SPD- school ideas?

by khat
(boca raton, FL)

Hi, First, thank you to everyone that helped my find a dentist for my daughter who has oral defensiveness. We found a compassionate dentist who welcomed me during my daughter's extensive treatment and now my daughter is fine!




My daughter has a late August birthday so she qualifies for kindergarten. She attends our state's ESE program for speech and language already, 2 hours a day. She has some severe issues, from extreme reactions to some sounds, to inability to sit and focus to do school work. She gets overwhelmed with crowds. She mixes her words and cannot be understood or make her needs known to a teacher. She has fine motor issues, despite the OT work at school, and cannot trace or write what she wants to, ie, words. The OT told me my daughter could write the alphabet but I see no evidence of that...I think they were trying to get her fewer services.

Does anyone have ideas for school for her? How have other parents dealt with school for their SPD children? Public schools and IEPs are complicated and appear to be overwhelming for the average teacher. Our school district won't let me pay for a shadow and of course, they won't pay for one. My daughter doesn't focus well for me to teach her at home (her brother has SPD but functions well whether taught at home or school). I wish my daughter did,.

I'm frustrated. I don't know how to help her grow! I'm afraid she'll act out if frightened at school and then be disciplined instead of helped...
thank you for any ideas!



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Jun 08, 2010
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by: Anonymous

I have a daughter that shares some of your daughter's issues. I homeschool both her, now almost 9, and her older sister. We have had success, some difficulties, and a lot of tears, both from frustration and from joy at a new skill learned. She is now a grade ahead of where she should be. Being at home, I have been able to create an environment that allows her to concentrate on learning. I am always tweaking it a bit, but I can gear her curriculum to how she learns best. I have also been able to get her outside therapy and do therapy with her all during the day, sometimes every two hours, which would not have been possible if she was in school.

I hear the question all the time: "What about socialization?" To that I answer, I have her in outside activities where she is with children of all ages for limited amounts of time. This has allowed her to interact fairly well. I know if she was in school, she would be in trouble all the time, and she would be a distraction if not an annoyance to her classmates, damaging her relationship with them and her self-esteem. There are a lot of choices. Try one, and if it works great, if not, try another one. Just know that only YOU know what's best for your daughter. You've had her since she was born. You know how she learns. You know what makes her tick. Good luck!

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