Ad
rondal August 29, 2008

My daughter just started 6th grade and is having a horriblr time.She is terrified to go to school and says she

rondal
doesn't understand anything. She is getting supported ed but I feel she needs more than she is getting.She cries each day. I am considering alternatives. I feel she will not survive the public schools. I am a single mom and can not afford a private school. Has anyone tried home schooling a child with learning disabilities. I work full time and could only do it in the evenings. Could this be done, are the materials expensive? I could really use some feedback. Thankyou
Answer this question

Parent Answers to "My daughter just started 6th grade and is having a horriblr time.She is terrified to go to school and says she"

RSS View 5 answers: Newest-Oldest, Oldest-Newest
Display all answers
kebweb
kebweb March 31, 2009
I"m grateful my daughter does not have to deal with a transition from elementary to middle school next year. (She's at Four Winds, a Waldorf school where she keeps the same teacher from 1st through 8th grade.) My daughter doesn't have special needs, but she is an introvert. I can remember my junior high days and it wasn't fun. I think it's the hardest time in a girl's life (I can't speak for boys.) I wonder your daughter's school has a guidance counselor who could find a person or student to team up with her and check in with her on a daily basis? Life shouldn't be this hard. I do think there are a lot of wonderful home school programs and if you have the time, you could definitely do it. There are many support groups in this area and Illinois has good home schooling laws, making it easy to do.
irish49
irish49 February 12, 2009
If she goes to Haines call Charlie Kyle he is amazing . i have 2 special needs kids and they both have done very well there .Emails your daughter teachers every week asking how she is doing if you get involved they take ownership with your child . I work long hours and just stay in touch with email it works .
AllReading
AllReading August 29, 2008
Your child needs what is called a "psychoeducational evaluation." Although public schools will do an educational evaluation for free, they often are not as thorough or helpful as a private evaluation. Ask your pediatrician to recommend either a "neuropsychologist" or a private-practice "school psychologist" with a Ph.D.

Once you know what learning disabilities your child has, you can figure out what you need to do to help. While homeschooling is an appropriate option for some children with LD and their parents, it should not be undertaken lightly. Providing instruction effectively for a child with learning disabilities is a very difficult thing, and many parents do not have the knowledge base to do it well. For example, if your child has dyslexia, she will need science-based, "multisensory structured language" reading instruction. A leading expert on dyslexia says that "teaching reading really IS rocket science!" and you can see why.

Pick up the phone today. Call your pediatrician and leave word that you need his or her recommendations for the experts described above. (Print out this e-mail so you will have the descriptions of the types of experts when you make the call.)

Early identification and intervention is very important, so don't delay! She has already lost very valuable time. There's not a minute to waste. Don't assume that teachers know about LDs .... most do not... don't let anyone keep you from getting that evaluation right away.
hockeymum
hockeymum August 29, 2008
Hi and Welcome.
Like Healthy pointed out join us on the LD board. There are so many of us who have been or are still in your position who are there for support and advice.
healthy11
healthy11 August 29, 2008
My first suggestion is to have you repost your questions in the Learning and Attention Difficulties Group at community.greatschools.net/groups/11554. Many more parents will see your questions and be able to advise you.

I too have a child with special ed issues. Does your daughter have an IEP? What are her LDs? Has she always had anxiety issues? Was there a transition meeting held between her elementary school, and what I assume is her new middle school? At the very least, it sounds like she may benefit from more remediation and a more restrictive placement than what she's currently in, based on her "being terrified" and saying she doesn't understand anything.

Homeschooling CAN definitely be done with children who have LDs, but your schedule would make it more difficult. You can google "homeschooling + the name of your state" to find out what the guidelines are and locate other homeschooling parents in your area for more information.

Again, if you could repost your concerns over in the Learning and Attention Difficulties group, and give us more background as to your daughter's issues when you do repost, we'll be able to better help you.

Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of GreatSchools. GreatSchools does not check for accuracy in community posts or verify the contributor’s identity. If you are searching for health-related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical support. View our Community Guidelines for more details.
Local Q&A is brand new! What do you think? Give us your feedback in our feedback forum.
AD

AD
Join the community or login
Join the community or
Read our community guidelines and FAQ
Community Moderator
Email the Community Moderator for help
tracker