Information on Homeschooling vs. Homebound Instruction? (Wanaque: lawyer, buying, school district)

[tori110867]

I have a 14-yr old daughter in 8th grade now, who has had several difficulities over the past yr. with not wanting to go to school. She has been an IEP since the elementary school, she was diagnosed with ADHD, and just recently with anxiety & depression. She's also had counseling & was put on medication.

I am considering homeschooling her for this last yr. in the middle school she attends. I emailed the superintendent to let him know of my decision but they were not very helpful to me in telling me where I get the curriculum to homeschool her.

So my question is, what is the difference between being homeschooled & homebound instruction, and is it necessary to have a lawyer handle either for me?

Thank you for any help I could get with this!
Victoria

[luckyshoes]

I believe that if you are homeschooling, you are 100% on your own in NJ. They do not have to give you a curriculum, you are responsible for buying your own materials. There are many different programs out there that you can buy.

For homebound instruction, you would need to work with the school district and your daughter's doctor to qualify for that and arrange that, and you can't just unilaterally decide that she is now going to get homebound instruction. This is in contrast to homeschooling, where you can just decide that you are going to homeschool and pull her out.

From what you wrote, it sounds like you just sent a letter to the district and said you were homeschooling her, so there is no reason for them to get in touch with you, so I'm not sure why you are expecting support from the district.

Good luck.

[hrjersey]

luckyshoes is correct. Homeschooling is where you choose to teach your child at home. Homebound instruction is provided by the school district when the child is unable to attend school due to medical, physical or other significant educational handicaps. This will require you working with your daughters doctors and the school in order to qualify her.

If you decide to homeschool you should search "homeschool in NJ" and familiarize yourself with the legal requirements and to help find sources for creating a curriculum. The families that I know that have home schooled have belonged to a group that provides support and social outings for the kids.

If your daughter has an IEP and she is in general ed classes, pulling her out for a year with you homeschooling could really put her behind next year unless you follow the New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards for 8th grade. If she is in a self contained class then this is less of an issue.

[HeatherLynn822]

PP'ers are 100% right.
And as a mental health professional who works with teenagers, let me just forewarn you, you have a difficult road ahead of you. "School refusal", though growing increasingly more common is not a medical diagnosis. Yes, debilating anxiety is, though it is rare. Be prepared to have a fight on your hands if it is something as simple as "my daughter doesn't want to go to school". Schools don't want to spend money on special service for these kinds of kids.... and it can become a truency issue for which you, the parent, can be fined.

[luckyshoes]

Originally Posted by HeatherLynn822

PP'ers are 100% right.
And as a mental health professional who works with teenagers, let me just forewarn you, you have a difficult road ahead of you. "School refusal", though growing increasingly more common is not a medical diagnosis. Yes, debilating anxiety is, though it is rare. Be prepared to have a fight on your hands if it is something as simple as "my daughter doesn't want to go to school". Schools don't want to spend money on special service for these kinds of kids....

Good point, if this poster wants to qualify for homebound instruction, where teachers would actually be coming to the house. Although, as of now, she is homeschooling, and the child is officially not the responsibility of the district anymore and is not entitled to any services.

Also, to the OP, please think carefully about whether you really want to homeschool her and if you have the resources to do so (time, money, energy to go network and make sure she gets out and meets other kids and has activities). If she has anxiety and depression already, she is going to need a very structured program and also lots of social activities to make sure her anxiety and depression don't become worse.

Also, I'm not sure if she was receiving any services at school, but she is not going to receive them now that you are homeschooling, and she is not entitled to receive them because you have pulled her out of school on your own, so if that is the case, weigh the pros and cons.

[CaptainNJ]

why cant she go to a regular school?

[tori110867]

Thank you for all who answered my questions about homeschooling. Although as I mentioned that I had emailed the superintendent of my intentions, but it did not serve as a formal Intent Notice to Homeschool, which I have not done as of yet.
One question to hrjersey about the comment "If she is in a self contained classes, it would be less of an issue", because her class size is about 1/3 the size of a regular classroom -- is this what you're referring to, as far as her class size?
Thank you.

[tori110867]

She's currently attending a public school. After what I went through with her in 7th grade, I feel that homeschooling might be an alternative.

[CaptainNJ]

Originally Posted by tori110867

After what I went through with her in 7th grade, I feel that homeschooling might be an alternative.

im just curious about what you went through.

[mommy2myloves]

Originally Posted by tori110867

She's currently attending a public school. After what I went through with her in 7th grade, I feel that homeschooling might be an alternative.

We are homeschooling our children and it's a wonderful experience for us. It's not for everyone put it works well for our family. There is a large Homeschool Support Network in NJ. It's a wonderful group with social outings, field trips, classes, etc. If you do decide to homeschool, I would suggest you find a support group in your area. We belong to NJ Homeschool Hangout which we love but there are others as well. Here is a link for them:

The NJ Homeschool Hangout-Come play to learn! (Wanaque, NJ) - Meetup.com

Good luck in whatever you decide!