Homeschooling SPD child

My son has been diagnosed with SPD and we are having difficulty with the school.He is acting out in school and having a lot of problems but they know about his diagnosis but are not accepting it for the reason for his problems. They have even mentioned that he is not the right fit for their school and he may need to go to a therapeutic school.




I am really fed up with dealing with schools regarding my son and he is only in kindergarten. I am considering taking him out and homeschooling. Has anyone done this and has it worked? I know his limits and I think I could accommodate him in a better environment for him something the school is not doing.



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Aug 31, 2015
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starstarstarstarstar 		SPD
by: Anonymous

I am having problems with my sons public school understanding and trying to work together with his SPD. He is falling behind a week now that school started. Teacher not understanding... I'm ready to pull him out. How can you pull him out from school in Texas? ??
Nov 28, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Mom of a 7 yr old boy with SPD thanks to all comments.
by: Anonymous

I have had an issue with the school my son goes to. We are in Texas. They are very strict about attendance. My son gets sick often and has issues with sleep as well as just flat out being exhausted after he is done with school. He has his melt downs and gets way over stimulated cannot handle the other kids and noise. I even had the truancy officer come to my house and serve me papers while he was home sick with strep throat. so I had to get a attorney and deal with the situation. I thought it was real sorry on there part to not communicate with me on why and how they could help. They failed to even look at his medical history and why he was in speech therapy that the school provides. I get the strange looks from the teachers when i tell them what he has and the problems he has when we leave the school and at home. I just don't trust the school to even watch him carefully and treat him good.

He is attending his second year of Kindergarten and my mother ,his grandmother believes that doing the homeschool would hurt him. I am strongly feeling that he would do so much better and blossom even more with home school along with the speech therapy and OT. I am glad to hear that everyone has been very successful with homeschooling their kiddos. I think she worries that he will become antisocial and not be able to deal with the public when he gets older. But for a child that has SPD he is very friendly out in public. I think if I socialize him other ways,such with church and other sources that he will be just fine. It is nice to share with others that have the same problems or similar issues. It makes me feel not so alone because I do a lot of the time. Bless you all and great luck in the future.
Apr 04, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		homeschooling SPD
by: Tracy Johnson

We had a hard time making the decision to homeschool but after a very difficult first half of first grade we decided to go ahead and try it. We live in WI and it's a pretty simple process compared to many other states. As soon as the decision was made a huge burden was lifted from everyone's shoulders. I thought it would be hard and it does have it's challenges, but we have seen such a huge improvement in our son's self esteem and emotional stability that there is no doubt we made the right choice.

We were hoping that after a short period of homeschooling he would have an easier time fitting back into the school environment. After reading some of the other posts I'm now starting to second guess our decision for him to return to school next year.
Jan 31, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		Homeschooling SPD
by: Anonymous

My son is in third grade now. I made the decision to homeschool before he started Kindergarten. I quickly realized that something was amiss about three months in to Kindergarten. I put him into the local public school and allowed them to "educate" him and give him the "reading intervention" that he supposedly needed. After over a year of breakdowns at the kitchen table over homework and the kids at school, I pulled him out. A friend of mine, who is an OT, referred me to an SPD OT. We had him assessed and he has audio, visual and tactile SPD. I homeschooled him for three months, using the techniques the OT recommended and saw a HUGE difference. I put him back into school in 2nd grade and he was completely caught up. Now, we are half way through his 3rd grade year and I am pulling him out for good. He has suffered a HUGE emotional, social and academic setback. My OT has stated that homeschooling is ideal for kids with SPD. The schools just aren't able to give them what they need to thrive. I will be homeschooling from now on. I agree with the woman who said 13 years is not much to give of yourself. Besides, I LOVE homeschooling my son. We are closer than ever and I am looking forward to doing it again.
Nov 17, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		law is there but that doesn't mean a whole lot
by: Anonymous

It's true that the schools must legally provide FAPE, but sometimes convincing them that they aren't is a battle. We've been trying to get my daughter qualified for special ed because of her SPD for nearly a year now. She is constantly being suspended but they still say it's a behavior problem, that she's choosing to act this way. No one at the school or district knows anything about SPD (beyond thinks like clothing options and visual problems). We have had to hire a lawyer ($400/hr!) just to get them to agree to appropriate assessments with an OT! If we do get her qualified eventually, then we'll probably have a battle on our hands to get her the aide we think she needs.

So yes, the law is there but there are no real repercussions for the schools if they don't follow it, beyond legal costs if you file for due process ($20-40K for each side!).

I think homeschooling is our best option, but my husband still needs a little convincing (stuck on her not being an "outsider").
Oct 30, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		I homeschool an SPD child and I am SPD
by: Anonymous

My second child, a boy, has inherited my SPDs. Motor, visual and auditory. I thank God for the time I was able to homeschool him. It kept him from being traumatized by his classmates for his quirky behavior. I finally placed him in a small, christian school in the third grade. I coached him socially and worked very hard at night on his homework. Thankfully, he was willing to try hard at home.

This is his second year and he struggles but is able to integrate with effort.

I think school is great if you can get appropriate help. If your child is being emotionally abused by his peers and teachers (the way I was in grade-middle school). I think it is a poor environment for a child.
My son is in therapy, right now, and I am hopeful that it will address the root of his problems in a way that my LD school therapy never did.
I would encourage anyone to pursue homeschool, but to do it carefully and try to find a mentor who is familiar with homeschooling.

Oct 22, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		Homeschooling is a great option!
by: Anonymous

Homeschooling laws vary from state to state. You can check on www.hslda.org to see what your state laws are. A few states actually do not allow parents to homeschool special needs children. Most states do, some with restrictions others are completely free to do as parents see best. If you do decide to pursue homeschooling it would be good to become a member of HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association.) HSLDA offers great support for parents who are homeschooling special needs kids, not just legal advice, but teaching helps, too. Another great website is www.nathhan.com which also offers teaching help for children with special needs.

Homeschooling has given my son the freedom to be who he is and get the help he needs within the loving environment of his home. It is the ultimate "natural environment" that is safe, nurturing, flexible, and free from peer pressure (except what he gets from his brother who also has special needs.) We work hard to get our children into social situations where they can play and interact with other children, just not at public school. It has been a big time and energy commitment that has been worth it. Sometimes moms struggle with "giving up" their own lives while their children are young/school age. However, I would encourage you to look at the big picture of your life. Considering how many years we usually have to live on this world, 13 years of education time isn't really that long to give up a little of your life for theirs.
Oct 20, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		Response to Homeschooling Comment
by: Anonymous

We live in Chicago and I always thought a large school district could accommodate better but when it comes to Chicago Public Schools I guess I was wrong.

I have recently spoken with a Special Education Advocate so I have more options to work with since I first posted this topic. The advocate is willing to work with my family, for a price of course but it is encouraging to know that there are people out there to help and I am not alone in this.
Oct 17, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		3rd grade daughter told public school may not be the right place
by: Krista

This past week we had our IEP update meeting at my daughter's elementary school. The school has mentioned adding a more intensive Sensory Diet to her day, keeping her in the resource room for 2 hours a day and also making many modifications for her. They did hint that if these things did not work then she may have to go to a school that could hone in on her difficulties better.
I am so concerned by this-being a single mom who works a full time job means that homeschooling is not an option at all.

What private schools are out there? Does the state have to pay for it if the public schools dont have the means? She does have epilepsy so the school psychologist said with a medical diagnosis things may go smoother if finding a private school is the answer. Any thoughts out there?
Oct 17, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		Homeschool - Wonderful SPD option
by: Anonymous

My oldest has been clearly SPD (although I didn't know what it was called at the time) since she was tiny. In preschool we hit the same problems you are hitting, although they basically told me that she would have to be on medication or they would no longer be able to have her there. At that time she was dealing with her issue in her own way and would go off by herself, in the corner of the room, to play quietly until she could interact again. She already knew how to deal with her sensory overload.

However, many of the teachers would not work with her on this and insisted that she sit in the circle with the other children for extended periods of time, she would pretty much lose it and not only dance around herself but get all the other children involved. These teachers also told me what a problem she was with her standing right beside me. I have homeschooled ever since.

She is now 17 and a Sr. in highschool. Although she still clearly has sensory issues she is very intelligent, a hard worker, and gets great grades. We are still working with her interactions with others and in new situations in preparation for college and life but I am so happy that we gave her education a chance and have been able to help her deal with the many challenges she faces. She has had to learn to interact as she is the oldest of 8 children and they don't respect her boundaries either.

I now have a severely disabled 3 yr. old, with additional SPD and even though we looked at the school system I still feel that they cannot offer all that a parent can. They don't love your child and don't always understand them fully. Changing directions for education is not an option for them and they can't deal one-on-one to teach. Consider your options carefully but I think a homeschooling plan while working with a therapist for the SPD would be a great option.
Oct 17, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		Homeschooling SPD Child
by: Amy S

Before you give up, do some research into IDEA and the protections it provides you. Your school cannot deny your child a free and appropriate public education--otherwise known as FAPE. Before a school can make an official determination that they cannot educate your child, they are required by law to provide accommodations, etc as necessary to make every good faith attempt to provide your child with a quality education.

Another concept to be aware of is "least restrictive environment" which means they cannot simply put your child in a resource room without first making every effort to accommodate him in the general education classroom, and even then, should it really be necessary to use the resource room, then only for the least amount of time with your child being in the general classroom as much as possible.

You may, ultimately, decide to homeschool your child, but only do so after considering how you will provide the schooling and weighing all of the factors. It is a big commitment, but if you are truly able to do it and do it well, my hat is off to you. Just don't let the schools bully you. It's your choice, not theirs. May I ask what state you are in?

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