Our youngest is starting Kindergarten and was accepting into a 50/50 Dual Immersion Spanish program. This is a question I am interested in as well.

No I am in Calif

Is this still the active CA thread? I am new here. I live in the Inland Empire- So Cal

I am at the beginning stages of HSing. I have been looking into the Evan Moor books a lot and would like to use them. I am encouraged to find another person who is using them. I agree with breaking up the LA aspects.

I am just starting my journey and have started with the 100 easy lessons. How did Explode the Code work for you?

:grouphug: THANK YOU for sharing!! I am at the start of our walk through the problems and your encouragement is appreciated.

I agree with getting an evaluation. I would call his doctor who is treating his ADHD. Do you have a behavior specialist? Contact your insurance to see if they have someone they recommend. Does your local school system provide IEP evaluations?

:lurk5: would like to see what others advise too...

I do not have any advise as my son is much younger as we are just starting our HSing journey. I find your post helpful as I am sure this is something we will face. Hang in there though.. Could he need a different curriculum? Something different to peak his interest again?

Hi, I have been around here for a couple weeks and you all have been very helpful. I THANK YOU all. As you may know I am bringing my DS home in the fall after being in the public school system for the past 3+ yrs. We live in California (Inland Empire) His history: 3mnt old- Suffered SBS/non accidental trauma w/ Left subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhages with hypoxic ischemic injury. Partial & grand mal seizures (non in past 6 yrs). Multiple bilateral retinal hemorrhages/resolved. Microcephaly, developmental delay. When placed in our home at 22months he was only making noises (non verbal). He quickly began to speak using 1-2 word sentences. DX 4yrs old with Developmental Dyspraxia & ADHD Has IEP- He started kinder in a Mod-sev SAI day class. At the end of the year we opt'd to have him repeat kinder moving him into a Mild-Mod SAI class. He is currently in 1st grade in a SAI class with 1,2 & 3rd graders. He is to be out of the general ed classrooms 80% of the time (hence the SAI special classroom). In Nov he went through the full testing: Cognitive Abilities range Verbal Comp- 65 Working Memory-62 processing speed- 65 perceptual reasoning- 79 receptive voc- 73 expressive voc- 80 Academic ach range oral exp- 64 listening comp- 81 basic reading skills- 67 reading comp- 64 math calc skills- 79 math reasoning- 86 written exp- 65 Psycho processing range: Visual motor integration- 74 visual perception- 77 motor coordination- 60 I didn't list them all. These numbers are actually lower than his last 3 yr evaluation when he was 4yrs old. His speech assessment (OWLS): Listening comp- 73 Oral Exp- 63 Oral composite- 65 Compre assmt of spoken land (CASL) Antonyms- 74 syntax cont- 47 pargraph comp- 81 nonliteral lang- 86 pragmatic judgement- 51 core composite- 62 I am looking at using the following curriculum's- Time 4 Learning (have been using as after-school) Math -U- See Building Thinking Skills Sequential Spelling I like the Sonlight LA What are some others to help with my DS? What works with children with brain trauma?

Great choice :)

:iagree: I have a 7 yr old that we adopted through the Foster System when he was 22months old. He has a TBI from Shakin Baby Syndrome and while we are still learning about the extent of the damages it was very apparent he had no impulse control and extreme hyperactivity. My husband and I took him to a routine neurological appt when he was about 5 yrs old and within 15 minutes explained to us he had ADHD. We were referred to a behavior specialist. We chose to medicate and did so for about a year. After DS spending his 6th birthday sitting on the steps while all his friends played we stopped the medication thinking we'd rather deal with the hyperactivity and impulsiveness than have him so out of it. That lasted about 6 months then we started noticing other symptoms like rage and outburst. The doctors wanted to treat DS with an anti-psychotic drug for ODD. While it was a very low dose I didn't want my 6 yr old on the medication and started researching again. I read a book on Syndrome mixes and how you treat the ones you can. We ended up going back on drugs (Ritalin this time) to treat the ADHD. We also found we needed to use Melatonin to help him sleep at night. Through that we have noticed the ODD only when he is very tired or I miss a dose. I tell you this because there are many sides to the ADHD argument. I was against medicating our DS and in the end found it was the best for now. I am always open to trying new things that will allow him to be drug free in the future.

:lurk5: Great topic- I start working with my DS in April then we will be HSing in the Fall full time.

Elizabeth- So many of the issues you have listed are ones I am dealing with as well. DS was also diagnosed with ADHD. He also has "extreme impulsiveness" as the neurologist put it. One of the big discoveries for us was his sleeping or the lack of actual sleeping. We thought he was sleeping but after really watching him I realized that I could wake up at 1am and have a conversation with him. The doctor has us giving him Melatonin to help and it made a difference. We also medicate for the ADHD (Ritalin).

:lurk5: My 7yr old is also lacking in social skills and has been in a social setting including PS since he was 2yrs old. I had him in daycare while I worked at home to help. I am bringing him home to HS now. I was just referred to a social skills office through out medical insurance provider so I don't know what comes next but I love the responses here. I am liking the social books on Amazon.

Thank you both I sat down with 2 of my good friends who both HS on Saturday night and I feel much better. *LC- In CA I have to sign/agree to remove him from the SAI to homeschool privately. This is what I am probably going to do. To keep him in a public charter (whatever one) I can have the SAI removed but he will get behind and they will end up requesting an evaluation and he will be deemed in need of SAI again and the circle starts over. In my research over the past week I feel I need to go the private homeschool route (where I do it all myself or join a private school co-op where they do most the paperwork for me to the state and I do my own curriculum) I know my son will be on different level of learning and feel he would be better educated out of the public school now. I had to get over my fear of doing something wrong (still worried but feeling better) He is doing grade level math however will probably need to start back at kinder spelling/reading. Thank you Ally Mom- I have found some informative articles at LDonline.

Thank you both. I will look into the curriculum you have listed.

I am currently looking into bringing my DS home for schooling. He is enrolled in public school in a SAI classroom. I am confused on the curriculum I would need to use. Do you use general curriculum at a slower pace? This is what I was thinking of doing. DS suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury prior to placement in our home (Shakin Baby) resulting in a low average IQ (high 60-low 80's with the highest in Receptive). He has poor working memory and ADHD (treating). He also has a major speech delay and is considered communicability disabled (according to tests)

My DS is currently enrolled in a CA public school. He started off in the Mod/Sev special day class kindergarten however this tract does not graduate nor do they do actual general ed curriculum. At the end of the kindergarten I asked that he repeat kindergarten moving him into the mild/moderate special day class. Which he did and was able to grasp most of the concepts. He is now in the 1st grade and the problems are beginning. First off not every school in the district offer SAI classes nor do they offer them for every grade. Meaning my DS has already gone to 2 different schools and may be moved again at the end of this year as my home school offers a 2nd grade class (but not a 3rd). His current classroom consists of 3 grade levels. 1-3rd are taught in the one room with approximately 20 other students. Class is broken into 3 groups based on abilities. DS works at the middle level. At this point he is getting confused after hearing the teacher explain higher level concepts to the students that are ready. I feel I can do more at home one one one- we will lose his services which include speech. Our state only offers services to students who are enrolled. However I don't feel their setting is best for him.

subbing... DS has working memory problems- will read this thread tonight

Thank you Lauren- River Springs was one of my top choices. Through their program I would be unable to homeschool. According to his IEP needing the mild/mod SAI they would have to basically create a classroom for him in Riverside. Not a homeschool program. I am talking to k12/CAVA and seeing if they will be able work with me. I would be assigned a Special Ed teacher which may meet the requirements.

Thank you for responding. Yes I have contacted 2 local online public charter schools. I kept hearing "yes, we do work with IEP's and can meet your needs" by them both. However, once I spoke to someone in the actual Spec. Ed department I found the real problem. Basically my son has "Specialized Academic Instruction in a classroom" that is 80% outside general education on his IEP. Meaning he is in a Mild/Moderate classroom separated from the other students. because of this, the public charter schools that offer homeschool options would still have to create a classroom setting for him that is not my home. I don't understand why but what I am being told. My only option for homeschooling at this point is to file a private school affidavit in California and do it on my own- losing his speech service also provided by the IEP. What makes me so frustrated is the public school feels that having my 1st grader who is language delayed/developmental dyspraxia in a classroom where the teacher is teaching 1, 2 & 3rd graders is meeting his needs. He is so confused. Anyways- I am looking for other parents who are doing their own spec ed homeschool. I have so many questions?

I live in the San Bernardino City School District and my son is currently in Mild-Mod Sp Ed classroom. He also receives speech services. I want to bring him home in the fall for 2nd grade. I am looking for other parents who have done this in the state of CA. My understanding is I will have to file as a private school. I was wanting to go through a public online school however I am finding that may not be possible with his IEP stating he needs Spec Academic Instruction.