To Test or Not To Test?

What do you do when you homeschool and you are concerned that one of your children may have a learning disability?

I have struggled for months, trying to decide whether or not to have my child evaluated.  I would have to send a formal, certified letter to our public school basically demanding that my child be put through a battery of tests to determine where the problem lies.

I don't feel qualified to make this demand of my local school district.  I don't even know exactly what I'm asking for, or what I need.  When a child is in public school and his teacher notices he's having some problems, the special education teacher is consulted and testing may or may not follow.  It's all in house - easy peasy!  (I've never actually been through this process myself, but this is how I picture it.)  The support staff are there, the psychologists and special education staff are there.  This is what they do.

When you homeschool, you have to figure it all out yourself.  I have spent hours scouring the internet.  Looking up lists of symptoms that mean she may have this or that learning disability.  Reading how to apply for help, how to approach the public school for testing, and how other moms homeschool their kids with learning issues.  I've found form letters posted on various websites to use for the particular problem I suspect.  I have to hope the information and the specific tests I will be requesting are all current.

I feel like I have to march up to the doors and demand that they evaluate my child.  I'm not usually a demanding person, but I have to put my big girl shoes on and do what needs done sometimes.  Now is one of those times. 

It's intimidating.  I've been talking myself in and out of sending the letter all school year.  I talk myself into it when my daughter is struggling.  I talk myself out of it when I see she is progressing, or when I consider that this testing may result in a label that may affect her self-esteem negatively.  Sigh.  I don't know what to do!  

I really don't want her to be labeled...

but even if she does receive a label (diagnosis might be a better word for it), there won't be other students to poke fun.  It will still be us at home, as always, after all the testing and evaluating is done.

Some days, I feel like we're making no progress.  Other days I think, "Why did I think she had a learning problem?  She's doing fine."  And then the very next day, reading is a struggle.  Spelling is almost impossible and writing is just not going to happen.

I carefully question parents of children the same age to find out what they are doing in their classrooms.  Does my daughter measure up?  How would she do if she were in a public school classroom?  Would the extra competition make her work harder?  Would she be far behind and discouraged?

It's so hard when you have decided to educate your child at home.  We did not want to send her to public school.  We wanted to be able to educate her according to her needs, at her pace.  We plan on continuing that, no matter what...but I want to know if she needs help, or if I could be using different teaching techniques that would help her learn more effectively.

I've never had a learning disability, never struggled in school.  Neither did my husband.  We just breezed right through it.  I never thought we would have a child who would struggle with schoolwork.

What I really want is to sit down with a special education teacher and chat.  My daughter is doing this.  Have you seen other kids with this problem?  What would you recommend?  Should we just keep plugging away?  She is progressing.  Should we have her professionally tested?

I need someone to tell me what to do!

But I don't have someone I could ask.  I have to just do it - just follow through by submitting the request and see what happens.

I just don't know.  I don't know how it will be received.  I don't know if they'll accept the request and get it done quickly.  I don't know if they're going to deny receiving it, or drag their feet through the process.  I've been struggling enough with whether or not to go through with this process - I don't really need added drama.  

Did I mention I worry too much about things sometimes?  I do.



And so...

I'm going to print the letter and I'm going to mail it.  I think.