Any info on altenative eduacation?

[maryotts]

Hello to all who read this,
My name is Jarad and I am a father of 3 boys ages 8, 14, and 15. My 14 yrs old son Skyler was born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. He is in a wheelchair, adult briefs, and has had some severe learning issues.
Beyond the physical facts he still wakes up every morning with a smile and a good morning to everyone. He loves to cook, work on cars, downhill skiing, and talking your ear off as long as you can take it. Lol
After a divorce to his mother I got full custody of all 3 of my sons after 2 yrs and found when I started to play both roles of full-time father and mother and involved myself with all aspects of caring for him that there were a lot of area’s where he was getting extremely overlooked and pushed through the public school systems. When he moved in with me he was going into the 7th grade and I started to help him with his math one night to find he not only did not know how to add and subtract but did not even understand what those words meant or were used for. I jumped right in and tried to fight the school to hold him back so he could actually catch up to the answer “We don’t hold children back with special needs” but in fact that is what they are doing by pushing these kids through with no education. I starting the search for a school that would actually teach him and not just push him through so there numbers looked good instead of caring for the children they are there for.
I spoke to many many schools and finally found a private Christian school that was willing to teach him at his pace and start him off where he needed to be. They put Skyler back to the 3rd grade and he started to thrive in school getting straight A’s and being a role model to the other kids. After less than 2 yrs Skyler is now at the 4th and 5th grade level.
My issue now is that even though he is getting the education on school subjects down he has lost all physical therapy needs and the extra curriculum activities he was able to get in the public schools since private schools do not qualify for state help.
Many of you reading this may wonder why I do not take care of that myself by getting him involved to groups in the area and the answer is we live paycheck to paycheck and have 1 vehicle with no financial needs, or the time ability to do that.
If any of you know of possible schools in the Portland/ Beaverton area that can give him both the education and physical therapy attention needed please let me know.

Thank you for reading,
Jarad J Maryott
Founder of L.O.J.C. Answers to Life Ministries
www.lojc.org

[LisaJoy]

Hi, and welcome!

Programs and regulations vary from state to state, but in many states, the public school system has to provide therapies even if your child is enrolled in private school. In some states, if the public schools cannot or will not provide what your child needs THEY are required to pay the private school tuition. After all, you are still paying taxes that support the public schools, and you aren't receiving anything in return. Start with the school system's office that oversees disability services.

Is there a medical social worker at the hospital where your son receives treatment? Or a state civil rights advocacy office that helps people get what they're entitled to? Is your son Medicaid or Medicaid-waiver eligible? Can he get physical and occupational therapy through the state's programs? Your state probably has a division of rehabilitation services, too. They can help you identify sources of funding for a wheelchair accessible vehicle. You should also begin to consult with them about your son's future. He may not be able to go to college, but should qualify for some type of post-high school vocational training that will allow him to live and work independently.

Regarding the knees of your son's pants -- rather than trying to reinforce the knees, how about buying some knee pads like kids wear for sports or adults wear for gardening? Then he could just strap them on over his pants.

You didn't ask for advice regarding your son's continence, but I'm going to make a suggestion anyway (:)). How long has it been since he has had his situation evaluated? Most people (even with learning disabilities) can achieve continence and be independent in self-care with surgical intervention (procedures like MACE).

Good luck, and keep us posted on what you learn.

[maryotts]

First thank you for the reply. As for surgeries we have looked into many and my son has extreme hypersensitvity and is just not mentally ready for that. Ohter wise the specialist and I are excited to go through with it and my son is at this time seeing a life difference cousolor to help him get over his fears of noise and his own mind.

[LisaJoy]

That's great that he has access to specialized counseling!

[vnmaria]

My daughter was homeschoolled starting 14 years old by tutors 10 hours/week. Outside of the 10 h/week tutoring, she self study. She learned more than I did and I spent all day in school, so I say better get serious tutoring for 2h/day rather than go to school for many hours but daydreaming.
So maybe just go to public school for PT and extracurricular but do real studying at home?

I don't know what care you son needs, but when I care for my daughter at home, it's no trouble at all. I don't think 14 year olds need a lot of care? When she was 14, I just had to shower/bath her. But 1 year later, she said she must bath herself and told me to renovate our bathroom. At first I didn't want, but my husband agreed with her. After renovation, she didn't need any more care compared to her siblings. So schooling her at home worked for us.