Can we talk about diplomas and SN kids?

[BlueTaelon]

We homeschooled for a long time, decades, but I don't do high school graduations. I've always felt a public school issued diploma held more weight after seeing a lot of bad homeschoolers whose grads were functionally illiterate because the parents didn't put in the time to teach and not because the kid was SN. We enrolled my youngest who has ASD and is borderline IDD and other issues in a public highschool in 10th and overall she's done well but now in her senior year there's drama and to protect her we may need to go back to homeschooling as there isn't another appropriate school for her here. My state has no rules for homeschooling beyond teach core subjects generally taught in highschool. She's not college bound imo. Holding a job will likely be difficult for her long term. I'm worried a homeschool diploma will just be another barrier for her as well if she ever tries to find work. Plus if she ever needs a copy and I'm not around she won't have a place she can get a copy of official transcripts from the state. I actually had to provide my diploma/highschool transcripts for my current job and had to get copies which was a pain since I graduated so long ago so they had to dig them out of the archives. Getting a GED is probably above her ability. I don't want to put more barriers in front of her in the long term. 

How are homeschool diplomas perceived these days when your probably going to be limited to blue collar jobs where they may put more importance on a high school diploma? The program we had planned to apply for after highschool to get job training puts homeschooled kids in last priority and she probably won't get into the program if we make the jump. Most of the kids get hired out of the program with jobs to help support themselves from places they rotated through.

 

I should probably add more details, basically my kiddo is 100% non verbal. Has zero ability to even make sounds. She uses her cell phone as her AAC device and it works very well for her and speech said do not change the device as it's highly functional for her and she's been using it long term so changing it will cause all kinds of issues all the way down to motor planning issues.  The school banned cell phones then stream rolled us and flat said no, she can use an iPod Touch or a Chrome book to communicate with. We did their trial as asked but the school didn't offer the trial in good faith and emailed the entire teacher team that "going forward X will be using the iPod to communicate." No mention it was a 1 week trial that we had agreed to. It's been 3 months of fighting them since and we have repeatedly explained the issues with both the iPod and Chrome book as AAC devices and why they don't work. They actually took her phone away at one point when she tried to answer a teachers question with it. The phone was on her IEP as an AAC device at that point.That's effectively putting a muzzle on her from a legal standpoint. Last week was the annual IEP and they flat removed the cell phone and replaced it with the iPod which we have repeatedly rejected and speech even told them in writing its inappropriate and they were demanding she leave her cell phone locked up in the office and she wasn't allowed to leave the office until she handed over the cell phone. So she wasn't allowed to go to class that day. The next day we had a repeat only this time I was already on my way to take her to an appt when I get a text from her that the school is going to call. They were going to suspend her because she wouldn't turn over the cell phone and it's a banned item. I flat out asked them "are you suspending her?" and their response was, "well since you're already on your way to pick her up I guess we don't need to suspend her but she does need to leave." Yes, seriously. I know this school well enough that they will suspend/expel a student and trespass them which would lead to an arrest and bigger issues and no other public school in this state will take you after you've been expelled from a school. I also know my kid will stand her ground and refuse to give up the phone for safety reasons if nothing else. No other kid is required to leave their phone in the office, it just needs to be on silent and out of sight. I can't afford an attorney or else I'd already have one. Mediation failed, and I filed a complaint with the SDE a week ago for violating FAPE/IDEA but I haven't heard anything. We're on Thanksgiving break right now but I don't see things being magically better by Monday.

Edited November 29 by BlueTaelon

[maize]

You could get her an accredited diploma through North Atlantic Regional High School narhs.com. She likely has most of the credits needed already; for homeschool classes, you would keep track of hours and submit a portfolio of her work at the end of the school year.

[Lecka]

Honestly, if can you put up a fuss with whatever the drama is, it is probably worth going that route.  Do the whole thing where you start sending emails and requesting IEP meetings.  Don’t just have a verbal conversation and be brushed off.  
 

Being last in line for the job training program does not sound okay to me.  
 

Also depending on the type of SN, I think it can send a really positive message about being able to address problems.  

[KSera]

Maize and Lecka have given good suggestions, but I wanted to answer your part about how other kids with homeschool diplomas have done. So far, it’s been a non issue for mine. None of them have been asked to actually produce the diploma when applying for jobs, just to check the box that they have one. If they ever do need to show it though, all my graduates have a nice paper diploma, embossed and gold foiled and all that such that it’s indistinguishable from any other high school diploma unless they notice the last name of the school administrator who signed it is the same as that of the student. Two of my graduates are autistic, and have only ever applied for blue collar jobs so far (despite college education).
 

I would be concerned about the job program, but also she should be eligible for vocational rehab through your state (who may also help with obtaining a diploma). I think what is worth it depends on how bad and how unfixable what is happening at the school is. 

[Lecka]

Yes, my son is 16 and he is in the vocational rehab program now.  I think you can apply at 15 1/2 but have to be 16 for most of their programs.  In this state it is called DRS for Department of Rehabilitative Services.  
 

Depending on the SN, though, if there is a program that is the right fit for her, and it’s tied to being in public school — I would consider that seriously.  
 

At the same time, people in that program probably don’t all stay at that job connection forever.  
 

But if it’s the right fit for her and other programs aren’t going to be as good of a fit, it’s something to consider.  

[BlueTaelon]

I added more details in the original post about what's going on.

[KSera]

44 minutes ago, BlueTaelon said:

I added more details in the original post about what's going on.

I read your added details. That’s rough. It definitely seems like you would have a case to be made based on her speech therapist specifying it needs to remain her phone and not another device. Do you know if there is a reason the school is digging in on this besides it being their policy for other students? Are other kids complaining that she gets to have her phone out and they don’t? Do you know if she has a tendency to be using her phone for things other than her AAC app during school? Would the school be more likely to allow it if you could show it was set up with screen time controls that only allows it to be used for her needed apps during school time? (No browser or social media access, for an example). I just don’t see why they would find it different from an iPod if it’s set up that way. 
 

Did she use the iPod to communicate when they gave her that instead?

[Lecka]

This is without me looking it up to know for sure, but I think there is some provision to keep a child home while an IEP is under review?  
 

I agree with not sending her to school on Monday, but I think it would be worth it to keep her enrolled in school to try to get some resolution from the SDE.  
 

(Edited)

Edited November 29 by Lecka

[BlueTaelon]

12 minutes ago, KSera said:

I read your added details. That’s rough. It definitely seems like you would have a case to be made based on her speech therapist specifying it needs to remain her phone and not another device. Do you know if there is a reason the school is digging in on this besides it being their policy for other students? Are other kids complaining that she gets to have her phone out and they don’t? Do you know if she has a tendency to be using her phone for things other than her AAC app during school? Would the school be more likely to allow it if you could show it was set up with screen time controls that only allows it to be used for her needed apps during school time? (No browser or social media access, for an example). I just don’t see why they would find it different from an iPod if it’s set up that way. 
 

Did she use the iPod to communicate when they gave her that instead?

 I've repeatedly asked is she using it inappropriately and they said no. It's because other students and parents are complaining that she has a phone which should have no bearing on IEP accommodations.  She did use the iPod for the week and found it very slow to the point that by the time she was able to finish typing what she wanted to say it was no longer relevant to the conversation her peers were having which was not a problem on the phone. The iPod is half the size of her phone screen so she either has to turn the device over to the person to read it or they get in her personal space to see the screen and its laggy and slow to the point she's not even communicating with her peers at lunch which has led to isolation because she's so frustrated with the iPod. No one uses ASL at the school so she can't use ASL either. It's a small school and everyone knows she's nonverbal and uses the phone to communicate and from what she's told me no students have a problem with her having the phone.

[BlueTaelon]

Lecka, as far as I know there's no provision to keep them home while it's under review.

[KSera]

48 minutes ago, BlueTaelon said:

 I've repeatedly asked is she using it inappropriately and they said no. It's because other students and parents are complaining that she has a phone which should have no bearing on IEP accommodations. 

That's maddening. It's irrelevant to students who don't need an IEP accommodation what accommodations other students get. There are all kind of accommodations that only the student with the IEP has--isn't that pretty much the point of the IEP??! I wish you had someone to offer legal help to go after this, because they can't remove something from an IEP based purely on the fact that other students don't have the same thing. I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

[Lecka]

I can’t authoritatively say you can write a letter and keep her home, but I think it is something that people do.  
 

If she does get suspended, that can be in your favor, she is an IEP student and it is related to her IEP — it can make it be more serious for the school.  
 

I don’t know what the negatives are of keeping her enrolled and seeing what happens?

[BlueTaelon]

12 minutes ago, Lecka said:

I can’t authoritatively say you can write a letter and keep her home, but I think it is something that people do.  
 

If she does get suspended, that can be in your favor, she is an IEP student and it is related to her IEP — it can make it be more serious for the school.  
 

I don’t know what the negatives are of keeping her enrolled and seeing what happens?

Getting suspended and trespassed from the school which would give her a criminal record which would follow her for life and I can see her getting violent if they try to forcibly remove her from campus and they do have a police officer on the school campus that would do it.