Considering homeschooling my special needs child, where do I start, and what is required?

Question

I have a 10 year old son that is developmentally disabled, speech problems, epilepsy, growth failure, hormone trouble, ADHD, GERD, OCD, and has really bad vision to just name a few. He is made fun of at school for his speech, small size, and the scar on his head. If he wasn't in public school, he wouldn't have to be on ADHD meds as I have NO trouble controlling his behavior at home. Also, I have had it with the school system and would really like to school him at home. Is it possible? What kind of education must I have? What about O/T, P/T and speech therapy outside of the school systems? We live in Oklahoma and I am just unsure as where to start. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

There is some very good information, including the relevant laws here:

http://oklahomahomeschooling.org/index.h...

Answer 2

Here is some good information on what services you can get for  your brother if you decide to homeschool him.  Some states offer services to homeschooled students via the public schools.  Here is the link to Oklahoma informtion from the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) website:

http://www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/s...

This is not the case in Oklahoma.  I would suggest that  you call university medical centers/clinics to see if you can get some special services for your brother.

I hope this is helpful.

Answer 3

The level of education a parent must have to be able to homeschool their children varies by state. I would check with the school board and find out what department you have to go through to withdraw him from public school. They can also give you the needed information. I live in Tennessee and homeschool my daughter. She either had to be monitored through our county school board on a regular basis or I had to enroll her in a private school that offered homeschool. All I do is register her every year and keep track of her grades and send them in. She has to be tested through the private school  at certain grades.

Answer 4

You'd have to check with the OK state board of education about your rights to continue his therapies on his IEP while HS'ing.  If you can't get it through the schools, then check to see what your insurance policy covers (which, unfortunately isn't all that much on a typical policy).

Your son is a LOT like my daughter - many of the same labels.  She's in public school (I HS her brother), and we've had problems - especially when moving to a new state - yikes!  I would HS her, but it is sooooo expensive to get the adaptive equipment and curricula.  She's now doing well at school with her 4th teacher since summer school.

In my state, I could pull her out of school and keep her IEP.  Her LRE (least restrictive environment) would be listed as "homeschool".  I could still take her in for her therapy, or they'd even give her special transportation.  It was similar i my former state, Kansas.

Along with going to the HSLDA site for OK HS'ing laws, here's a great site for HS'ing special needs kiddos:

http://www.nathhan.com/

HTH!  Hang in there!  I know how excruciating these decisions can be!