph most of the way. My kids have gone with too short pants and worn out shoes for longer than they really should because the mall takes so long to get to. I do a lot of online shopping. My dh's work is 45 minutes away with no traffic. Add snow and construction (which happens whenever there's not snow) makes his commute 1 hour 15. I know a lot of people do this, but we have a child with a lot of severe special needs, and three others - one of whom has her own medical issues and a lot of ADHD. I need my husband here more. I need to get away from snow and ice and negative wind chills. Those items are horrible with a wheelchair. I've only slid down my driveway once with the wheelchair. Since then, my neighbors always comment on how clear my driveway is. Of course it is! I can't get my son up the driveway with any kind of ice! I am tired of it. I don't mind snow. I just mind the layers and layers of ice that build up week after week. Beth

We thought about this one also. The state's support for disabled children stinks to high heaven so the much higher salary would have to come into play. We have decent equity in our home so that's a plus moving to a cheaper housing area (although I'm not sure Nashville is a ton cheaper housing wise) Beth

We went to a schlitterbahn when we were in San Antonio. It was surreal -- whoever heard of tram service in a waterpark? I do like San Antonio--It may be a little too hot in the summer for us though. My husband also still wants to be closeish to my family in the Chicago area. We love my extended family and would love to be closer to them, but the area would not be a happy choice to live in. We are fairly sad they live in such a stinky area. Beth

We lived in East Texas near Tyler 16 years ago. I liked Texas and didn't mind the heat so much. What I did mind was the lack of rain while we were there. We moved when there was a drought going on. Having everything dry up was depressing to me. I guess if I have cabin fever, I would rather it be because it was too hot rather than too cold. Where we are, once the snow starts falling, it stays and keeps building on itself. We are tired of road that are always icy and shoveling when it's 0 degrees outside. I really don't mind snow and ice. It's just that we get sooooo much of it here in MN. My neighbor across the street has a pie chart that she uses to teach the seasons. Winter is October/November through April, spring is May, summer is June through August, and autumn is September through October. It's the most hilarious pie chart. She wanted her daughter to get a true picture of what the seasons really were, not what they say they are. After all, when it's still snowing in April, you don't really want to say "welcome spring!". An addition mix to this puzzle is having my husband earn a more than decent salary in some states. Right now, we have state support for our son. Other states such as Texas don't have anything so we would be totally responsible for his lifelong care. Having the opportunity to buy a home with a pretty small mortgage would help, but so would a nicer salary. Beth

We are looking to move - mostly because my dh is underemployed and some because we need to get away from snow. Here is what we're looking for: Commute to a metro area within 30 minutes Newer housing (we have a wheelchair to contend with- old homes don't work) housing for around $200K for 2500 4 bedroom home good homeschool opportunities warmer! We only want to have winter visit for 2 months. We're ok with snow. We just don't want it to last more than 2 months So, sell me on your location! Beth

Currently, my ds 13 is doing BJU's online Physical Science course. I am satisfied with it to a point. He seems to understand the concepts, but my problem is this. There is an answer key that has all the answers, but I don't always understand the answers! Sometimes, he gives me an answer that may be right but is not exactly the same as the answer key. I have NO IDEA if the alternate answer is correct. I feel like I am doing him a disservice and possibly being too easy on him. He rises to the challenge if he is externally required to know something. Internally, not so much. He does fine on the tests and is making an 87% in the class. I'm almost ready to throw in the towel on every subject except math (because I DO understand alternate answers in geometry) and just have him do online classes where he's accountable to someone else. He does so much better if he has that external motivation like a grade that means something from someone else. He's not one of these kids who's passionate about anything related to school. He does very well and just wants me to decide what he has to do. He does have a passionately negative response to Apologia science. I guess my question is this - do I have him do a more literal science text next year such as Apologia Biology where I can make sure the answers are correct and the labs are well done, have him continue in BJU since he's obviously getting "something" out of it, or just quit and have him do an online science class. Beth

I've been doing this test with my children for years. This year, I noticed that the math in the younger grades has changed quite a bit. I'm assuming common core weird math teaching? It seems more conceptual at the 3rd grade level--less concrete. I always cringe every year my ds 9 takes these tests. He is not a sequential thinker and thinks outside the box. Simple instructions confuse him because he doesn't take them at face value. He's done fine so far, but still I cringe. Beth

Can I just say I'm a little more than irritated that Saxon Algebra 2 decided to introduce formal geometry proofs in the LAST 5 LESSONS!!!! Nothing like making your brain really have to work hard during those last days of school. My ds keeps going , "Why, why, why?" with an immense amount of irritation. That is all. Beth

We don't have any CFL bulbs in our home mainly due to these reasons: air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor environment. Shut off the central forced air heating/air-conditioning system, if you have one. If practical, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the heating/air conditioning system shut off for several hours. We live in MN and let's say this happened when we were having -40 degree windchills. Anyone see a problem with this?!?!?We stocked up enough incandescent bulbs to last us for years until the LED bulbs go down in price. I haven't seen that anyone's CFL bulbs last the years they are supposed to and I really don't want one of these bulbs exploding on me or breaking because then you have released a hazardous material into your home. I hate the things. Beth

My neighbor across the street backed into my friend's 15 passenger van in a similar situation. She was going to visit her son's grave so she was upset at the time. Her car was a small Toyota. Still---a huge 15 passenger van. Beth

What I consider basic services is Medicade type payments of co-pays and adult diapers and respite type service. We could in theory tough it out until he turns 18, but we are concerned for his long term care as we age. We'd be looking for people to help take care of him in our home and/or adult day care. I was told by the Grand Rapids ARC person that the services are there, but there's a waiting list. I couldn't actually get any social services people on the line. There's also the thing about Michigan having more than snow than we get up here. I really don't know if I can handle that. I could really use one less barrier in my life. Beth

Update: I used the list of state rankings and I'd like to say, "IT IS NOT ACCURATE!!!!". My husband found a job in Michigan that he was thinking about. Michigan is rated in the top 5. THEY HAVE NO SERVICES!!!! According to social services near Grand Rapids, they have a waiting list we are welcome to join and wait on the list for a few years for any type of service. Minnesota in the middle of the pack has at least what I would call minimal services without having to wait for them. By calling social services and advocacy groups in other states, we are now "advised not to come here/ proceed with great caution" by Colorado, Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, and Illinois. South Carolina was somewhat promising, but dh doesn't want to move there due to lack of metro areas. I think we are staying put right now. It really grieves me. Something is better than nothing. Beth

She tested some of my vitamin levels which were all fine except for vitamin D (which is no big surprise my being a redhead and the winter we've had lately). She suggested a bunch of vitamins and to make sure I get the sleep I need even if I have to take 1/3 of a benedryl which seems to do the trick for me. I did talk to my mom who at my age was in a stressful job situation and was going to the hospital for heart attack symptoms which turned out to be anxiety. She said she had a lot of similar symptoms at my age but chalked it up to her job. She is thinking otherwise now. Beth

I live in Minnesota which is ranked 31 on the list. I can't imagine what a #1 rating would be. I have never lacked for any service here that I can think of. We have been able to hire help, pay for medical equipment not covered by insurance, and paid for adaptations to our home and van. I find more information talking to state's social workers and disability advocates than anything else. For example, in Illinois, the social worker plainly told me there are no services. A social worker in Wisconsin on the other hand guided me to several programs that would fit my son's diagnosis whose only hurdle for us was to establish residency. Sure, in Minnesota, my son has been on a waiting list for a waiver for 14 years. I have no idea what that waiver would cover since the waiting list is so long. Maybe that's why Minnesota ranked lower? I haven't missed it. My husband is looking at jobs that fit his qualifications in states that aren't the "stay away from here" states like Illinois, Iowa, Texas, ect. The others, I just know I'm going to have to talk to people who qualify people for these programs and see what they are really like. I never worry about qualifying for anything. Unfortunately, one 10 second look at my son screams, "He qualifies". I have people who ask me why don't we just move away from our small town and move closer to Minneapolis and St. Paul? They're in a different weather system (40 miles away) and the winter weather/cold/ice/never see spring is only worse up there. My friend across the street homeschools her daughter. She has a chart for the seasons. November through April is winter, May is spring, June- August is summer, and September and October are fall. It's true too! Her pie graph of the seasons makes me laugh. Beth

We have similar now as to what you describe in Oregon. Part of Minnesota's wackiness is that it really depends on what county you live in. Some counties are like Cadilacs, some are like Yugos. We really want to be closer to my immediate family. We can't because Illinois has no services. I almost cried when I was talking to an A.R.C. person there. She basically told me there's no shame in eating cereal for dinner i.e you will be financially poor in order to pay for the services your son needs. We figured that in order to live there and survive, my husband would have to make double his current salary so we could live at the same level we are now and use the other half to pay for my son's current and future needs. I told my mom who lives in Illinois that if she sees someone with a child in a wheelchair to give them all the money in her wallet because they most likely need it. Beth

When I've looked at residential programs that are run by non-profits and seem to be better managed, a lot of them will say their potential clients need to be continent and able to walk. So once again, we get limited by disability. I've been feeling pretty hopeless lately. I don't think a lot of people see how totally horrible a disability can really be when you're looking at long term care. A lot of the very disabled are hidden because its just plain hard to get them out of the house. I have a couple of friends whose children only leave the house to go to the doctor. Beth

My 15 year old son has severe developmental and physical disabilities. We are currently in a state (Minnesota) that offers decent support now and as he ages. The problem is, my husband needs a new job and we need to move to be closer to a metro area so he can stop commuting so far. We would like to live in a warmer state that doesn't have harsh winters because ice and wheelchairs is not a good thing. The problem is state support. The range is extreme. The thing we're mostly looking for is help with long term care. We are getting older and know there will be a day we can no longer care for him physically. We aren't even saving up for retirement at this point, much less long term care. We have planned at this point to have him stay at home, but if we can't afford to hire people out of pocket ourselves, how will we do it? For those of you who live with little to no state support, what are your plans for the future of your child as they age? Beth

My 15 year old son has severe developmental and physical disabilities. We are currently in a state (Minnesota) that offers decent support now and as he ages. The problem is, my husband needs a new job and we need to move to be closer to a metro area so he can stop commuting so far. We would like to live in a warmer state that doesn't have harsh winters because ice and wheelchairs is not a good thing. The problem is state support. The range is extreme. The thing we're mostly looking for is help with long term care. We are getting older and know there will be a day we can no longer care for him physically. We aren't even saving up for retirement at this point, much less long term care. We have planned at this point to have him stay at home, but if we can't afford to hire people out of pocket ourselves, how will we do it? For those of you who live with little to no state support, what are your plans for the future of your child as they age? Beth