pepperidge
New Member
My son is a freshman and has pretty much hated school for various reasons since pre-school. He's reasonably bright, depressed, and has processing issues. He reads at grade level, is at 5th grade in math and doesn't write very well. He is mechanically/technically adept and is happiest tinkering away with whatever little project he has going on. He hates, hates school. Has an IEP and reasonable accommodations and he is not a behavior issue by and large. Except of course when he puts his head down and just refuses to do the work they are asking him to do. Doesn't matter if he has an aide or not or whatever he just isn't going to do it. Defiant yes, but not in their face. I think the only reason he gets out of bed to go to school each day is to see his friends.
He manages about 8 weeks every fall, then it just gets too hard and he gives up and refuses to work. He's pretty well medicated, has been neuropsyched up the wazoo. I think he just hates school and the concept that he needs to do this to get some job someday says nothing to him.
It is just so painful to watch him sink into this pit each year. I do the careful calibration of incentives--dont take away too much, offer some positives, work the school etc. We make a little progress. But I have gotten to the point where I am tempted just to say traditional education (even Special Education education) is not where this child is headed. It is doubtful right now whether he will be able to get a regular diploma because he is so far behind in math. He would be able to get some technical education when he is a junior or senior at a school in a different district but I am not sure we are even going to make it that far.
Anyone ever gotten to the point where you just want to say, this is not working for my kid, he has some gifts but he has gotten all that he is going to get out of a general education right now and we should just stop the misery? Try to get him technical education --though I truly wonder if even the discipline that that would entail would also be too much.
Believe me this does not come easy for me. Or should I be thinking, suck it up, force him to keep doing this?
What do you think?
He manages about 8 weeks every fall, then it just gets too hard and he gives up and refuses to work. He's pretty well medicated, has been neuropsyched up the wazoo. I think he just hates school and the concept that he needs to do this to get some job someday says nothing to him.
It is just so painful to watch him sink into this pit each year. I do the careful calibration of incentives--dont take away too much, offer some positives, work the school etc. We make a little progress. But I have gotten to the point where I am tempted just to say traditional education (even Special Education education) is not where this child is headed. It is doubtful right now whether he will be able to get a regular diploma because he is so far behind in math. He would be able to get some technical education when he is a junior or senior at a school in a different district but I am not sure we are even going to make it that far.
Anyone ever gotten to the point where you just want to say, this is not working for my kid, he has some gifts but he has gotten all that he is going to get out of a general education right now and we should just stop the misery? Try to get him technical education --though I truly wonder if even the discipline that that would entail would also be too much.
Believe me this does not come easy for me. Or should I be thinking, suck it up, force him to keep doing this?
What do you think?