So I feel I need to update this thread as so much changed in the last school year. For starters the Special education teacher I thought was top-notch turned out to be lacking which became apparent when I enlisted the help of an advocate. Lots of IEP revisits and little change, so my husband and I made the decision to start homeschooling a year earlier than planned.
Because of things that happened during the school year, I've decided on an unschooling approach-not radical unschooling which I interpret as throwing a kid into a lake and saying sink or swim, but schooling based on what interests her.
In a conversation with another homeschool mom with a special needs child, she warned me to explore curriculum before making any big purchases as she'd spent hundreds of dollars before she found one that worked for her son. I know putting a worksheet in front of her isn't going to work as she will acquaint that with some bad experiences from last school year. So I've been collecting textbooks on her level and preparing my own curriculum. My thoughts are if I can combine math and writing (her weakest subjects) with a fun science or history lesson, then maybe those subjects will be less of a chore for her. In fact we've been learning all summer except that it's more like an adventure for her. For example we have observed tadpoles from spawn to adolescent stages. The highlight of the visits to our small pond are counting the tadpoles and observing how some are larger than others. We're beginning to do the same with butterflies and documenting the various ones with photos. A trip to town resulted in my husband stopping to move a box turtle from the center of the road and he brought it to the window of the car for my daughter to observe before safely putting in our of harm's way. That was the highlight of her trip and prompted me to find some turtle activities. She also helps me cook and we're exploring fractions through measurements.
We've had playdates with school friends and another special needs child that went well and we've continued for the past few months. I've looked into a homeschool co-op but they have a wait-list and from what some former members have told me, I'm not sure it would be a good fit for either of us. I'm in the process of getting her therapies established again, so we'll be on "road trips" (as my daughter calls them) at least twice a week.
I also have my daughter's teacher from last year as a mentor as she went above and beyond for my daughter and has agreed to review her portfolio at the end of the year. I have an unfinished education degree, so I have minimal experience but the one thing I do have is confidence that we can make this work and turn learning into a fun experience.
