NPR is excellent. I also like watching the BBC news. Their take on our issues offers an 'outside perspective' that is often very unique.

I agree!! My two children with autism play on the Little League Challengers team here in our county, which is baseball for special needs children. There's one little guy on the team who comes in a wheelchair. He can't walk or talk or feed himself. They still have to feed stage 1 baby food to him. He uses a pacifier. He plays with a rattle. He can't sit up or even hold his head up. And he's around 9 or 10 years old. It really makes me stop and think that, while I'm spending 90% of the time trying to keep my 6 year old from running into the parking lot, at least she's capable OF running. (And I have my other children, too!! My 14 yo with autism is more along the lines of Asperger's and, while being 'quirky', he doesn't demand, or require, the constant attention that my youngest child does, although he has his certain phobias and some learning issues.)

You are sooo right!!! My daughter has made tremendous improvements, thanks to early intervention and years of therapy...and she has more to go! And I'd rather see our society pay for therapy NOW (say it's $6000 per year, which is what 50 weeks of weekly speech and OT sessions would cost in the private sector, for 18 years) vs her being placed in a residential care facility when she's an adult who can't work, can't live on her own, can't function as an adult. That sort of care can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000 per year, or more, and she would need it for 40, 50, or 60 years or even more.

What concerns me is that my daughter receives therapy services *because* there are excess funds. Let me explain... I've been told by our public school system's Director of Special Education that there is a certain amount allocated for providing therapy to homeschoolers. (Say, for example, that it's $5,000 per year). If no other homeschoolers ask for speech and occupational therapy, which is what my daughter needs, then my daughter has no problem receiving services. But, if another homeschooled child is in need of services, then the amount is divided in half (so my daughter is only going to receive $2,500 in services for the year). It goes down from there, depending on the number of homeschoolers who have children in need of therapy services. And some states don't offer therapy services to homeschoolers at all (Maryland is one of them -- I know because we used to live there) Our health insurance doesn't cover speech or OT because autism is classified as a mental illness. Even those insurance companies that do cover it only cover a certain amount (say 6 sessions per year -- my daughter would go through that in less than 2 months) So the only way for her to receive what she needs is either (a) I put her in public school and then she can receive anything she needs because she's enrolled there, or (b) I pay out of pocket for private therapy, which we did last year and it cost us $125 a week. (Btw....This is the one area where I find myself breaking with the Republican party. I would describe myself as pro-life and I'm very pleased that they support homeschooling vs siding with the NEA every time they turn around. BUT when it comes to health issues, such as health care and insurance reform, I find myself siding with the Democrats)

No diatribes about teen pregnancy here or any other rumors! This was sent to me on a list that I'm on because I have two children with autism. I'm cutting and pasting the email as I received it, so any commentary was added by the original poster. As a parent of two special needs children (and my youngest receives speech and occupational therapy through the public school system), this does concern me. .......... SOME Real FACTS about Sarah Palin Gov. Sarah Palin oversees the budget for the Department of Education and Early Development Special Schools in Alaska. This is of course part of her governor duties. The funds allocated to the Dept. of Education and Early Development Special Schools provide supplementary educational services to students with severe disabling conditions as well as assist funding to the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy. The local school where the child would normally be placed does not have the resources to provide an adequate educational program without the supplementary service funds. The following programs are funded by the allocations of these funds: Special Education Service Agency (SESA) The Annual budget for 2007, which was BEFORE Gov. Palin; was $8,265,300. http://www.gov.state.ak.'>http://www.gov.state.ak.'>http://www.gov.state.ak.'>http://www.gov.state.ak.'>http://www.gov.state.ak.'>http://www.gov.state.ak.'>http://www.gov.state.ak. us/omb/08_ OMB/budget/ EED/comp2735. pdf The Annual budget for 2008, enacted by Gov. Palin is $3,156,000. http://www.gov.state.ak. us/omb/08_ OMB/budget/ EED/comp2735. pdf The Annual budget for 2009, enacted by Gov. Palin is $3,156,000. http://www.gov.state.ak. us/omb/09_ omb/budget/ EED/comp2735. pdf. This is a cut in special needs services to children in Alaska of 62%. !!! The Alaska State Budget description states, "Without the supplementary services the child's needs would not be met by the local school district in most cases." Did 62% of all of the special needs children in Alaska stop having needs once Gov. Palin took office? It seems Govenor Palin felt having a child with special needs would never happen to her.... A 62% cut in these funds is a disgrace!

My youngest son will be 9 at the end of this month. We always joke that he was born middle-aged. He's very serious and introspective. He loves school and he loves all subjects equally, although math is probably his favorite, followed by science. He started Kindergarten when he was 3, so he's now working on a 5th-6th grade level in all subjects. He wants to be a doctor when he grows up...he's had that dream since he was 2 or 3 years old...and he hopes to go to Duke University some day (that's something he's been talking about for the last 2 years or so, ever since our oldest started getting all the college information packets in the mail!) He loves our dogs and takes care of them faithfully. He loves sports, especially baseball and football. He enjoys playing video games. He adores Pokemon and Star Wars. He takes Tae Kwon Do lessons and loves it. He volunteers with the Little League Challengers baseball team as a buddy (it's baseball for special needs children and he helps them to manuever the bases and to hit the ball). He loves it. He enjoys being needed and he loves helping people. He's the first one to come running when I need something done. I've told my husband, in private, that I'd have 10 children if they were all like him! He's just...never caused me a minute's trouble. He's just ... a good kid!

My daughter submitted the following a few weeks ago: Application - she applied online and paid her fee Personal Statement - in the essay, she talked a little bit about homeschooling, about taking classes at the community college last year and this year, about her outside activities - athletics, volunteering, employment, etc. - and a little bit about her family - she then cut and pasted it into the space provided in the online application I sent the following in the mail: Transcript - both my husband and I signed it and dated it Curriculum Description List with a Cover Letter - in the cover letter, I described a little bit about our homeschool structure and a little bit about my daughter's academic strengths and weaknesses -- I attached this to a list of the curriculum we used for each subject in grades 9 through 12 I requested a Transcript from the community college where my daughter's enrolled and they'll send it directly to the college she's applying to We had her SAT scores sent directly to the college We requested a recommendation letter from her Tae Kwon Do instructor and he'll be sending it directly to the college within the next 3 weeks. We'll have to submit a mid-year transcript, both from our homeschool as well as from the community college, at the end of the fall semester, but..for now that's everything!! That and filing for the FAFSA for financial aid, but that won't be available until January 1st. So...for now, that's it!

While the last several years haven't been easy (my 6yo has special needs... and they're quite significant ... and they make it difficult to juggle everything), I would say that my hardest year was the 1st year! I had sooo many folks wondering why I was homeschooling and I didn't feel very confident! As time went on, I gained more experience and more confidence. My best year was probably when my children were 11, 8, 3, and 1 -- I have very happy memories of that school year!! We were living in Maryland (in a house and community that I still miss, even though we've lived here for 3 1/2 years) and I had a little school room (something I don't have in this house) and it was just a really great year! Now, my oldest is at the community college 2 days a week (she did the same last year, too) and our homeschool doesn't feel 'cozy', if that makes sense! I'm sure I'll feel it even more when she goes away to college next year!!

I agree with you! And, the same can be said, on the other side, for my 8yo. He's doing 5th - 6th grade level work in our homeschool, but I put him with the 4th graders (or other 8-9 year olds) in his social activities because that's where the boys are who are his age (and just because his academic work is at the level of a 10-11 year old doesn't mean that's where his social and emotional level is...if that makes sense!)

My 14 yo has high functioning autism and he started to do 1st grade work when he was 8 (and he didn't even talk until he was 4 years old). Now, he's right where he should be at 14, which is doing 7th grade work (if you count 8 as 1st, 9 as 2nd, 10 as 3rd, etc.) I tell folks, "My oldest son has some learning disabilities," or "My son has special needs," and that ends the discussion. Many, many times I hear, "My son (or daughter) did, too, and they just kept pushing him (or her) through school and I wish they wouldn't have done that." We intend to continue schooling for grades "13th" and "14th" (which would be the equivalent of "11th" and "12th") and then he plans on going to the community college. After that, I have no idea! He has yet to decide what he wants to do, career-wise. And that's half the benefit of going to the cc! You can figure out what you want to do, and what courses you like, etc., at $85 a credit hour vs going away to a 4 year public college, which would cost us $1000 a month! Now...as far as social events with our homeschool group, I put him where he would be according to his age. I know that most 14 year olds are in the 9th grade and that's where I put him if we're going on a field trip, joining a co-op class, going to a party, etc.

:grouphug: I'm so sorry! You will both be in my prayers!

My first question would be does he like computers? And my second would be how does he feel about immediate feedback? My 8yo is using TT Math 5 and he LOVES it....however, it would have driven my 14yo insane -- now, let me explain! From PreAlgebra on, TT has CDs that you put into the computer and you watch the lecture, and you can view the problems being solved, if you care to do so. For the lower levels, you put the CD into the computer and all the questions are answered *on* the computer. So there's the immediate feedback (Rosetta Stone for foreign languages works on the same concept and my oldest son didn't like that either! He doesn't care for the bells and whistles and the odd sounds). As I said, however, my youngest son LOVES this program!!! It starts out very slowly. At least TT Math 5 does -- I haven't seen Math 4, although I know it's due out soon (I believe). But TT Math 5 starts out with place value and then works into addition and subtraction, etc. The typical lecture is about 5-10 minutes long, then there are around 5 practice problems, and then around 20 lesson problems. Hope this helps!!

Watch it on C-SPAN...no broadcasters commenting on anything. Just straight convention!

The "back" button on your web-browser will also send you back to the post you wrote.

:lurk5:

Well....first, I would NEVER want to be in that situation in the first place! I mean, a friend of mine joined the CIA after she left college and they did a background check like you wouldn't BELIEVE!! They interviewed her neighbors, her friends, her employers, her co-workers, people she went to elementary school with. Although I haven't done anything illegal, I wouldn't want folks to be prying into every facet of my life with a microscope. Nor would I want my children put through that. I don't like the media around children anyway. (Every time I see Angelina Jolie's children splashed on the cover of People, I want to scream) But...that's why I don't have any political aspirations. And I wouldn't have wanted my husband to have them either. Nor would I want him to be famous (or infamous! :lol:)

I understand completely!!!!!! My 6 year old is more like a 2 year old (esp. in her language abilities and actions) ... so it's like I've been stuck in the terrible two's for 4 1/2 years! My friends don't understand what it's like when I can't leave her alone for a minute without her getting into trouble...when we've had to put an alarm system in the house to keep her escaping out the front door...that our daughter is as tall as my 8 year old son, and she'll be 7 in January, and still isn't potty trained...and shows no signs of doing so any time soon. For years, she had a passion for taking her diaper off and smearing the walls at night. NO ONE can understand what it's like to wipe poop off of the walls at 2 in the morning for YEARS. (I still have to check on her every night, to make sure she's dressed and still has a diaper on because she's been known, even now, to take everything off) It makes it REALLY hard to come here and read about how they have trouble homeschooling with a toddler underfoot. Imagine that toddler never leaving toddlerhood!! Imagine wondering who'll take care of her when she grows up and you're dead and gone? *sigh* So...yes...I understand completely!!!

It's been like that every night for me!!! I usually give up and get on early in the morning and then post like mad to catch up!!

I think my approach would be something like Eleanor Roosevelt's. I would get out there, among the 'common people' and see what issues are important to THEM...and then bring their thoughts and feelings to my husband (who...btw has NO earthly desire to be president!! Too many responsibilities!)

I remember there was a thread with a picture of him not holding his hand over his heart during something...either the Pledge of Allegiance or the National Anthem. (Can't remember which one)

Correct me if I'm wrong -- and I might be because this whole thing is swirling faster than I can keep up with -- but didn't CNN report today that she wouldn't be addressing the Republican National Convention? Or were they just saying that she wouldn't be addressing them tonight (as in it's just a scheduling change?) I can't believe the VP candidate wouldn't speak at the RNC! And CNN also ran a report that John McCain hasn't had an open interview (as in question and answer session) with any members of the media since mid-August.

My hubby and I go grocery shopping together!! (Ain't THAT romantic? :D) We also love to play golf...although that takes longer than grocery shopping! We're not movie-goers (the last movie we saw in a theatre was "Titanic" :blushing:) We do like to go out to dinner occasionally and we LOVE going to the sports bar when the Washington Redskins are playing!! It's a lot of fun. I'll drink my Coke and my hubby will have a few beers, and we'll eat alot of hot wings, and I drive home. What else? Ummm.... We like to sit on the front porch at night and talk -- and that's free! :)

My mother always used to say, "Save your Confederate dollars, for the South shall rise again." Might wise words. :D :lol:

I have two daughters: Elizabeth and Kathryn -- both can be shortened! (We have a Beth and a Kate) Btw...I love the name Sophia! That was on our list with #4!! Happy baby-naming thoughts!! :)

The ones sold by Handwriting Without Tears have erasers on them!!! :thumbup: So that makes them really good!! I use them with my youngest, who has some fine motor issues.