There used to be a lot of talk here from parents of 2e kiddos who decided to homeschool or use online schools when brick and mortar schools wouldn't work for their kids. I haven't seen any lately so thought I would start a new thread. Looking for BTDT advice and ideas on how this can work with a significantly LD kid.
A quick summary:
Ok - maybe not so quick. It's been a long journey...
DD13, 7th grade, has been diagnosed with just about every possible LD and processing issue as well as migraines and eosinophilic esophogitis. Kindergarten was a nightmare as she was penalized daily for her disabilities and interdistrict magnet refused to even consider evaluating her saying "She'd never qualify for services - she's too smart." My school district tested her the summer between K and 1st and found 40+ point differences between her verbal scores and just about everything else. Significant anxiety by this point and just about daily migraines starting at age 6. Did 1st and 2nd grade at local public with horrible principal who targeted DD attempting to exascerbate anxiety so she would be removed from her school and become someone else's problems. Had an administrator from the district intervene as DD's self proclaimed protector who stayed with the case 5 years - even after retirement. 3rd-6th grade in out of district placement at spec Ed school. Inappropriate peers but really awesome reading intervention. Placed in an 8th grade English class (using audio books) as a 3rd grader and started 1-1 high school literature curriculum as a 4th grader. Also "enrichment" in any topics of DD's choice. Not really close to what she needed but we appreciated the effort. By the end of 5th grade it was clear that sped school couldn't provide appropriate peers or really meet high level needs. In 6th grade district placed DD in their one day a week TAG pull out program. Spec Ed school inexplicably responded by dumbing down her program. ie Instead if HS curriculum DD was now expected to do regular 6th grade work, instead of discussions to demonstrate mastery now expected to handwrite worksheets, etc. All agreed it was no longer an appropriate placement but no one could find an appropriate alternative. (Believe me we looked at everything.) DD's protector finally moved on and her replacement also left the district over the summer. District agreed to pay for unilateral placement at new 2e school that opened. DD was beyond thrilled - actually cried tears of joy and relief the first time she visited. When school year started 2e school did not place her in high school classes as promised but instead with 6th grade twins functioning below grade and with behavior worse that she experienced at sped school. Despite *tiny* enrollment they could not figure out how to make DD's schedule work with the HS classes she needed so choice was either classes with these twins or all day 1-1 tutorials. We pulled her out and have been trying to put together a program combining district services, one day a week TAG program and other programs in the community designed for homeschoolers. Recently able to add weekly 1-1 sessions with sped math teacher and AT specialist. District providing speech. DD was supposed to start an English class at the high school this month but district pulled the plug at the last minute saying district policy prohibited it because topics discussed are considered inappropriate for her age. She has been doing history on her own and loving it. Science through a local nature program and loving it. Not a minute yet this year of instruction in English or dyslexia intervention. Trying to get an English class set up at a for profit school that offers 1-1 courses designed specifically for your student and can start any time. With no one in the district serving as DD's protector anymore they decided she had to try placement at local middle school before considering any other options. DD shadowed 1 day and it was a sensory nightmare. Sure that anxiety and migraines - both of which have been under control for several years - would be back full force within a few days if forced to be in that environment.
So we are trying to figure out what options we may have moving forward. Visit to the middle school showed DD can't handle the sensory overload from a large chaotic public school. There is an agricultural magnet high school that is small and features a lot of outdoor time. It's only about 200 students. When we visited, though, they made clear their spec Ed teachers are only able to support work in the regular curriculum. No modification or alternate curriculum allowed. So DD would have to make MAJOR progress in math over the next year and half for it to even be a possibility. Also, despite its small size, some of their classes have 50 students in them. I'm not sure how she would handle the ambient noise with so many bodies in the classroom. Just having 15 or so other kids made her uncomfortable when shadowing the middle school. She has to focus so intently that people chatting, rustling papers, chairs scraping on the floor, etc is a real problem.
There is a private with an established 2e program about 40 minutes from home. We looked at that as soon as she left newly established 2e school but we're not sure how her migraines would do with the drive. It's an older building so not terribly sensory friendly although they get it. Most teachers keep the lighting subdued, the class bell is a soft chime, etc. They have spec Ed teachers and most services are available - although not this year as a mid year transfer since all their service providers were already booked wih enrolled students. Not an approved spec Ed school so I would have to fight to get placement here. If it were 20 minutes closer it would be a great option but we can't change the distance and I am very hesitant to risk another failed unilateral placement at a 2e school.
Third option is looking at using the established for profit school with the 1-1 format. (It's a chain and has been discussed on the boards in the past.) Not cheap and another unilateral placement. If we can get the English class up and running (I'm optimistic since they pulled the rug out from under us on the HS class at the last minute and DD will otherwise receive NO English instruction this year...) we will know if the school and program design work for her. They have a special Ed coordinator who would likely teach the initial English class and then help design any other courses she takes there. Still a half hour from home but very sensory friendly environment and can be completely individualized for DD's unique needs. But a whole school program of 1-1 classes is exactly what we walked away from at new 2e earlier this year.
Special Ed high schools all seem tailored for kids who need a therapeutic placement. DD has no patience for therapy speak, social skills classes or other things like this she doesn't need but was forced to endure being at spec Ed school for 4 years. I don't think she could keep up with the pace at a traditional college prep or private.
Right now we are doing a composite program and DD is working on her own following the part of the history syllabus we picked up when visiting the private 2e school mentioned above. Geared towards their 7th and 8th grade honor students it's really a 9th grade curriculum. She doesn't have access to the textbook listed in the syllabus (don't get me started on district totally dropping the ball on AT support...) so she has been researching each topic on line. She's a history buff so is loving this. She has found several history programs on youtube and spends entire days absorbed in them. She is able to explore each topic as deeply as she wants for as long as she wants. She says she has already learned more this year than is her whole school career combined. She goes to the nature program one day a week then does some (not a ton) research on a topic they discussed there - fermentation, the cecropia moth, hibernation, etc. We have been listening to high level literature we assume would be done in a HS English class ie To Kill A Mockingbird, The Scarlet Letter, Diary of Anne Frank, etc. No discussion or curriculum just selecting books we think are important. She says she misses having a teacher to guide discussion on this, though.
So last night we were discussing if it would be possible to continue her learning this way into high school. I've had several people - the district and every school we have looked out - point out that all the flexibility we have now goes out the window with high school because she has to earn credits. This is where we started wondering about online school and if it could work with the LD needs. She still gets 2 hours of speech a week and is supposed to be getting 2.5 hours a week of OT. I finally found a really good AT person so the district is currently paying for her to work with DD 2 hours a week. Lots and lots of compensatory service owed. She was one point away from being dismissed from dyslexia intervention so even though she hasn't received any service this year will likely be dismissed. (I could probably make a case for compensatory services, though, if we wanted it to continue.) Only started to develop number sense around this time last year so still needs extensive remediation in math. (Finally found a special Ed math specialist who is doing a 2 pronged approach. Needs basic consumer math to be able to buy a candy bar without getting ripped off but apparently has a real knack for algebra. We had been told this was likely to happen but odd to see it in action...)
So how does online school work when the kid still needs services and remediation? If I called her a homeschooler I would be releasing the district from FAPE - right? But if she does an online program are they still responsible for services like speech, AT and math remediation? Will online schools allow her to be flexible in her approach both to learning and to showing her knowledge? Are some programs better than others for this population? I have seen commercials for programs that are free - are they good or is it better to pay for a different program?
Sorry so long but I have lots of questions and I never expected we would be in the position to even consider this option!
TIA All input welcome!
