I am currently in a situation ...I don't know what to do. I had a plan, it didn't work out. I had another plan, I'm finding it is also not going to work out. I'm trying to keep everyone happy and get what needs to be done, done.
I'm not sure how other parents make sure that their child's/children's educational needs are met, while still allowing them to be a child. He was diagnosed with ADHD on Friday, from a therapist who spent 10 minutes with him before determining that is what he "has". First of all, I do not like what the acronym stands for. He does not have a deficit, he does not have a disorder... he is not anything "wrong" compared to kids his age. He is perfect, amazing, funny, energetic, and extremely beyond grade level in at least reading and math. There is nothing about HIM that is wrong.
I talked with the school counselor about a 504, as suggested by the learning pathologist that tested in a month ago and determined that he was in the 4th grade reading level, at least 3rd in math and has a memory equivalent to an 18 year old. What to hell do you do with that? The first thing that the school counselor told me was that they are not a private school, but a public school and they basically have to work to ensure that the students who perform below grade level get to grade level by the end of the year.
She suggested that he bring a Kindle to school to read after he finishes his work and waits for the other students to catch up/finish. Or, he can be a "mini tutor" and help his classmates learn material that he's known for years.
The SCHOOL is what's wrong.
How is this fair to him that he has to help the teacher teach her class, while his needs are only met by us at home? The other option would be to request, insist, that they allow him to do ability-appropriate work -but, do we have him pulled out? Is a 6 year old ready to be in a class with other 4th graders? Ability-wise, he's totally there.. maturity-wise, he's 6.
The other option is to homeschool him. But not use their homeschooling option, which is a public online school. It doesn't seem to work, and a friend of mine who has a similar son said it did NOT work for them at all. So, I'd have to do it all myself, which scares the (expletive) out of me! I am already providing enrichment work at home in the form of workbooks, worksheets, experiments, and other things that come up. But, is it fair to him to have to come home after a full day at school to more coursework -appropriate coursework?
The problem with homeschooling is that he is social. He wants to go to school to see friends, to play, to interact. Which is part of the reason he was referred to behavioral assessment. He is active, and wants to talk to others. Unfortunately, most of kindergarten is sitting on the rug quietly. This was very hard for him. He don't really do the sit at home quietly, without moving, for long periods of time (actually at all.. unless we're playing a board game, but there is nothing quiet or still about that!)
If we do the pull out, there is also the expectation that he is responsible enough to keep up with the 4th graders. He's 6. Even with the high intellectual abilities of a 4th grader, or 3rd grader, he has the emotional and responsible abilities of a 6 year old. Not just *a* 6 year old, a 6 year old *boy*.
BLAH! I wish the answer would just come and land in my lap. The perfect, or at least close to perfect, solution to the entire situation.
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