Supplies

Let's talk supplies.  I use Unique Learning Systems or ULS for Logan's school work.  When I purchased it, they didn't have access to what they call idoc (interactive document; where you can interact by drag/drop or typing in answers) so I had to print out all the work.  I couldn't afford to go the extra mile and purchase a new laptop so I could then purchase the other software that they used to make it interactive for their smartboard or laptops.  I purchased a black and white (HP LaserJet P1102) printer from Amazon after I spent a small fortune for ink cartridges for my color/black white HP printer.  You can get their toner cartridges cheap on Amazon and I bought them in the four pack so it would last me a couple of months.

Paper is purchased wherever I can find it the cheapest (or wherever is closest when I realize I forgot to get it when I opened the last pack and I'm suddenly out of it!)  Some supplies I get from Amazon and some from Sam's.  We worked out a budget to figure out how much we needed to spend per month and then went looking for what we needed at the lowest price.  Since we invested in Amazon Prime the free shipping works to our advantage.  I already had a laminator from a few years back so I didn't have to get a new one for the school work.  I like to laminate certain work that is used over and over throughout the month so it doesn't get destroyed.  I believe we got the laminator at Sam's and that's where we get the card stock and laminate film.  Now, do you need to go to this extreme?  No, you don't.  Get a feel for the curriculum you use and see how things work out.  I volunteered in my son's class for a couple of years and saw how they did things so I kept with their way.  It was just easier, then this new school year they came up with the wonderful idoc and now I don't have to print near as much.  Yeah me!

If you're lucky enough to get one of the Personal Learning Scholarships and you have some savings, you can purchase whatever you need (according to their reimbursement guidelines, of course)  and get reimbursed as soon as they start that this year.  At this point the scholarship is new so it's a reimbursement only type.  I'm hoping that they'll reimburse my curriculum purchase from this past February since I did it for two years.  Yikes!  Let's face it, most of us live paycheck to paycheck and we don't have a lot of money leftover during the month to spend on this stuff.  If you're like me, you have to plan out your income tax refund each year on what is needed the most and just get as much as you can.  It would be wonderful if they could do these scholarships with a debit card that will only allow approved purchases from approved vendors.  Yeah, I know, wishful thinking!

I'm going to finish this post with something that has nothing to do with supplies but it's important and I just thought I'd mention it before I forget it.   If your child has been diagnosed with ASD, check into the Agency for Persons with Disabilities Wait List which is now referred to as Waivers.  My son was on the wait list for almost nine years.  We've had some assistance in the interim but only this year are we getting lots of help with ABA therapy and respite care.  My point is get on there now so when you REALLY need the help, you'll have it.

Each link I've put on my posts refers to my state.  They will give you a general idea of what the topic is about.  It's up to you to do the research for you own state.  

Decision Time!

The decision to home school your special needs child isn't one to be taken lightly as you all know.  Seriously consider all the pros and cons before you make it final.  We all need some time to ourselves, if we don't take care of us, we can't possibly give them 110%.  My son had behavior problems the year before and it was a very BAD time for us.  We were lucky enough that his summer school teacher had also been a behavior specialist.  She was able to get him calm and ready to start the new school year.  If they hadn't planned on moving him from teacher to teacher until they found a suitable replacement, he'd probably still be in public school.  Just the thought of dealing with another year of horrendous behaviors, getting a call from the school to pick him up every day was enough for me to say "Let's do this home schooling thing!".

Do thorough research on what you need to do to pull him/her from their current school system.  You should be able to contact the student services department with your local school board.  They'll have the forms you need to fill out in order to start home schooling.  Also, they'll have the information that your state needs you to keep in order to stay in compliance with their home school procedures.  

Before you finalize the home school paperwork, you need to do research on what curriculum you are going to use.  There are a companies that have special needs curriculum but they aren't cheap.  At that time our local online courses that the state or county offers free do not offer any special curriculum for special needs.  I decided after researching online that I was going to use the same curriculum that his old school was using for their ASD classrooms.  (See if your state is implementing a Personal Learning Scholarship to help you with the cost of getting all the necessary items you need)

Find out whether your school system will provide any OT, ST, PT or ABA services.  Ours refused so you'll want to do some research on whether or not yours can do that.  If they aren't legally obligated to provide the needed therapies, find out whether your insurance will cover them.  If you can't get the therapies through your insurance and your school system can legally refuse to offer it to students who are home schooled, perhaps you should consider the other option.  Research local private schools and see if your state offers either the Personal Learning Scholarship or an income based scholarship for private schools.

Once you've done all the research and decided on which route to go, take a deep breath and congratulate yourself on doing what's best for your child!

Work in Progress

A dear lady recommended that I put the information that I know about homeschooling out here for other parents that are just starting up or considering to homeschool their special needs child.  I'll have some information that will probably pertain to all who are considering homeschooling whether it's for special needs kids or NT student.

Please keep checking back as I'll be getting this up and running and hopefully have some real posts before too long.

Happy Monday!