Special Words for Special Needs Article

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Special Words for Special Needs: Middle School Pullout!

Aug 13th, 2010

by gfcfmomofmany.

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Middle school and the tween years. You thought all you would need to deal with would be boy bands, bad fashion, and the latest gaggle of girls over for a slumber party. Then the grades started to fall and the teacher put you on speed dial. You are not alone!
We are often left with the impression that by the middle of elementary school all children with a special needs have been found and evaluated. Did you know that there is a surge of special needs children in the middle school years grades 4-8? Young teens begin to show problems with academic work and quickly move to emotional and social issues. Many parents are choosing to pull their children out of middle school for a year or two to give their children the breathing room to catch up without pressure.
That leaves you with a foot in both worlds. You have been a public/ private school parent for years, now you are entering the homeschooling world. Will homeschooling parents understand and accept me and my child? YES!! Homeschooling parents are all about parental choice in regards to their child’s education. We applaud you for taking the time to assess your choices in education and for putting your child’s educational needs above the easiest route available. Sometimes it is a costly route because one parent needs to stop working to come home. Homeschooling is a large responsibility but one that comes with great reward.

Only 13% of students with learning disabilities (compared to 53% of students in general population) have attended a 4-year post-secondary school program within two years of leaving high school. (Source: National Longitudinal Transition Study, 1994)

That is based on children in the public school system. Teens with learning disabilities clearly need something the school system is not giving them. I think that is someone like you, a loving, deeply interested parent!
Whether you decide to keep your teen home for the rest of their schooling or send them back to public education in a year or two, homeschooling will help!
Homeschooling will allow you to spend time working with your teen’s stronger and weaker subjects. You may find that your child was getting poor grades in history not because they couldn’t or didn’t want to work, but because their reading skills were so low that the history book was too hard to read.  You will need to dedicate time to working on your teen’s weaker point such as reading. But be sure that you are not spending all your time on it, or trying to incorporate reading into every subject to make the read. This can lead to frustration.
Try setting aside a clear reading time with your teen. Give them goals to reach for and push them in that time to accurately and fluently read. Then when you move onto other subjects lessen the reading needed. You can get texts on audio, computer software, and you can read the text in person or on a recording. As their reading gets better, slowly add more reading into the other subjects so the skill is being used and practiced.
You are taking on a wonderful task to homeschool your child. Here’s a word of encouragement. I was privileged to watch a family do just this. Their children had been in public school for years but in the 4th and 5th grade both children stumbled. They began a slide at school that was rapid and totally unlike the lovely kids you saw at home. Their parents, fearing this decline would continue and spread to all parts of their life, made the decision to bring them home. After one year of homeschooling the family decided to send them back the next year. One of the teachers involved tracked down the mom and said “WHAT did you do?! This is a totally different kid!” His confidence had been restored. His weaker skills had been reinforced. He has gone on to a successful school career.
You can homeschool your middle schooler!
Heather Laurie is a Christian wife and homeschooling mother to 5 wonderful children. Her children have a genetic disorder that leaves them dealing with a multitude of medical and learning disabilities. This on the job training has left Heather in a unique position to discuss a wide variety of special needs. Heather can be found at www.homeschoolblogger.com/gfcfmomofmany OR www.specialneedshomeschooling You can also find her on FaceBook at Special Needs Homeschooling page OR Laurie Family Ministries. God bless!