Wondering About Alternate Schooling.

A.,
I understand your daughters pain…I too struggled greatly with school at this age. First, I would look into counseling at her current school. As this has now become more a psychological and emotional struggle than an educational one. Second, I would let all her teachers in on her behavior. She may have at least one teacher that can meet her needs and help her have a sunny spot in her day. They may also know of alternative programs. Third, I would inform her that you are doing your best so that she gets the education that she needs…even if it means some extreme measures. She is getting to an age when she can make decisions about her future (small decisions). This can be a very hard time as she is entering adolescents. The home schooling option may be a perfect fit…it can often motivate the student to work hard because of the individual attention and the ability of the teacher to cater to her learning style and needs. Additionally it creates a closer bond if you are the one working with her on a daily basis. Patience is key…though hard to come by. If you wish to contact me personally you may. I have experience in the education field as well as in adolescent psychology. Take it one day at a time.

Hello there,
I have a friend who sends her daughter to The Joy School and it is designed for children with ADD. The student to teacher ratio is really great.. it's like 1 to 8 in most cases. I believe it is very expensive, but they offered my friend a semi scholarship.
Also, it may not be open for enrollment now, but I would definitely check for next year. But who knows.. maybe if you scheduled a meeting and told them your situation they might be able to help.

Lots of luck,
A.- mom to Dominic (9) and Julian (7)

I don't have children with ADD, however, I do keep my children home with me and we homeschool. My oldest daughter came home from public school when she was in the fourth grade and has been here for 5 years. I also have a 5 year old that is starting her 1st official year of schooling at home.
Our oldest daughter was struggling with the content and it was causing a lot of stress in our home. We decided that it would be easier for me to teach her in the day and leave our evenings free to be a family. The stress is gone and my children learn the most amazing things and mostly they learn to love each other in the most fantastic way because they are home all day together.
We do a lot of social activities - so they don't miss out on having friends. If you are interested, you can send me a private message - and I would love to help you find some info.

I've been in your situation. I have a 9 year old son in the 4th grade that has ADD. He is now attending River Oaks Academy. River Oaks Academy is a private school k-12 for children with ADD/ADHD. They are very good dealing with ADD/ADHD problems within the school. They also have very small student teacher ratio and they set up a curriculum just based on your childs individual needs. The school is located off Richmond and Beltway 8. I live in the Katy area, but it is definatly worth the drive. I hope this will help.