Advice for choosing to homeschool a special needs 1st grader

[FlowerMomma]

My oldest is currently in a 1st special needs emotional impairment classroom (has been since preschool) and is really struggling. What is so frustrating is that her main difficulty is being in a group, especially a group of other EI kids who are struggling with behaviors sometimes more extreme than hers.

I am realizing the necessity of keeping her home for schooling but I would like to continue some of the services that she currently receives at school that are written into her IEP. The most beneficial thing she gets at school is daily Sensory Therapy and social work support. I know that we have the legal right as a homeschooling family to receive these services, but I am a little nervous about negotiating this with the school.

We are in Grand Rapids, MI. IS there anyone out there who has any experience in dealing with the school on this?

Thanks!

[oneotamama]

I don't have any personal experience with this, but I wanted to "bump" it up for you because it was nearing the bottom of the page! Good luck!!

[heatherdeg]

I have experience doing this in a state that doesn't explicitly guarantee it the way MI does.

If your dd has an IEP then at one of those meetings you should've gotten a small manual of SpEd rules/laws for your state--including how to submit the request in writing and transition services over to the home environment.

I would stand really firm, too, because many schools will pressure you to keep them IN school. "How are they going to learn to deal with other people?" and "You can't shelter them forever" are common cries. I had one teacher truly attempt to go after me for doing harm to my own child by keeping him out of the classroom when he had an autism spectrum diagnosis and ya know--"those kids ESPECIALLY need the socialization that is inherent to the classroom".

Stand firm. Know what you want and don't let them sway you. Maybe you can find a homeschooling group locally that has a parent that's been through this and can guide you--even a local message loop.

[One_Girl]

I don't have personal experience with this, but I have a friend who worked in a contained classroom and I met a teacher who works with children who are working through emotional and behavior problems and they both despise contained classrooms because the teachers tend to make the problems worse. I think pulling her out of this classroom and putting her in some short enrichment programs where you can supervise and step in when you notice one of her early warning signs and divert her is a good idea.