Choosing to Homeschool Your ADHD Child

After reading this article, When It Is Time To Go From Public School To Home School, on transitioning between public school and homeschool, I got to thinking about my own experience when I withdrew, or rather yanked, my ADHD son from the clutches of our public school system. The experiences we had were different to say the least, and I'd like to share mine with others who are considering the transition. While I agree with many of the points that Dreah touched on, there are a few that I disagree with, or that I agree with acception on.

1.Dreah concludes rather adamantly that when you are choosing to withdraw your child, you should not say anything to the teacher's or administrators until you are actually ready to do it.

I disagree. One of the largest problems that teacher's face in understanding their student's needs better, is lack of communication between the parent and teacher. I for one, made it very clear up front that if there were problems, I was completely ready to home school my son for the remainder of the year. I worked closely with the teacher and we established routines, schedules, and modifications to help my then third grade son with his studies. The teacher was well aware that I was thinking about homeschooling and at no point did I feel as if she was against it. She did voice her opinion on the subject, but I nicely, but firmly stated my reasons and we silently agreed to disagree. She still remained an excellent teacher to him until the day I pulled him. With an ADHD child they need a different style of structure than a regular classroom. Some children with this diagnosis can learn to adjust to a classroom style of learning, and some simply cannot. The administrator's were great when I informed them of my decision and even went as far as to research the school district's policy as far as special classes were concerned, such as art, music and gym. Many school district's allow homeschooled children to attend these classes since it is much more difficult to do these in a homeschool environment. Homeschooling families used to be entirely on their own to find curricula, provide opportunities for socializing, and monitor academic growth, but now many school district's are offering this option. Communicate with the school district, as well as your child's school. You will be amazed at the amount of resources available to you for the taking, if you desire.

2.Dreah states that unless you are withdrawing your child immediately from school, you should utilize the time you have left to prepare your homeschool.

I completely agree with her. For us it was a bit different, since I did wind up withdrawing my son rather spontaneously. However, I had spent at least the previous year and a half reading up on homeschooling, understanding the different curricula available to me and learning my states homeschooling laws, which are different for each state. It is imperative that when making the homeschooling decision, you do your research. The importance of knowing what you are getting yourself into, is the difference between success and failure. When homeschooling an ADHD child, their needs are different than an average student. They might excel at one subject while being several grade levels behind in another. Thus was the case of my son. He excelled in Science, Math and Social Studies, testing in the highest percentile possible, whereas his Language Arts were several grades back due to a neurological issue with spelling. He reads four grade levels higher than he is, yet has the spelling abilities of a first grader, and will fail every spelling test he takes. Which is another consideration. ADHD children often struggle with tests. There are reasons for this which are discussed in depth in many great publications dealing with ADHD, so I won't list them here. However, I will state that when homeschooling your child, there are modifications you can make, to ensure they are learning but do not require the same type of testing as the school's insist on.

3.Dreah asks you to assess your child.

Again, I have to agree but it was slightly different for us. My son was already diagnosed with ADHD by the time that third grade rolled around. However, prior to the diagnosis we had talked to several different pediatricians, had him evaluated by two psychologists, and fought medicine tooth and nail (that's a whole different article). Doing your homework on any suspected disorder is always important. Do not just take the word of the teacher or even your pediatrician if you suspect something is wrong, or in some cases, not wrong. Getting several different opinions should always be done. Assessing your child yourself is also a great way to understand better what teachers, doctors and administrator's might be talking about. With all the research and information available on the Internet, you can find answers to almost any question. Never completely trust an Internet answer without first seeking professional experience as well. Whether you are evaluating your child for a possible ADHD diagnosis, or something else - the assessment is something that definitely needs to be done.

4.Dreah next directs you to fill out the appropriate homeschool forms and be sure to submit them on time.

This is a homeschool pointer period, and has nothing to do with whether your child has ADHD or not. And while I agree that all forms need to be filled out and submitted, not every state has forms you need to submit. For instance, my state's only requirements are a letter to the local school district informing them of the decision to homeschool. No reason needed. Each state is different in it's requirements and should be carefully researched. I recommend finding a homeschooling group (there are thousands online) in your area or state. They will help you with your locality's laws, and what you need to do. You might even discover a homeschool group that is specific to your child's needs. This can be a true blessing when you are feeling alone and want some advice.

5.Finally, Dreah offers advice on contacting your school when you officially withdraw your child.

Completely agree, except that if you took my advice in point number one, then you would already have been communicating with the school. I worked closely with my child's third grade teacher to be sure he was getting the modifications he needed to succeed as an ADHD diagnosed child. You might now need to contact the actual school district to be sure there is nothing else you need to do. As I mentioned before, each state is different, so their requirements should be researched well in advance. An ADHD child needs structure to succeed. The classroom does not always provide the proper structure and homeschooling is often the better method. Not every school district will try to change your mind. Not every teacher will tell you that you've made a bad choice. Many educator's understand the different needs of an ADHD child, and will be happy on assisting you in your change in a positive way.

A few extra points that Dreah did not touch on, but that I'd like to offer:

ADHD children require different learning methods than that of the traditional classroom. Choosing to homeschool can often be one of the most beneficial ways to help your child. A child with ADHD often suffers from extremely low self-esteem as well as depression. Yet, they are often the brightest children. Learning to tailor your homeschool to your child's needs is the most effective learning tool you can implement. Showing them that they can accomplish something that they might otherwise feel that they cannot, is the surest way to build that self-esteem.

You are your child's biggest advocate, whether it be in your own homeschool classroom, or in a traditional public school classroom. Enrich your child's life by helping them be successful in their academics. Even when it seems it's not, the payoff in the end is so worth it.