Right now, my DH and I are going through the long process of putting our Autistic/ADD son Paddy in Public School. However, the more they tell us the plan they have for him the more we hate sending him and the more we dread going to every meeting. We just know it's not right for him. Can anybody tell me who I can call in Missouri to get the rules and regulations on homeschooling and can answer my questions??? My real question is: If I homeschool him, does he need to meet standards that normal children should meet to be on grade level, or do we just do the best we can and he learns what he learns reguardless of worrying about grade level. Please help me! We are terribly distraught and upset with this!!!
There are no standards that one needs to meet in MO. You have to achieve 1,000 hours of instruction and keep a sample of his work. Testing is optional. You never have to turn in anything at all unless a judge issues a warrant (which only happens in rare situations where child abuse is the bigger question, and even then only with probable cause specifically related to homeschooling). In that unlikely event, the only thing you have to do is provide your hours logs and your portfolio of his work. You are supposed to ensure he's meeting the same level of standards he would meet if HE was in public school. But, a)there's no testing to prove such a thing and b)it is not required that he meet other kids' standards, only that he reaches his own potential. In other words, relax. Homeschooling in MO is a viable and realistic option that does not present the level of reporting you fear.
(Oh, and there are no "grade level" requirements. Only hours. You could call him a 1st grader until he 12 if you wanted.)
I am so glad actressdancer answered the legal part of the question. Now, I would like to give you a virtual (((hug))) and say welcome and I am so glad you don't want to put him in public school. While you are searching for answers, don't get overwhelmed with what everyone else is doing. Your son has a unique situation and what works for others may not work for you. The beauty of it is you can help him learn without making him feel that he is not at the level he "should" be (there should not even be "shoulds" and "oughts" for kids). You can guide him and love him and let him grow and learn at his own rate. YOO HOO!!!
I don't live in MO, so can't help you with your state's requirements but I do recommend you check out the Homeschool Legal Defense Association website (hslda). They have homeschooling requirements for each state, and they have lots of info for homeschooling parents of special needs kids.
Thanks guys for the encouragment and information. We've visited with the school's physical therapist and she told us that she wouldn't do any stretching exercises (eventhough he needs then on a daily basis for extreme muscle tightening), she said she would be with him during gym class, and watch him play at recess. It seems like no one is hearing us with this. We said he had to be watched closely at recess, b/c he has no fear or sees no danger in things. Example: He will walk right infront of a child when they are swinging on a swing, go with a stranger without fuss, walk off a ledge at a playground. Part of the last one is his vision and perception I think. The only reason we are putting him in PS is so he can get physical therapy, Speech, and Occupational therapy. That's it. DH and I are miserable about sending him. There is no way we can provide those services out of pocket, either. It would be DH and I doing it all. Of course, we watch all of his therapies (provided by MO First Steps) and they are simple enough to do at home each day. You guys were so much help. I really needed to vent about this to feel better, and to think clearly. I am going to talk to DH the moment he gets home about this. I just can't help but cry sometimes (even now) at the thought of someone else watching my little boy, and forcing me to trust them with him (which I don't) and to know what's good for him, how to watch him, know his little nuances, and to treat him like the unique special little boy that he is and not another drone they have to watch day after day.
BTW, state law requires all of those services extend to homeschool kids, so you don't have to enroll him to benefit from the therapies.
I don't know the specifics because I don't have children in need of the therapies offered (Praise Jesus), but I do know many HS parents here that do. Thankfully, our district is large and full of HSers, so the parents just tell the school they need to schedule ______ for little Johnny and the district does it. I know two families who's kiddos go to private school and go to speech at public, even. Because the services are funded by tax payers, they can't turn anyone away. I would start by telling the school that's what you'd like to do. If they refuse, inform them that you know state law requires it and you'll be pushing the issue after seeking legal council. Hopefully you won't have to do anything other than call. I'll ask my friends for direction of getting a print-out of the applicable law.
The same is true for the state of Texas.. I have homeschool friends who children attend a dyslexia program through the school.. You may have to contact someone in charge of special education to find what you need to do to get him enrolled in their programs.. They may require documentation.. I'm not sure. I'm SO very glad that you can get this for your son without having to give him completely over to their care. What a blessing!!!
This is so wonderful!!! If we can get him enrolled in the special education only, and homeschool him that would just MAKE MY DAY!!! I am so excited and thankful that you guys told me about that! I didn't know you could do that. ActressDancer: Thank you for hunting down a printout of the aplicable law. That would help so much. They've already figuratively "pushed" us in the direction that they see fit and not in teh direction we've wanted. I don't want it to become a shove, you know? Thanks so much!!
You really need to go in with an understanding of what the law is. Otherwise, depending on the district, they might try and tell you that you're mistaken. It means they will be paying for your child, but they might not be getting funds for having him enrolled as one of their students, so they might not be enthusiastic about it if you don't know your child's rights and push it. Or they may be wholehearted enthusiastic about it; you never know!
I just now saw this. I homeschool my son who has a mild form of Autism. I simply had a very bad experience with the school and choose not to participate. Actress Dancer has everything right. My niece has two sons, both with learning disabilities. The school worked with her in the way you need. She is hard to catch up to but I will try to track her down and ask what the program she used is called. Will post on here when I find out something.
"Homeschoolers are eligible for special educational services the same as private school students under Mo. Rev. Stat. ยง 162.996." I got that from the HSLDA. DH and I will call tomarrow and talk it over with the district. We're really pumped. I told DH, "Boy, I'm pumped and ready for a fight!" lol. It just seems that way with this school district. I'm forseeing alot of problems, just from the attitude we've gotten from the meetings we've had. We're the "Stupid overbearing parents" idea, I suppose. We're just tired of being blown off. ForTheSon- Paddy has Asbergers, and ADD. He's very smart, but VERY hyperactive, loud, and his communication isn't great at all. We're excited to homeschool him, but I don't want to expect too much from him, or too little.
Well, you KNOW all parents are totally ignorant as far as their children go, and a special needs child.... Well, if the baby isn't turned immediately over to THE STATE at birth, it is scarred for life. There is NO WAY anyone can let well meaning but absolutely clueless parents have any say in the life of a special needs child. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??? (Good luck!!! Knowledge is POWER, and you now have the knowledge you need!)
Hello. I usually just lurk, but I saw this and thought I would add something. My son had delayed speech and then speech issues once he started talking. The early intervention program which you are already enrolled in should have people come to your home to do the therapy. At that age, he doesn't need to go to the school to do therapy. My son had a speech therapist come to the house 3 times a week for free. When he was age 4, we switched from early interventions to the preschool special education program and they gave the option of him going to the public preschool or me bringing him to the school for his therapy 2 times a week. If it wasn't for a shortage of therapists in our area, they would have continued coming to our home. So I'd talk to the First Steps people first and go from there. We did early interventions in New York, but I'm pretty sure it's similar with all states.
Isn't Paddy under 5 yrs old? I'm assuming your not talking about Kindergarten,right? He should be perfectly elegible for therapy without school enrollment. A friend of mine has her 3 yr old in speech therapy through the PS and he isn't "enrolled" as a student. It sounds suspiciously like the school is anxious for the funding your son would mean for them. The Americans with Disablities Act can also give you some info on his rights as a special needs child. Good luck, and BTW, welcome back, we've missed you!
Haha! We were the 'stupid overbearing parents" as well. And it didn't help that I thought ps's idea of remediation was fundamentally flawed (you don't throw more work of the same kind at a kid who can't learn it.. that's just asinine) I don't usually stand up for ps but I will tell you withdrawing my children was incredibly easy. I was careful not to blame them, and although their 'helpful suggestions' weren't helpful at all, they certainly weren't mean or nasty. dd's teacher looked like she was going to cry, actually. Looking back- I had visited another forum prior to pulling my kids and they kept telling me pulling them mid-year was a recipe for trouble. They implied that I was making a huge mistake, and that there would be repercussions. In the end, though, it was fairly painless. One last thing: our laws don't even require that I notify the school. I had to send a letter to the state, and the superintendent's office. I only notified the school out of courtesy. Since your ds isn't even in school yet, I wouldn't hesitate to follow the letter of the law without worrying about confronting anyone. Notify who you have to, as required, but don't feel obligated to have a showdown with anyone else. I realize you need some ps services, but certainly don't let them pull you into a fight to defend your choices. You are the parent- end of story.
Yes, he's enrolled in Missouri First Steps and all 3 therapists come to the home once a week, but it ends when he turns 3 (Which is in September). It will take that long to get him enrolled. They said he would really benefit from a early childhood special ed classroom for structure. I can't help but think that it would "break him" if you know what I mean. I want to keep who he is intact, while showing him how to develope to be all that he can be. I am actually calling the school district right now and informing them of our decision and see what they say and what our next steps are.
That's right, it is 3. I took mine out for a little while and put him back in at 4, so that's why I was thinking it was 4. If it makes you feel any better, I was really stressing that they were going to give me a hard time about homeschooling too. My school district was pretty great about it. They did give me a talk about how it would benifit him to go to school, I smiled & nodded, and they never said another word about it.
