Can Speech delays really be handled at home?

[PRSmama]

Hello Everyone:

I'm becoming desperate for some guidance for my 5 year old son. He was born with Pierre Robin Sequence, which is birth defects of the palate and jaw. These are largely repaired/resolved, but his rough start has caused global developmental delays (1+years at least). He does not speak, but babbles and verbalizes alot these days. He does some signs. He's not toilet trained (we're workin' on it) I'm convinced he's brighter than the testing can reveal, but that's not my issue right now...

I want to homeschool my children, however I 'gave in' and sent Jairus to preschool at 3 years of age because his speech and occupational therapists insisted he needed the interaction of the other children. They were right to a point. He loved it. Because he was going due to developmental delays, it was completely subsidized by our city.
We've just moved to a new city and they have different rules. Because he is 5 and 'should' be in school, they will not pay for preschool and we can't afford to send him. I was planning to let him do 2 mornings of preschool a week (as he has the last two years) and homeschool on the other days.
His new therapy might not even happen weekly as it was at our old children's centre, so I won't even have that for him to do as part of homeschooling. I'm feeling pressure from people in the system--the therapists, social workers and others (teachers in my family with the local school board) that Jairus NEEDS to be around the other children, and the interaction, that I can't see to his special needs at home. They think I should just put him in kindergarten where they will tailor the program to his needs and give him a full time Education Assistant.
I don't want to do this, but I don't know what else to do. Even his speech therapy will only be provided until next March, when he turns 6, and then he won't even get that. I don't know if we could afford a private therapist.

Can anyone help?

[momo3boys]

I don't know how it works in Canada, my sons get speech in the school even though we homeschool. they are 8 and 6. There are programs and groups you could look into. Put your foot down and say, "look I AM homeschooling, help me do what is best for his special needs" see what they say, they may not be giving you all the options.

[january]

[momo3boys]