I Need Quick Info From Indiana Homeschoolers

Sorry i can't help!

I can't help either, but I wish you all the best of luck.

Can't help you.

Sorry, I can't help, but I wish you both luck.

Jane,
I am glad to see you can log in again. I did email them like you ask me too.

I hope someone will be able to give you some very useful info. And good luck. I hope when you start working out a plan you write about it and let us know how you are coming along.

Jo, I'm not in Indiana but I am hanging out for a while in Wisconsin with my daughter and two granddaughters , 12 and 9. They have always been homeschooled and it is success beyond anything you can imagine. The schools do NOT have the answers as far as what is good for any particular child. The child DOES know what he/she needs and likes. Throw out any preconceived curriculum and follow their passions. They need skills to enjoy a passion and then they want them. Removing peer pressure is HUGE! Building confidence is the biggest thing you can do. Second is enforcing the idea that Questions are a LOT bigger than answers. Start with geocaching. They are outside, active and without any competition. Gazoodles of skills are involved.

While I'm not in Indiana, I can't say enough positive things about homeschooling. Our experience has been nothing but success since first starting more than six years ago. We will begin senior year with our daughter in the fall. Our son will be a freshman and while he is opting to attend our local high school after full-time homeschooling throughout his middle school years, this is his personal choice for exposure to classes like mechanical drafting. My feeling is that unless you know personally that your child will receive what is needed from people you know and trust......homeschool. It's the only way to ensure a good job done properly!

Here's a good online homeschool resource, linked to the page with Indiana groups and information: Indiana Homeschooling on A-Z Home's Cool.

You could also do a search on yahoo groups or the web in general for homeschool groups in your area, as many groups use Yahoo or other group email services and/or have websites.

Thanks, everyone, so far. I've been exploring on my own, too. My main concern is that my kid is very social so I'm a bit concerned about how to balance that. Otherwise, I'm gung ho for homeschooling.

I hope you find the information you need. I think homeschooling is a great way to go.

If I could go back and raise my kids with what I know now (and who I am now), I'd definitely go for home schooling. When my kids were young, though, I was horribly debilitated by depression, and working full-time was (and I still believe this) the best thing for them. The children I spent the most time with are the most screwed up! Sigh. But if I could go back the way I am now, I do believe it would have been better for them.

I wouldn't enroll you son into public high school at all. I would help him get the socialization he needs in other ways, like someone else said, dance classes, etc. There are many ways to socialize. I would be very leery of putting a child with any kind of special needs into a public school. High school can be vicious, and there is so much damage done to kids' egos by nasty little brats.

For me, school was better than home -- even though I was tormented mercilessly at school. I was ostracized, ridiculed, and made to feel like a complete alien. Even if my parents *had* known what to do, they wouldn't have been able to help, as they were fighting their own demons. I probably would have learned a heck of a lot more at home (school always seemed to hold me back) but it just wouldn't have happened.

For my kids, I did better than my parents but not all that great due to my own problems. I managed to encourage and support them in school difficulties (something my own parents couldn't do), and my kids ended up NOT being ridiculed. Martial Arts classes helped my youngest son, and my youngest daughter chose weight lifting (I know it's odd, but NO ONE bothered her in high school). My oldest son was too smart to be abused, and we had more trouble with him abusing other kids and teachers. *sigh* [You know you're screwed when the drug rehab counselor bursts into tears at something the kid says.]

My main concerns are these:

1. My kid has an active social life. He'll miss his old friends. School is a major part of his social life

2. On the other hand, the classes are horrible! I can't stress this enough. They don't teach material in a way that meets his needs and we've worked with them for years. I do think they are trying but there are just so many kids, it is a huge school and there are many new students every year. Thousands of kids, really. A huge school

3. We can't afford the thousands of dollars for a private school, not with one kid in college

Oh, the one in college? He has a scholarship but there are still plenty of expenses and a private school here would cost more than a year's worth of tuition at college.

Ohio has online public schools. They are imho the best of both worlds. They are also free. Your child is at home and is able to do the work on their own time. Most of the work is written (helps with the deafness issue). If you are home you are able to interpret what he doesn't understand. Also, they are public schools so they don't make him ineligible for some colleges. Basically, you provide support and the school provides the material so you don't have to worry about curriculum issues. You should check and see if your state has them.

Shelly- Yes, there was going to be that option here, too, but the funding didn't go through :(
We can still do homeschool online and may do so but it will be costly. However, not as costly as a private school and none of the private schools here are geared towards his particular needs.

Jo,
I'm the last person to give you advice...being as it is that I don't have any kids ; )
Like others, I do want to give you some encouragement. Your son is very lucky that you found him. I know that you're researching all the options and, in the end, you will make the right decision. You know your son better than anyone. As for his social life, he could still keep in touch with his friends, perhaps with something like rec league sports. You're a great mom.
Amanda

Good luck...for the social part, I bet he can do sports or clubs. Home-schooled kids here participate in track, cross country and basketball with my kids...and I bet there are more in the other sports. Clubs, too would be open. I think the public school has to provide services to you. But that's all I know...errr, I mean think.