Special School for a Special Kid?

[Evergreen State Sue]

Has anyone here given up homeschooling to consider putting your special needs child in a special school? Even for a short time?

 

Our 14yods is an 8th grader, but as things are going I see it very difficult for him to finish high school. He has dyslexia (poor spelling, hates to read), ADHD, and something else that might be aspergers. He had some testing done a year ago that revealed he had some short term memory issues and trouble with organizing. Socially he doesn't make friends, doesn't like to talk to people (fewest possible words), though he can talk to us just fine. I've given him some easy jobs to do for money, but he doesn't follow through with them so naturally he isn't getting the money even though he would love it.

 

We start each school year so hopeful, and then it comes down to we only get one subject accomplished. For the last few years that has been math. This year he is taking an outside class on Study Skills. I thought it would help with organization, test prep, etc. It is all we are able to do, and even then he isn't doing it.

 

I found a special school close to where we live that might help my son. I just found it on-line and haven't toured it yet. The web site is www.plcnw.org.

 

If you had the money, would this be a good place? Any red flags or questions I should ask them?

 

I would appreciate another set of eyes. I'm feeling too close to the situation and know I need to get my son some help.

 

Thank you.

Edited March 7, 2010 by Evergreen State Sue

[SonshineLearner]

:grouphug:

 

I don't have your concerns with my children. BUT, I think there is NEVER a problem with seeking out the best opportunity for your children. Look at you. You've given it your all.... all that any parent could do. IF there's something out that which may help your son... barring money problems... I think it would only be pride that would keep a parent from doing the best. Think about it... you're putting his success before your initial plans.

 

I'd say... give it a go.... When it's over... all you can say it, "I did my best, given my circumstances." That's all anyone can say, right??

:grouphug:

[Guest]

My daughter, just about to turn 14, has Asperger's and dysgraphia along with slow processing speed. I have spent the past eighteen months visiting just under twenty schools in our area, varying from regular private schools that say they work with LD kids to charters to special ed schools. I would actually prefer to continue homeschooling, because I can tailor her work to what she is obsessed with and how she works best. However, she craves social connections beyond family yet needs consistent, daily, pre-structured social contexts. She just won't initiate anything.

 

It's amazing timing that you just posted this, because only yesterday -- after more than a year of looking -- I found what I finally, finally think is a match: a school for kids with various LD's and/or Asperger's. What I found that I liked, which you might look for or ask about when you tour the school (do this really soon):

 

--a psychologist, not an "educator," directs the school. He knows these kids and their neurology, isn't coming at them with a pedagogical idea that he tries to fit around the kids. He also likes these kids, and that is apparent in the respect I saw him address them with.

 

--flexibility is the key. Not everything works for every kid, and he is willing to make adjustments, all kinds of exceptions, accommodations, etc. to find ways to make it work.

 

--he not only welcomes but actively invites, even insists, on parental involvement on some level or other. Parents aren't pushed aside and told the experts always know best.

 

--kids progress at their own pace. They don't go into ninth grade math because they're ninth grade age.

 

--there are on-site counsellors, speech therapists, OTs, etc. This may or may not be important to you.

 

--an applicant MUST attend the school for two full days to see how they feel about it, to meet the teachers and other students, and for the teachers to observe the child and see whether or not the school is a good fit. In contrast, other schools I looked at have kids attend for half a day, and I don't think that is enough time for anyone to figure anything out. I also think you should ask to sit in and observe one or two classes, so you can see the span of behaviors in a given room and see how the teachers handle them.

 

One final thing: I don't know what kinds of behavioral differences your son has, but I was looking for a school that did not have any violent kids, kids with substance abuse issues, kids with daily melt-downs, etc. I found schools that dealt with more classically autistic kids and were well equipped to handle their behaviors, but my child is high-functioning even for Asperger's, and actually a bit too controlled/inhibited, so I didn't think it would work if she were around others who were constantly falling apart, attempting to bolt, or needing intensive interventions. I noted the school you referenced said it handles both high-functioning autistic kids and those with Asperger's. This is not necessarily a red flag; but I have seen Asperger's and high-functioning autistic kids side by side, and to me, each has vastly different needs and behaviors. So I would ask a bit more about how they cope with setting them side by side (if they do; they might be in separate programs). What are the percentages of kids with different diagnoses? At what point does the school see them requiring different methodologies or practices, and how do they do this?

 

I noted that they quote statistics on their website about how many kids are transitioned back into public schools, so this is a goal of the school: to get kids up to public school work levels and to fit them back into the system. See if they follow up at all after the kids have left. Ask also about the kids who stay for all high school: how many go to college? What kind of college? Does the school encourage and help the kids find places to do work-study experiences or internships? How do they help them get ready for life beyond high school?

 

I keep telling myself over and over, too, that no educational placement is permanent or set in stone. You try it out. If it doesn't work, you look for something different, with that much more knowledge about what you are seeking. You might ask what happens if the school doesn't seem to be working for your child after a specific time period. This is helpful to me, because it keeps me from having an all-or-nothing attitude. I wish you and your son all the best in finding the best possible environment for him to learn, whatever form that takes.