Home Schooling A Special Needs Child

[Guest Kimmie]

Hi, my name is Kimmie and I was referred to this site by a friend. My 10 year old son is ADHD and Bipolar. He is currently enrolled in the 5th grade with an IEP. He is not doing well in school at all and I am wanting to home school him. I am so worried about his education and need to do something. My friend suggested that I connect in a forum with other special needs parents. Can anyone shed some light on what it is like to home school a child with special needs please?

 

Thank you,

Kimmie Pitcock

:001_smile:

[Tree House Academy]

My son is ADHD. He did well in ps as far as academics (though the gaps on his learning once i got him home and realized them, were huge), but behaviorally, it was a struggle for him.

 

With my son, bringing him home made the world of difference - but it wasn't just easy going straight out of the gate. It was a struggle learning what worked for him, what worked for me, and what we had to adjust. It has taken us the last 6 months to get to where we are right now, but as I type this, we are in a good place. Lots of things have changed for the better with his behavior. His gaps in his learning are closing up, and we are on a roll with what we are doing. He knows what is expected of him and he complies (most of the time). :) For us, it has been such a life changing experience and onw I would not trade for the world!

[newlifemom]

Kimmie,

 

My son is 6 1/2 not dx'd but probably, ADHD, Aspie and has sensory issues. I haven't as much experience as many on this board but I wanted to say welcome and you can do it. I would consider you contact HSLDA for specific info for your state. They have a wonderful woman there whose only job is to assist homeschoolers of special needs kids. She can help you with book titles and laws specific to your state. Good luck.

[JennW in SoCal]

Hi there,

 

I started homeschooling my special needs child 9 years ago, and he will be graduating in May.

 

The first thing you need to do is get some books on homeschooling and learn what it is all about. I think many people struggle at first because they think that homeschooling is simply doing traditional school work at home. It can be that way, and sometimes needs to be, but the beauty of it, especially with a special needs kid, is that it can be very untradtional and still be quite successful. Finding that balance takes time, and it changes from year to year as you child matures.

 

My ds has always had passionate interests around which I could tailor his school. He could read and write about his interests whether it was a biography or technical aspects of it, study the history of the topic and put that history into the context of world history, make up math word problems about the topic. He has also had to do whatever was assigned to him, but every course always had some component that linked to his interests. He also started doing volunteer work at 13, becoming trusted and respected by the adults with whom he works, and now gets paid for his work.

 

We rarely have schooled at a table, but instead sprawl on the floor with a big wipe off board, watch documentaries with a bowl of popcorn, listen to books on tape while building legos, play games, go on countless outtings and field trips. High school still can look like this! We used the same white board for high school geometry that we used for long division way back when. I measure his progress against himself rather than looking at state standards of what he should be doing at such and such a grade, yet he scores well on standardized tests.

 

Search Amazon for some titles of homeschooling books, check out your local library. The Well Trained Mind is a start, of course, but don't get bogged down in the details of how to implement it as you will go crazy with an ADHD son! There are so many books out there, and each has something of value. As you read, think about what it is you want for your son by the time he is 18.

 

Keep in mind that kids need some decompression time when they first come home from school, called "deschooling" in the homeschool world. You can't bring him home Friday and start a rigorous homeschool on Monday -- it just doesn't work! You have to figure out how to live with each other 24 hours a day, how to negotiate what school is and when and how it is to be done. Start by just reading aloud together, then add math, then a bit of writing. Don't worry about history or science as they may take care of themselves for a while. Checklists are a lifesaver for special needs kids. Make his assignments short and clear cut, and set a tv and computer limit -- ours was no electronic entertainment before 4pm, and then only for an hour or two. Science shows and documentaries were never included in the electronics ban.

 

Homeschooling has been a lifesaver for my special needs son. It's been tough for me, and I still regularly "freak out" about it all. Life in a traditional public school would have been so tough for him, especially through the socially brutal teen years. But, the proof is in the pudding, as they say. He is a polite, responsible and charming young man who knows exactly what it is wants to do with his life, and he has the tools to make it work.

 

Hope this helps!

[Michelle T]

My DS is 12.5, with raging ADHD, dyscalculia, and dyspraxia. He attended public school special ed PreK and K, I've been homeschooling since then.

 

Homeschooling is not a magic cure-all for learning disabilities, but it is extremely helpful. My DS has done very well at home, where I can tailor all curriculum to his needs. We do school on the schedule that works best for him, I give him breaks when necessary, I can make sure he is actually interested in what he is learning.

 

I would recommend you learn about homeschooling in general, as it is a big change in lifestyle, attitude and schedule. I do think special needs kids are the ones most needing to be homeschooled, and there are lots of us here!

Michelle T

[swellmomma]

THis is my 3rd year homeschooling my 2 special needs kids. DS10 has ADHD, anxiety disorder, ODD and sensory processing issues, and possibly bipolar though his shrink is holding off on diagnosing that just yet. DD9 has ADHD, CD and possibly dysgraphia though that one is not Dx.

 

To be honest deciding to homeschool them was an easy choice to make but very hard to keep doing. They were not doing well in ps at all, but homeschooling them does not majically turn off the behviours that were causing the problems, which means I have days I want to toss in the towel and send them back to ps.

 

That said, the decision to hs them was the best one I have made and they really are progressing well, both academically and behaviourally. My biggest hurdle over all was changing my own expectations, I foolishly thought they would turn into those "perfect" children you think of when you think of homeschooling familes, and the reality of it is they are who they are, quirks and all. They will always march to the beat of their own drum and I have had to learn how to work with those parts of their disabilities that previously caused problems in order to bring out the best in them. This is still a work in progress for me, as I often set the bar for academics and behaviour too high for my particular kids which leaves me drained and frustrated, and caused me to make them more frustrated.

 

When we have those days that I want to run away from home and not only send them back to ps but daycream about boarding school in switzerland I know it is time to put academics on the backburner for a spell and focus on behaviour and bringing the level of chaos back down. It is a constant work in progress, but seeing the transformation that these last 3 years has had, particularily on my oldest I know that those days of pure frustration have been worth it. TO go from being told by the "experts" to make him literate and leave him be as he will never succeed, or to be told of utilizing long term institutional care etc, to now seeing him planning his future career and education goals to get there it is so worth it.

 

In the big picture I don't think you will ever regret homeschooling him, but you may regret not homeschooling him if you think he is not doing well in a ps setting.

[Ottakee]

I am homeschooling my 13dd with ADHD, bipolar, cognitive delays among other issues. It has been wonderful for her. Tough at times but very good.

 

I will say though that with the bipolar, meds make about 80-90% of the difference here......homeschooling, parenting, diet, exercise, etc. the other 10-20%.

 

http://www.schooloftomorrow.com is what we are using.

[cillakat]

My dd 9.5 has ADHD, dyslexia and dysgraphia. At times, her ADHD has raised the suspicion of bipolar and/or ODD as it's extreme. Right now it still seems to be solidly still only in the ADHD camp but we're all alert to other possibilities. DH's family has a lot of bipolar.....his sister, several cousins, several of his dad's cousins etc etc.

 

Anyhoo, homeschooling has been no picnic......but I still remember, with painful clarity, how awful school was for her. That's what keeps me going;p Sometimes it is really really wonderful and I have the wonderful experience of *loving* homeschooling but very often it is just remembering how awful school was for her, and realizing that no matter how difficult hs'ing is for both of us, school was worse;p

 

All the best,

K

[wenn]

 

Homeschooling is not a magic cure-all for learning disabilities, but it is extremely helpful. My DS has done very well at home, where I can tailor all curriculum to his needs. We do school on the schedule that works best for him, I give him breaks when necessary, I can make sure he is actually interested in what he is learning.

 

I would recommend you learn about homeschooling in general, as it is a big change in lifestyle, attitude and schedule. I do think special needs kids are the ones most needing to be homeschooled, and there are lots of us here!

 

 

:iagree:

[Guest dash916]

Hi Kimmie,

I pulled my bipolar dd out of ps in the 5th grade and she did very well at home for 3 yrs. She's now in 9th grade ps, making straight As, and has adjusted well to hs. Straight Risperdal has been wonderful for her, as well as COMPLETELY avoiding all food dyes and benzoates. For us, homeschooling was definitely the right move.