homeschooling pros and cons | ADHD Information

Homeschooling is not something I could do, but I have several friends who are doing it with their kids.  I even have a friend who has raised all four of her kids and two have graduated college already.  They are the most polite, intelligent, well adjusted kids I know. 

I think the trick is to keep their minds engaged.  Challenge them.  As mentioned, homeschooling has become so main streamed that you can find LOTS of online communities and probably even hook up with others close to home.  Group outings will help fill the void of classroom friends.  You could always consider extra curriculars to keep him in touch with others his own age.  Sports, library groups, theater classes, skating etc.

 

 

I have an 13 1/2 year old who has ADHD / high functioning autism / anxiety / sensory issues.  We have tried every medication and last  week after D said he wanted to get a needle to die so he wouldn't have to live in this nightmare, I decided to withdraw him from school.  We live in Australia in a city of 35,000 with limited schooling options.  His last school had only 150 students from 4 year olds to 17 year olds - so life should have been easy.  Our school year ends in 8 weeks and as his teacher is pregnant, he will have a subsitute teacher for the remainder of the term.   His specialist feels that he's getting nothing from school in fact his standardized testings have him 4 years below where he was last year.  He gets so angry and hates everyone when life becomes stressful.  He was put on medication to treat side effects so in the end he was on Zoloft, Dexamphetamine long acting and quick release as well as epilim (depokate?).  He just was so low.

Luckily I am a teacher ( having time off to sort out his problems!) and we have distant education run by the government.  Aimed at isolated kids on farms etc or in our care medically unable to attend school.  They have telephone school for 40 minutes each day and email work daily back to the teacher.

My question is has anyone attempted this and what are the negatives? We are worried about me going around the twist (I need people contact) and D retreating  socially.  Home is very comfortable!!! His sister who has inattentive ADHD is off at boarding school from Mon -FRi and comes home each weekend.   Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

Judy

 

Sorry Day 1 seemed so long!  We certainly have those days too. 

Check out boards like A2Zhomeschool on Yahoo (there's a list you can join) and you can "talk" to others about a whole range of homeschool issues.

Sounds like you have quite a structure there -- is it something that *has* to be followed? You might check into some things on "unschooling" or at least consider a "deschooling" period to make the transition to home easier. I try to tell myself it doesn't ALL need to be done TODAY. After all, so little was getting done in public school ....

I don't know what your gov't rules are there. In the U.S it goes by state, and in VT we are required to submit a curriculum plan at the beginning of the year and then send a portfolio of work or have a teacher evaluation written at the end of the year. Basically, we have to show "progress."  Otherwise, they're pretty hands-off, which is lovely.

Sheila
I know what you mean, Dillonsmom ... I used to hate homework time with a passion. One of the benefits of homeschooling .... NO HOMEWORK! No artificial deadlines. Freedom to actually LEARN something.  I was so relieved to not have to face the homework wars anymore.

Of course, you can tell I'm like a new religious convert -- so excited about this thing I've found I'm afraid I've gotten kinda preachy about how great it is. In reality, there are long days and there are great days and there are so-so days. But overall, it's proving to be a good choice for us.


HOME SCHOOLING IS GREAT CAUSE THE KID CAN BE TAUGHT HOW HE OR SHE LEARNS BEST. IN Tx. NO STATE TEST. JOIN HOME SCHOOL CLASSES AND FIELD TRIPS WITH OTHER HOME SCHOOL KIDS. TX. WE HAVE TO PROOVE NOTHING WAHOO!HOME SCHOOL FAMILIES CAN DO THINGS THE WAY THEY WANT TO. THE KID GOES AT THEIR OWN PACE. SOCIAL CAN ALSO OCCUR WITH SPORTS ALSO. Thanks for the positve comments.  Today is the first day and already he has got on with his work with great enthusiasm.  I was able to explain things to him and you could see that the light bulb was on.  It was far too hard to follow through with homework when the child was getting home stressed.  Really school was a waste of time. This way he is doing his premium work at a time when the medication in at its best.  Here I am talking to the converted!!!!!! The system I am using means that he is doing the state curriculum and if he wants to go back to "school" he will be at the correct spot academically.  He's given an integrated English/Sc/Social STudies/health unit and maths with a timetable of work to do daily.   It is very structured and should be covered in about 4 hours a day.  As well he can join a telephone link lesson daily with the teacher and "class" of about 15 children.  We're hoping that it will work out - Thanks once again for your words of encouragement.  I have heard alot of negativity but felt we have no option as he was so unhappy and bringing our family life to crisis point.  Keep in touch!!I would love to home scholl but I have 2 huge problems. One is we need my paycheck, and another is I have no patience to teach. I get so irritated at poor Dillon just doing his homework. I am not a teacher plain and simple, but I wish I was, and I wish I could home school. Sorry, no help to you, just letting out my feelings.

Day 1 coming to an end and it has been the longest day of my life!!!!!! It is obvious from today that D responses best to the quiteness of home and away from the distractions of a school.  I however will need to find a way to escape and talk to people. So hopefully I can espcape through the internet!!!!! 

Here in the US homeschoolers often have local groups that meet up to study or take feild trips and for socialization.  It can be very lonely and isolating (I know from experience-I was a homeschooled kid) if you don't make the effort to network and get out of the house.  It can also be a wonderful experience for the child because you are open to teaching in a variety of hands on ways that are not available in the classroom.  My suggestion is to ask around and you'll probably find something.Hi there -- I haven't been on the boards much lately, because we have started homeschooling!

Our DS is almost 8, has ADHD and some anxiety/depression issues as well. He is having good luck with the Daytrana methylphenidate patch at this point.

Anyway, we decided to homeschool for a whole host of reasons, but I have to say the big reason we will probably stick with it is that we love it!

I say this as someone who approached this with a lot of caution. I wasn't sure I could spend all day every day with this whirlwind child. It is, in fact, exhausting, and I have to be very careful to schedule in quiet time and Mom time every day. When DH travels on business, it's really challenging!

But, like I said, we love it. If DS wants to jump up and down beside the table while I read, that's okay. If he wants to hang upside down on the exercise balls while he reads, that's okay too. He's so relieved not to be yelled at all day he is learning so much more!

On the social issue, we joined a local group that meets weekly and holds homeschool "classes" run by parents and older kids, so that is helpful. DS also goes one day a week to a wilderness program where they are outside all day long, and mom gets to move in a straight line for a few hours on her own!

I really can't say enough good about it. I don't know about Australia, but there are more and more groups here doing homeschool clubs and whatnot. We live in Vermont in the U.S. and it's very rural, sparsely populated, yet we are finding active groups near us. We'll see how it feels in the dead of winter, but so far so good.

I guess my biggest piece of advice is if you do it, try to do it in a relaxed manner so you are not replicating the stress of school for him at home.
I never really understood or new that much about homeschooling. I was taught it was weird and odd. But having my 8 yr old having alot of problems back in school(when he was 7) Made me start to research this thing called homeschooling. This is our first yr and we are loving it. We use alpha omega, the internet and just the world around us. I love being able to use the curriculum but then be able to go off for a few days and learn what ever he wants to learn. I love having no deadlines for his learning. We do have to submit a NOI every August and proof of a testing that he is on level. But other then that, its not much. And we learn together and its building our relationship even closer and stronger. My two oldest in ps want me to homeschool them too. I have been thinking about it for awhile. But your right, you do have to make sometime for you. Thats the hardest thing for me. Hubby works i am a sahm.homeschooler, he commutes to work so he really isn't home all that much (daytime wise)but i am still learning. And i have learned its ok to say boys go play in your room, or outside,or basement for a bit, while mom gets a lil time to herself. I felt horrible at first. But if you don't take care of yourself then you won't be able to take care of them