My son is 8 years old and deals with 4 disorders. Should we concider IEP or Home school?

Question

The disorders are ADHD, Oppisitional Defiant Disorder, Moderate Tourettes, and Dysculalia. He gets notes sent home every by teacher of things he does wrong. He has never been able to catch up on work......he is on meds, just not the rights ones yet

Answer 1

Please let your child be assessed to identify the real problem. It is hard to solve a problem that is not yet known. In Special Education, assessement is a big deal... a child needs it as well as the parents and educator.

Answer 2

No, because a couple of those are made up.

Answer 3

An IEP will work miracles for your son. =) Good luck!

Answer 4

I am a mother of a child with ADHD and a teacher. Go the route of the IEP. It will be an uphill battle. Educate yourself on IEP's and the services that are available to your child. As a mother it is difficult having a child with any kind of disorder. For your sanity and your relationship with your son, you both need time apart. 24/7 being Mom and teacher is more than you want to take on. Be involved, research and fight for your child's rights.

Answer 5

He doesn't have an IEP and he's 8 years old!!!

Whenever he was diagnosed should have been when he was written an IEP or even before school put into an early intervention.

Answer 6

well i would start off by not talking to people you have never met online and ask them about your sons conditions. you need to see a doctor, one who specializes in those categories. thankyou, and god bless.

Answer 7

take him off meds, whip his *** really good just one time and you should be good to go..

I am so sick of everyone's kid has problems with this and that, get some parenting skills....

where were all these disorders when our parents were growing up?  They weren't anywhere!

OK, sorry, I had to vent and your kid may have some issues do what you want.

Answer 8

I would where ever possible try and keep him in school. Does he have a diagnosis? If he does then he should already be on an IEP. I have a daughter with similar conditions and at the moment she is in mainstream school on an IEP. Her targets are reviewed each term and she does get extra help. She does not like to socialise but being in a mainstream school has meant she does have to tolerate other children. I think you should go into the school and question why they are sending notes home instead of helping your child. You should also go and see your doctor and get him to sort out your sons meds. He is your son and you know him best and what is right for him, It is up to you to let the school know and make sure they have adequate provision to get the best out of him. Good luck.

Answer 9

I completely  understand, and know where you are comming from. My daughter has similar issues at school and is 6 years old.

If you homeschool it will be increasingly stressful on both you and your son. He needs social interaction (as I have learned the hard way)

In our case we have elected the school to place her in ED (or emotionally disabled) and it has worked wonders. That way she still can still do things 1st graders do, but if she has a panic attack, or anxiety melt down..or even a seizure she is in the right place. Keeping her in her regular class was completely out of the question as the teacher had no aid and my daughter was spiraling out of control.

Answer 10

It really depends.  I know children in similar circumstances who are homeschooled, and it is wonderful for them.  They have the freedom to learn in an environment that is safe (not stressful) for them, and they can take social involvement at their own pace.  Being able to choose both their curriculum and their social involvement has done wonders for their confidence and self-control.  (Plus, a vast percentage of homeschooled kids don't expect everyone to "fit in" - they expect each other to be themselves.  They are just fine with differences and disabilities.)

I also know kids in similar situations who went the IEP route - and many of them are doing fine.  Many of them have found this road a bit harder, but they're handling it well.

If the teacher is not willing to work with him, however, I would really recommend homeschool, at least until he is able to control himself better in various situations.  8yo boys aren't quite known for their control in the first place...and if he has a teacher that is not willing to accomodate his needs, that can really do some harm to him.  (Just because she's required to meet the technicalities of the IEP doesn't mean she's required to show a helpful attitude toward him, or be supportive.  Sad, but true.)  He's at an age right now where he's starting to figure out how he works and where he fits, and if all he hears is what he's doing wrong, that's going to hurt him down the road.

Homeschooling will not be easy, but neither will the IEP route.  You need to consider which battle you want to fight - the school district or finding the right combination of things to meet your son's needs.  (Honestly, you'll have to find the right combination either way - but you need to decide how much control you want to have over it.)

With an IEP, you will possibly have more support, but you have to be willing to go with whatever the school district can offer.  With homeschooling, the ball will be completely in your court, but you'll have the time with your son and the control over both his schedule and his curriculum.  That's what the choice really comes down to - which of those choices fits your (and his) needs better?

Hope that helps?  :-)

Answer 11

The choice is yours.

If you do go the IEP route be ready to do a lot of home work and leg work before your son gets what he needs. Do your research on the disorders and different treatments or resources available for those children.  If the school district doesn't give you what you want you can always ask for another meeting and bring experts on his conditions with you to the meeting(may cost money).  Once the school knows you are not going to let them make all of the desicions they will be more willing to work with you, some districts are more workable than others so you may want to look into other area districts if possible.

Just remember that this is your child and in the end you are responsible for him.  The school and its teachers will have thousands of opportunites to get it right with the children that come through their doors-YOU HAVE ONLY ONE CHANCE WITH YOUR SON! So don't let them bully you, you are the parent.  And don't take the line "We only want what's best for him and we wouldn't be denying him what he really needs and blah blah blah" You are the parent and YOU WANT WHAT'S BEST!

And don't forget these are teachers not doctors so don't let them be the final word on your child's educational needs, get an expert opinion and do your own research.  And call your local advocay center, they can send somebody to the meetings on your behalf for free.

Answer 12

IEP, it would give him more freedom