OT Homeschool

[2 princes 1 princess]

I don't have time to seach through the homeschool thread. I wish there could be a board for this topic. Does anyone homeschool and still go to school for special services. We've been considering hs and we don't want to give up the services. We just want to give up all the negative social stuff he has had to deal with. Thanks for any responses!

 

[momimouse27]

Although we do not use any special services, we are planning to. I have a son who is 3 1/2 and he has very little speech(due to birth with a cleft palate) and also has some developmental delays. We have been told the county's special needs programs are wonderful, but having had (not so good) experience with my ADHD daughter in school, I'm a little skeptical. Due to money and insurance issues, we have decided to give it a try.

 

[Bird-Mom]

We ended up taking preschool for my dd last year. I had wanted to homeschool (and still want to), but she really wanted to go to school. When I was doing research, I made sure that I could pull her out anytime and still get special services. We moved to a new district with a terrible preschool program, and reconsidered homeschooling and taking speech. We ended up putting her in Montessori and refusing speech, but this is because we had huge problems with the district and our health insurance covers unlimited speech therapy-no copay. So a long winded answer to your question is yes, you can do that.

 

[disneychrista]

While I know you can do it, IMO you either send your kids to PS and use their services or you HS and forfiet those services.

 

[Kimmie5870]

DD13 has been home schooled for the past 4 years.The first 2 years that we home schooled Speech and OT came to our home (set up through the PS).Then 2 years ago we started sending DD to the PS 4 mornings a week for her special services and Music.I wouldn't change a thing!
If this is something you feel like you have to do and have good reasons for then I say GO for it.And don't worry about any neg.comments from others,you have to do what you think is best for your child.

 

[noodleknitter]

While I know you can do it, IMO you either send your kids to PS and use their services or you HS and forfiet those services.

That's right! You don't pay for those services!!! No, wait, I guess you do pay for those services! How silly of me to have forgotten. You do pay taxes, don't you?

Enjoy homeschooling if you give it a shot. I had two delayed speech kids. One we did therapy with, the other we didn't. They both began speaking properly when they began reading and sounding out the words. Speech was useless, and expensive because we did it at our hopital. Good luck!

 

[disneychrista]

That's right! You don't pay for those services!!! No, wait, I guess you do pay for those services! How silly of me to have forgotten. You do pay taxes, don't you?!

Schools may be "funded" by taxes by the schools only get paid by the number of children enrolled in that school. So by using services at a school your child does not attend you are taking money away from the children that do.
And even if every household, children or not, had to write a check to the schools, I still don't feel a child who does not attend the school, should be using the services of said school. Like I said, the parent made the CHOICE to homeschool. So the parent should be prepared with the consequences of said choice.

 

[westjones]

If your school system allows it, I would say use whatever services work for you in addition to homeschooling. Our school system doesn't allow it, so you are either in or out, but I have known others who have been able to play sports or in the band while homeschooling.

DJ

 

[noodleknitter]

Schools may be "funded" by taxes by the schools only get paid by the number of children enrolled in that school. So by using services at a school your child does not attend you are taking money away from the children that do.
And even if every household, children or not, had to write a check to the schools, I still don't feel a child who does not attend the school, should be using the services of said school. Like I said, the parent made the CHOICE to homeschool. So the parent should be prepared with the consequences of said choice.

Special services are funded differently than athletics. The services are contracted for the community with the school as easy access to the students. Different scenario than athletics. So, for many health services, even though they paid for by the community health (public health) not the educational system, they are provided in the school. These services have nothing to do with education.

 

[bord1niowa]

I don't remember anyone offering me to not have to pay the school taxes since I chose to Home school... I wonder where that money went? I guess into one of those big unschool funds? Utilize the schools, you are paying for it anyway. The amount a school gets is not based on how much it costs to school a child but how much money they have and divid it up on a per student basis. Personally I have a hard time with a school saying they need more classroom space and then building a 2nd Gymnasium in the school??? This happened at two different schools in our area. Please get involved in your schools!

 

[imp&pixie]

We homeschool through a charter school system that is funded through the public schools. It is great!! We get all the benefits of the public schools without the downsides. It's called a virtual academy and we use the K12 curriculum.

 

[DisneyDadof3]

I don't remember anyone offering me to not have to pay the school taxes since I chose to Home school... I wonder where that money went? I guess into one of those big unschool funds? Utilize the schools, you are paying for it anyway. The amount a school gets is not based on how much it costs to school a child but how much money they have and divid it up on a per student basis. Personally I have a hard time with a school saying they need more classroom space and then building a 2nd Gymnasium in the school??? This happened at two different schools in our area. Please get involved in your schools!

I went to a school with 1400+ kids and one gym - lots of space for 200+ kids per hour - new gym definitely needed. Current school I teach at - very similar scenario - need new gym or workout center or something - kids are like sardines. We could also use new school as our is completely outdated at almost 100 years old, but that's an entirely different issue.

 

[disneychrista]

The amount a school gets is not based on how much it costs to school a child

I agree schools are way underfunded.

 

[disnutt]

We homeschool through a charter school system that is funded through the public schools. It is great!! We get all the benefits of the public schools without the downsides. It's called a virtual academy and we use the K12 curriculum.

I'm interested in learning about this option. We may be moving to PA where I've seen this is an option. Could you write more here or private message me please????

 

[freckles and boo]

Special services are funded differently than athletics. The services are contracted for the community with the school as easy access to the students. Different scenario than athletics. So, for many health services, even though they paid for by the community health (public health) not the educational system, they are provided in the school. These services have nothing to do with education.

What!?! What services are you talking about? Occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy? If this is true in your community, it is definitely not in ours. If that were the case, then children wouldn't have these written into their IEPs and the therapies wouldn't be integrated into their classroom learning, as is the case in my school district. I agree that children who are not registered students (and thereby bringing in governmental dollars) should either be required to use private services or should pay the difference. You do pay property taxes, but those dollars are distributed to schools on a per registered student basis. It IS a drain, as our OTs PTs as SLTs only have limited hours available to them and their salaries are paid through the school district. Choosing to homeschool is fine, but accept both the benefits and limitations of your choice.

 

[grlpwrd]

OP, please check with your own school district to see what services and facilities they have available for your child and also be sure to look at www.hslda.org . You may have options and this board is not the best forum to get such information and support.

There's also the supportive homeschooling boards at www.vegsource.com .

Know your rights.... GL to you!

 

[WeLuvDisney05]

We homeschool through a charter school system that is funded through the public schools. It is great!! We get all the benefits of the public schools without the downsides. It's called a virtual academy and we use the K12 curriculum.

We also school at home through the virtual academy (here in Florida). We are Lovin' it!!!!

 

[disneychrista]

Choosing to homeschool is fine, but accept both the benefits and limitations of your choice.

Exactly.

 

[Bird-Mom]

I really don't want to get sucked into this, but if you are an "all school or nothing" person, do you have a special needs child? If you don't have one, you have no idea what it is like to teach or even exist on a daily basis with a child not receiving therapy. It is miserable. Thank God for Birth to Three and the school district (even though we did take preschool at one point). When I think of how frustrating it was for my dd before therapy, when she couldn't even communicate that she needed a drink (at age 2.5), I well up with tears. I have an MS Ed, and while I would be an excellent teacher for my dd, I am not a speech therapist. We are very fortunate to have insurance that covers speech, but before my dh got this job, our insurance did not cover speech. Speech is mandated coverage in my state, but the insurance was self-funded and therefore excluded from the mandate. Speech around here goes for $150-200/session. I could not afford that and would not have felt any shred of guilt for taking speech from the district. The resources are there for us to use. Why try to make someone feel guitly over it? We all do what is best for our families. I can completely understand how the OP feels with not wanting her ds to deal with the negative social ongoings. Especially with a SN child. Kids can be brutal, and when you have a hard time communicating, it can be even worse.

We almost took speech only from the new district we moved to. Their preschool was not a good fit for my dd. Unfortunately, when I called to inquire about the preschool, vital information was left out. We would never have moved into this district had we known the set up. We were lucky enough to be able to rearrange our budget and with some help from dh's grandfather, to put her in private school. We considered speech only until we gave up on the district, having seen 2 abuse incidents when were at the school for her transition and IEP meetings. I did not feel comfortable possibly putting her in a situation where something would happen and she not be able to communicate that to me.

Also, in my area, homeschooling is extremely popular. Many school districts have resources such as sports, electives, and classes for homeschoolers. I think it is a great way to enrich what I could teach my child (e.g. I could not teach algebra or geometry to save my life). Do you think these types of centers should be non-existant?

It's really sad to me that you are judging based on money. All of our kids are entitled to an education whether we teach and home and supplement with something the district offers or whether we send our kids to school and supplement by working with them at home.

 

[disneychrista]

I really don't want to get sucked into this, but if you are an "all school or nothing" person, do you have a special needs child? If you don't have one, you have no idea what it is like to teach or even exist on a daily basis with a child not receiving therapy. It is miserable.

Also, in my area, homeschooling is extremely popular. Many school districts have resources such as sports, electives, and classes for homeschoolers. I think it is a great way to enrich what I could teach my child (e.g. I could not teach algebra or geometry to save my life). Do you think these types of centers should be non-existant?

It's really sad to me that you are judging based on money. All of our kids are entitled to an education whether we teach and home and supplement with something the district offers or whether we send our kids to school and supplement by working with them at home.

I actually do have a special needs child. And this is why she goes to a school that specializes in her needs.

Yes I do think those types of centers should be non-exisitant or paid for by the parent who is once again making the choice to homeschool. And don't give me that "I pay taxes BS line." So does the single no kids household or that grandma down the road whose kids are long out of school. We all pay taxes but that does not mean we get to use the services that those taxes pay for. We only get the benefit if we qualify for it. And IMO if you choose to homeschool, you no longer "qualify" (in my book) for PS services.

Yes all kids are entitled to an education, no one is denying that. But I do think that as a parent we have to make the best choice we can for our child. If that is homeschooling great. If that is sending them to private school great. If that is public school great. BUT there are benefits and risks to all choices.