You can’t homeschool a Special ED child!

I have heard that time and again. Teachers, administrators, doctors, nurses, even the receptionist at the doctor’s office can feel the need to control your educational choices for your child. The misinformation can be a subtle ‘pat-pat-parent-on-head I know more, I have a better educated view than you.” I have also seen something as illegal as outright lying to a parent during an IEP telling them it is illegal to homeschool special ed children or threaten to contact child’s services. This is educational bullying.

The education system and the medical system are blurring together more and more. Non medical professionals such as teachers or counselors are making medical diagnosis. This is creating an atmosphere of over inflated knowledge.  The educational system as a whole is begining to look more and more to a medical model in dealing with special needs children.

A medical outlook to education is:

1. There is a problem… lack of reading at predetermined age for “neurotypical children”

2. Find cause or diagnosis… dyslexia, cerebral palsy, ADHD

3. Apply know treatments and medications

4. Cure problem

The out come is not that simple but that is the design. If there is deviation then revert back to the diagnosis stage and find a new diagnosis to describe.

I was told of a girl in public school. She has been in the system or special needs the whole time due to a mitochondrial disease. This disease comes with flucuations of abilities as there health waxes and wanes. Instead of allowing that normal rhythm to occur she is being reevaluated as mentally impaired so they can lower the material and over all expectations of the government for her. Where are her rights to excel? I guess they get left behind because testing doesn’t accurately portray her wonderful personality and ability to make up for the loses during the healthy months of summer.

It is up to you parents! Know your rights and where and how best your children learn. HSLDA forwarded an article to members today that I thought was extremely interesting. Feel free to go read the whole article. Here is an excerpt that is pertaining to special needs homeschooling.

An additional challenge some homeschoolers face when removing a child from a public school is the issue of special education. Almost 6 million children and youths participate in special education programs in public schools. As a result of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act passed in 1975 by Congress, every child in a public school is guaranteed a free and appropriate public education. Under this act, schools are charged with the responsibility of actually finding and offering an evaluation to all children who may have special needs.

Two issues can arise when a family decides to homeschool a child who has been involved in special education in a public school. First, some school districts take the position that because the child has special needs and is enrolled in a special education program, the child can’t be homeschooled. This is not true. In fact, more and more parents are finding that the one-on-one tutorial method of instruction that occurs in the homeschool is better able to address the special needs of the child.

The second issue is whether the public school has the authority to require continued individual education plan evaluations even though the child is not enrolled, and the parents are not requesting services from the public school. That question was resolved in a case handled by HSLDA on behalf of the Fitzgerald family in Camden, Mo. The Federal Court ruled the school district could not mandate a special needs evaluation without the parents’ consent for a child removed from public school to be homeschooled.

Homeschooling is a wonderful opportunity to allow your child to excel at their own God given abilities and rates.   Know the law so that you are not bullied illegally. Also know the law so that you fully comply.  Remain a lawful, upright citizen excerising your God given right to raise your children in the method that you see fit. You can homeschool your special education child!