I home schooled my 2 girls for awhile in junior high, but just enough to get them back on track as I didn't have the confidence to continue. Years later I home schooled my 2 boys for several years, beginning in 1st and 3rd grades respectively. They thrived on it, especially my youngest. WE thrived.
I got permanent custody of Kelbi when she was 3. I met her when she was barely a year old; and she couldn't roll over or sit up, had a hard time eating solids, and had spent that first year of life in one of those cloth/wire bouncy seats for infants. I fell in love with her and wanted to do everything I could for her from that first day, and was ecstatic when her bio mother agreed to give her to me.
The psychiatrist for the school board told me when she was in 3rd grade, "Kelbi will never read." I was, understandably, offended. I was also very proud to tell him that Kelbi was already reading, thanks to Leap Frog's Fridge Magnets, which taught her letter sounds/phonics, and to her mom/me, for putting a vowel between two consonants and teaching her to sound out the words. She now reads Early Reader/Easy Reader-type books.
I put her in a private school that takes children with learning disabilities the following year; and she stayed there until this school year. They were very good at handling her outbursts (yelling out, hitting/kicking other students, etc.) when she was in sensory overload (particularly with noise). I chose to move her because the local junior high offer Community Based Instruction in which they take 2-3 trips per week to grocery stores, the library, restaurants, etc. The teachers make suckers to sell to the mainstream students and at school events for $1 each and use that money to pay for most of this, while local businesses help out as well. This is helpful for me as I'm disabled due to back injuries sustained in an auto accident in 1999; and I rarely have to pay more than $3 (for tips when they eat out) for these educational trips where they find and count items in the store, place their own orders when they eat out & give the tips to the waiters, etc.
Unfortunately, in spite of the fact that her teacher retires after next school year (and has lots of experience with these kids), she does NOT believe that Kelbi's outbursts in crowded, loud situations and/or when there are sudden, loud, and/or shrill noises, have anything at all to do with her sensory issues. She believes Kelbi hits, yells, or otherwise reacts "inappropriately" she "knows exactly what she's doing", and that it is rarely "loud enough to be sensory" in nature.
I've thought about home schooling Kelbi for years, but was concerned about not being able to provide enough structure as I am NOT structured (probably due to being ADHD). I was thinking about it again today and suddenly realized that one of the reasons I home schooled my children was because we didn't HAVE to be structured! Yes, Kelbi needs some structure; but after 11 1/2 years with me she needs much less structure than ever before. Her biggest need for structure nowadays is more about what time our next meal will be on the weekends, usually asking immediately after the one we just had.
When she was in private school she was learning to add and subtract. But since she's been back in public school her only math has been adding numbers up to 20... NO SUBTRACTION AT ALL! She does NOT like to write at all, most likely b/c it's frustrating and possibly painful from what I can tell. My eldest son had ADHD (among other things undiagnosed at the time); and before we began to home school, was making "F" in spelling, which required some days of writing his spelling words 10 times each, others of writing a sentence with each word. Knowing he was a kinesthetic learner (after having read a wonderful book by Dr. Thomas Armstrong.. I think it was "In their Own Way" and was about learning styles), I called his teacher with my thoughts on the subject, explained that we had a DOS computer (yes, it was a LONG time ago) and a Sesame Street word processor (made typing fun and cute), and asked if she would mind if Michael began to "write" his words and sentences on the computer to print out for his homework. The very first week his spelling grade went from "F" to "A+" He even got the bonus words right... every time! That experience has really helped when dealing with Kelbi's spelling in spite of her teacher not allowing her to do the homework on the computer.
Earlier today I visited a website, time4learning, while browsing sites on curriculum and home schooling mentally handicapped children. I read a forum question and answer about them as soon as I joined this site. I actually had already tried some of their sample lessons from K-3 and found them to be cute. (I thought at first how great that would be as Kelbi will spend HOURS playing educational games on her Leapster and LOVES it.) However, the cartoon instructors sometimes used language that I'm sure Kelbi won't really understand. Language is an issue we're trying to work on. (If she breaks and rule and I ask, "Why did you do that?" I get responses such as, "Because it's the wrong thing to do." (or other similar replies) She simply doesn't understand the concept of "why?". So, despite the appeal of curriculum that is both fun and educational, I don't think this will be the right curriculum for Kelbi. However, in case I don't find the right thing by the time school's out next month, and since one only has to pay $19.95 + tax per month with no cancellation fees (you simply notify them), I may at least use it either for the summer or until I find something better, whichever comes first.
What am I looking for on this forum? I'm hoping to find someone who either home schools (or knows someone who does) a child with moderate to severe mental handicap, and who can point me in the right direction to find the right curriculum for my child, as well as where to go for support. I've found a home school group in the Jacksonville, FL, area, which has play dates and has some handicapped children in their group; but I have no specific info at this time. I just want to do what's best for my child so that she can become as self-sufficient as it is possible for her to be as she grows older.
Please feel free to email me privately if you need to do so. I appreciate any tidbit of information I can get to lead me in the right direction. Thank you for taking the time to read my "book".
Sincerely,
Kathy
I got permanent custody of Kelbi when she was 3. I met her when she was barely a year old; and she couldn't roll over or sit up, had a hard time eating solids, and had spent that first year of life in one of those cloth/wire bouncy seats for infants. I fell in love with her and wanted to do everything I could for her from that first day, and was ecstatic when her bio mother agreed to give her to me.
The psychiatrist for the school board told me when she was in 3rd grade, "Kelbi will never read." I was, understandably, offended. I was also very proud to tell him that Kelbi was already reading, thanks to Leap Frog's Fridge Magnets, which taught her letter sounds/phonics, and to her mom/me, for putting a vowel between two consonants and teaching her to sound out the words. She now reads Early Reader/Easy Reader-type books.
I put her in a private school that takes children with learning disabilities the following year; and she stayed there until this school year. They were very good at handling her outbursts (yelling out, hitting/kicking other students, etc.) when she was in sensory overload (particularly with noise). I chose to move her because the local junior high offer Community Based Instruction in which they take 2-3 trips per week to grocery stores, the library, restaurants, etc. The teachers make suckers to sell to the mainstream students and at school events for $1 each and use that money to pay for most of this, while local businesses help out as well. This is helpful for me as I'm disabled due to back injuries sustained in an auto accident in 1999; and I rarely have to pay more than $3 (for tips when they eat out) for these educational trips where they find and count items in the store, place their own orders when they eat out & give the tips to the waiters, etc.
Unfortunately, in spite of the fact that her teacher retires after next school year (and has lots of experience with these kids), she does NOT believe that Kelbi's outbursts in crowded, loud situations and/or when there are sudden, loud, and/or shrill noises, have anything at all to do with her sensory issues. She believes Kelbi hits, yells, or otherwise reacts "inappropriately" she "knows exactly what she's doing", and that it is rarely "loud enough to be sensory" in nature.
I've thought about home schooling Kelbi for years, but was concerned about not being able to provide enough structure as I am NOT structured (probably due to being ADHD). I was thinking about it again today and suddenly realized that one of the reasons I home schooled my children was because we didn't HAVE to be structured! Yes, Kelbi needs some structure; but after 11 1/2 years with me she needs much less structure than ever before. Her biggest need for structure nowadays is more about what time our next meal will be on the weekends, usually asking immediately after the one we just had.
When she was in private school she was learning to add and subtract. But since she's been back in public school her only math has been adding numbers up to 20... NO SUBTRACTION AT ALL! She does NOT like to write at all, most likely b/c it's frustrating and possibly painful from what I can tell. My eldest son had ADHD (among other things undiagnosed at the time); and before we began to home school, was making "F" in spelling, which required some days of writing his spelling words 10 times each, others of writing a sentence with each word. Knowing he was a kinesthetic learner (after having read a wonderful book by Dr. Thomas Armstrong.. I think it was "In their Own Way" and was about learning styles), I called his teacher with my thoughts on the subject, explained that we had a DOS computer (yes, it was a LONG time ago) and a Sesame Street word processor (made typing fun and cute), and asked if she would mind if Michael began to "write" his words and sentences on the computer to print out for his homework. The very first week his spelling grade went from "F" to "A+" He even got the bonus words right... every time! That experience has really helped when dealing with Kelbi's spelling in spite of her teacher not allowing her to do the homework on the computer.
Earlier today I visited a website, time4learning, while browsing sites on curriculum and home schooling mentally handicapped children. I read a forum question and answer about them as soon as I joined this site. I actually had already tried some of their sample lessons from K-3 and found them to be cute. (I thought at first how great that would be as Kelbi will spend HOURS playing educational games on her Leapster and LOVES it.) However, the cartoon instructors sometimes used language that I'm sure Kelbi won't really understand. Language is an issue we're trying to work on. (If she breaks and rule and I ask, "Why did you do that?" I get responses such as, "Because it's the wrong thing to do." (or other similar replies) She simply doesn't understand the concept of "why?". So, despite the appeal of curriculum that is both fun and educational, I don't think this will be the right curriculum for Kelbi. However, in case I don't find the right thing by the time school's out next month, and since one only has to pay $19.95 + tax per month with no cancellation fees (you simply notify them), I may at least use it either for the summer or until I find something better, whichever comes first.
What am I looking for on this forum? I'm hoping to find someone who either home schools (or knows someone who does) a child with moderate to severe mental handicap, and who can point me in the right direction to find the right curriculum for my child, as well as where to go for support. I've found a home school group in the Jacksonville, FL, area, which has play dates and has some handicapped children in their group; but I have no specific info at this time. I just want to do what's best for my child so that she can become as self-sufficient as it is possible for her to be as she grows older.
Please feel free to email me privately if you need to do so. I appreciate any tidbit of information I can get to lead me in the right direction. Thank you for taking the time to read my "book".
Sincerely,
Kathy
