Homeschool World Forum

lrdeets@comcast.net · User Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 4

I am thinking about having my 6 year son old tested for learning disabilities. I do not know if this will help my ability of teach him or hinder it.

elliemaejune · Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2011 5:59 pm Post subject:

There are reasons to be cautious.

Public schools are predisposed to finding disabilities: some of the tests are provided by publishers/developers of materials used to teach children with learning disabilities and which may be slanted to the extent that some dc seem to have learning disabilities even if they don't truly do. Then the schools get special funding to buy those materials from the publishers.

Also, sometimes public schools pressure parents to then enroll their dc in the public school--the public schools will get extra funding for those students--and will try to convince the parents that they are not capable of teaching their dc at home. In some cases, the public schools have tried to take legal action against the hsers for continuing to homeschool.

The testing might be free, but "free" isn't always worth it.
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lrdeets@comcast.net · User Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 4

Thank you so much for replying to my post. It was most helpful! I could resist the pressure to enroll him in a ps, but legal action is a difficult scenerio. I believe I need to find someone who could evaluate him, but I am just not sure how other homeschool parents find out if their dc have any learning problems. Is it proper to say your child has learning disabilities when there is very little to compare to? Do you think it is helpful to test them, if it is suspected? I guess I am looking better understand him so I can help him. Thank you again for taking the time to give a response to my post.

judyhanning · Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 3:07 am Post subject: Learning Aids

Have you tried home schooling? I am a Home School mom learning to help my child succeed. You can also try home schooling your child. I think it would also be that you read more information about learning disabilities first so that you would have an idea of what it is and so that you would not be cheated by "free testing centers".

Here is a good website that you might want to visit to learn about home schooling, IEP and learning disabilities. http://www.learning-aids.com
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lrdeets@comcast.net · User Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 4

Thank you for your reply. I am homeschooling my two dc at this time. I work with my son M-F. He started Abecka at at 4 at a Christian School and then repeated K-4 the next year. He was the only one out of the class who could not read by the end of that year. He was 5 when all the others were 4. Now that he is 6 1\2, he still adds letters to 3-letter words that are not there. He also turns the "s" around in his first name, even though he has been working on it since age 3. I am going to visit the link that you gave. Thanks!

lrdeets@comcast.net · User Joined: 01 Jan 2011 Posts: 4

Isn't it best to test for disabilities to get the most out of homeschooling?

romacox · User Joined: 05 Apr 2011 Posts: 36

There are several conditions that can cause or mimic learning disabilities, and children with these conditions are often misdiagnosed. This article provides free information on that subject.
http://www.read-phonics.com/learning-disabilities.html

Nicole333 · User Joined: 05 Jan 2012 Posts: 6

Neither of my girls have a disability but I know plenty of parents who chose to homeschool just for that reason. I know what level my girls are on in every academic subject because I am their personal teacher. They get the attention they need when they don't understand something and I know when to move on so they don't get left behind. Good luck on your journey
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trhsm2012 · User Joined: 30 Jan 2012 Posts: 9 Location: United States

Hello,

When my children were younger, I used the public school system to test my son when he was eight. We live in Oklahoma and homeschooling is considered a private school legally. We were placed on the waiting list and found that my child did have some problems. This was nearly ten years ago. He is now on disability because I had documentation showing he has had his challenges since a young age.

We now know that most upper level psychologists can test for various disabilities. We have now found that my oldest child is autistic. We had questioned the pediatrician at a much younger age and was blown off about it.

We finally had him tested approximately four years ago and it was confirmed. He is a wonderful child and looking from outside, you can not tell he has his disability. We are blessed to be able to homeschool and personalize his learning experiences.

We also placed him into therapy twice a week for some time for sensory integration issues in all areas. He gained speech therapy and occupational therapy.

I am thankful for the testing we received in the beginning. I am more thankful for the testing done through the children psychology center.
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