Tuesday, May 29, 2012

And so it begins...

The beginning of the end.  Of Spawn's public school experience for now anyways.

It's officially official.  Spawn will become a homeschooler as of July 1st 2012.  The decision has been a long one coming, and we think, that at least for now, this is our best option.

Spawn was diagnosed with ADHD Mixed Type at the end of the school year last year. It had been coming (and I knew it) but to get the official diagnosis was a bit scary.

This year was even more of a struggle.  The psychologist had warned us of this though-that the harder things got in school, the harder we would have to work.  And just as we decided to maybe start looking into medications to help, we were thrown another curve ball.

See, poor Spawn has quite the beginning of summer last year.  June we got the ADHD diagnosis, and then in July he got an asthma diagnosis.  Which led to inhalers and monthly doctor visits to do lung function tests.  The dr switched his inhaler, upped the inhaler all to no avail.  He was still scoring high 70s on his lung function test most of the time.  So he sent us to a specialist.  In the last month, Spawn has had allergy testing, had his adenoids checked by an ENT and done a course of prednisone, nasonex and antibiotics all trying to piece together the puzzle that makes it hard to be him.

The current thought is that he has asthma, but there was so much swelling that wasn't treated originally that the daily inhaler is just like putting a band aid on it.  He's been a bit better since the round of prednisone-which was meant to knock out the swelling so the inhaler can work.  And that there's something going on in his sinuses that is making him have constant post nasal drip, as well as issues sleeping.

Right now, he's on a round of antibiotics to see if it helps with the postnasal drip, and we go back in 2 weeks for a check up.  But they don't want to do anything medically with his ADHD until everything else is figured out, because it's causing sleeping problems, and that could be making his ADHD worse.

That and based on his last teacher conference we had-he's reading at a level that he should have been at in September.  He's a full grade level behind in math.  But the school only pulls him for remedial reading.  He was in an extended day program for a few months, but that ended once they had their state tests.  But there are "kids that are farther behind than he is and they are all fine to go on to 4th grade".  Seriously?  My kid is working where he should have been a year ago, and it's ok to push him another year ahead?

So, Chef and I talked it over.  And we decided it was worth trying.  If all else fails we send him back.  It took awhile to convince my ex, but he is on board with it now as well.

So, I'm in the planning process.  The plan is right now that Spawn will do 4th grade at home.  Sweet Nut will go into 2nd grade at the public school at his request-he's ahead of where he should be, so I'm not worried about him.  Cute Boy will start Kindergarten at school in the fall, but based on talking to one teacher at his screening, we might be pulling him too.  I knew he has issues with his letters.  But she comes out saying they are recommending my bilingual, but primarily English speaking son for ESL because he tested borderline on whatever their test is for that.  I can guarantee though that is he didn't look Hispanic and have a Hispanic last name they would have never tested him for ESL.  I know based on some of her comments that they ASSumed things based on his color and last name.  Never mind that the kid is terribly shy and doesn't do well in new situations.  I've talked to the K teacher the big goobers had and she said that she's going to try and get him in her class and recommend him for the extended day program-which her her and my opinions (and his prek teachers) is what he needs-NOT ESL.

Anyways, where was I?  Oh, our plan for next year.  Baby Goober will take Cute Boy's slot 2 days a week at daycare/prek.  He already goes once a week and does pretty good, so I'm looking forward to him going more.  And we love it there, so that's a plus.

I'll post more about our curriculum choices soon.  We're going the classical route, so I'm just nailing down a few more decisions and then it's on to purchasing.

Hang on folks...it's going to be a bumpy ride.