Introduction and homeschooling and Chronic Lyme Disease...

[Guest guest]

Does anyone her homeschool their child(ren) who has Lyme Disease?

What curriculum do you use? How old is you child? How hard do you

find it to homeschool?

My name is and I have a 14 year old son, , whom I've

been homeschooling all along. We live in a very tick infested area in

upstate NY. was origionally diagnosed with Lyme Disease in the

summer of 2000 (with a positive Western Blot), when he was 8, and was

given a 28-day supply of antibiotics. The doctor assured us at the

time that this would be a " cure " . About 8 or so months our son

gradually started getting symptoms again. The doctor told me that

did not Lyme Disease when I inquired about that possibility. He

even handed me some article from some Pediatrics magazine that was

basically suggesting that I should see a psychiatrist! We went to

another doctor, an infectious disease doctor, and he told us our son

most likely has a virus, one that mimics Lyme Disease (his Western Blot

came back negative this time) . Our son's symptoms would come and go

and he gradually started to decline academically. He also developed

encopresis around age 10 and we are still battling this too. We've went

to educational consultants and their suggestions of diet, curriculum

changes and teaching strategies, and plans did not yield much

improvement. He exhibits symptoms like ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia,

sensory integration disorder and memory problems.

Finally after much research I discovered that still had Lyme

Disease. I found Dr. on the internet and we had an appointment

in January. He is now on long term antibiotics. He had a brain scan

that shows bilateral brain injury to the temporal lobes. We went for

neurophychological testing last month with Dr. Shea. We didn't go for

the full results yet, but basically he has high thinking ability, but

he has deficits across the board.

Since it was almost impossible to teach academically, I put

him on full accommodation temporarily since January from all academic

work. He basically works on things that he is interested in. His

reading isn't affected too badly, so he can read books that he is

interested in.

I am at a loss to know how to teach him or what curriculum to use.

I am highly considering Audiblox.

I would really appreciate any suggestions or information so we can

figure out what to do. It's very hard to try to teach him and teach

all my other children also (I have five children and one on the way)

because he takes up so much of my individual time.

in NY

[Guest guest]

well, in my opinion this is a case for public ed...Im not sure why youre

homeschooling...politics, religion, state of area schools etc...but most school

educators are very experienced with multiple strategies for teaching/learning.

You may wish to consider classifying him (dont be afraid...not a label but a

door into a world of many options) and then the school can send home tutors and

work and you have them to pay for materials!!! In etween the visits he works by

himself or with your help. plus, for a case like this...schools have larger

connections into various curricula....again as an educator myself, Im not that

pro-homeschooling...and I really think it works best for those kids able to do a

lot of self teaching...which many kids with Lyme deficits cant do anymore.

additonally, colleges still look more critically at homeschoolers records...with

a public school on board they will be more accepting of his special

circumstances, and of his lags in schooling.

personally my son would do many self directed and independent learning

assignments, thru the school, to accellerate his program...and I figured now he

is so ill and at home maybe he can homeschool himself...BUT he cannot...the very

deficits he experiences are the things he needs to self learn..

I am so glad your son's reading isnt affected...Evan's reading is first to go

making most other work impossible...even if we record or read it to him ...at

age 11 he scored over 1200 on the SAT thru Hopkins...andnow his affective

reading level at age 16 drops often to 6th grade level!!

good luck and perhaps the neuropsych who did the testing has suggestions for a

behavioral learning consultant...we had one for Evan for awhile..she helped him

to use other parts of brain and teach him how to study (he really never had to

before) and learn differently. she even had him WALK while reviewiing his trig.

helped with memory....that is until the last relapse/crash.

Finette

[ ] Introduction and homeschooling and Chronic Lyme

Disease...

Does anyone her homeschool their child(ren) who has Lyme Disease?

What curriculum do you use? How old is you child? How hard do you

find it to homeschool?

My name is and I have a 14 year old son, , whom I've

been homeschooling all along. We live in a very tick infested area in

upstate NY. was origionally diagnosed with Lyme Disease in the

summer of 2000 (with a positive Western Blot), when he was 8, and was

given a 28-day supply of antibiotics. The doctor assured us at the

time that this would be a " cure " . About 8 or so months our son

gradually started getting symptoms again. The doctor told me that

did not Lyme Disease when I inquired about that possibility. He

even handed me some article from some Pediatrics magazine that was

basically suggesting that I should see a psychiatrist! We went to

another doctor, an infectious disease doctor, and he told us our son

most likely has a virus, one that mimics Lyme Disease (his Western Blot

came back negative this time) . Our son's symptoms would come and go

and he gradually started to decline academically. He also developed

encopresis around age 10 and we are still battling this too. We've went

to educational consultants and their suggestions of diet, curriculum

changes and teaching strategies, and plans did not yield much

improvement. He exhibits symptoms like ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia,

sensory integration disorder and memory problems.

Finally after much research I discovered that still had Lyme

Disease. I found Dr. on the internet and we had an appointment

in January. He is now on long term antibiotics. He had a brain scan

that shows bilateral brain injury to the temporal lobes. We went for

neurophychological testing last month with Dr. Shea. We didn't go for

the full results yet, but basically he has high thinking ability, but

he has deficits across the board.

Since it was almost impossible to teach academically, I put

him on full accommodation temporarily since January from all academic

work. He basically works on things that he is interested in. His

reading isn't affected too badly, so he can read books that he is

interested in.

I am at a loss to know how to teach him or what curriculum to use.

I am highly considering Audiblox.

I would really appreciate any suggestions or information so we can

figure out what to do. It's very hard to try to teach him and teach

all my other children also (I have five children and one on the way)

because he takes up so much of my individual time.

in NY

The book, Confronting Lyme Disease: What Patient Stories Teach Us is now

available through Amazon and Booksurge Bookstores. Please visit the

official website at http://www.confrontinglyme.com for more information.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I am sorry that I do not personally have the information on homeschooling, but I

do live in NYS and know the hoops homeschoolers have to jump through. 3 of my 4

home tutors homeschool their kids, so I am familar with what they do. But if you

have been homeschooling, you know what that entails.

I have a friend in Mass. whose kids follow the Collara (?) program which is very

unstructured learning. I will see if I can get the information on that, as it

sounds like what you are doing, but it gives you a bit more structure to guide

you. It is more of an unschooling approach. Another in Chicago has gone the

unschooling route. They both are excelling too.

I know the challenges your son must face with the cognitive issues and am sorry

I can't be more help. I was a teacher in another life before illness struck, but

still am challenged as to how to help my daughter somedays.

I don't have much to offer, but wanted you to know I am thinking of you and

wishing you well. I will post the program when my friend sends it.

[Guest guest]

I

I talked to my friend about the homeschool program they use, and this is what

she had to say.

" The homeschooling umbrella school is Clonlara, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Very helpful. Our advisor there, Cochran, has a background in special

needs, knows a lot about head injury, they can even do 504 plans. One benefit

is that they award high school diplomas - many homeschoolers don't get one, take

the GED, etc. They also just helped us apply for accomodations for our daughter

to take the ACT. www.clonlara.org "

This mom and daughter also had written an article on their experience with

homeschooling and Lyme and it is coming out next week in the upcoming special

Issue of the Lyme Times - an education issue. If you have not seen the Lyme

Times it is worth checking out. http://www.lymetimes.org/ They have done a few

special issues in the past that I have bought and handed out. One is on kids,

one of insurance issues, and I think the other is just diagnosing and treating.

Some of their regular back issues are available for download, as I just saw on

this site. It is published by the California Lyme Disease Assoc. CALDA and their

site is http://www.lymedisease.org/

We are off to see Dr. today. Our appt is actually tomorrow but had to take

a few days travel.

Hope all are well and you Moms have a nice Mother's Day!

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I have 3 children ages 6, 3, and 18 months. My youngest had a tick bite and he's

on a 28 day course of antibiotics. I'm wondering if your son was treated right

after the tick bite or had some time elapsed? I've been to 3 doctors and no one

will give us more than 28 days (yet.) So I'm hoping that because we treated it

within 6 days of the bite, the 28 days will suffice. I'd like to know your

son's story.

This email is to express solidarity because I am a Christian homeschooler. I

believe in homeschooling. While I haven't much to offer in terms of curriculum

suggestions (because my son is in standard K and first grade) I wanted to

reassure you that what they call " unschooling " does WORK. And your son's reading

is taking him places. For your peace of mind, perhaps you might check out some

of the Growing Without Schooling back issues? I do not mean to suggest that you

just leave your son's education to chance; but until you land on the right

curriculum or strategy, remembering the value of self-education and

self-directed study may cheer you up and tide you over!

Best wishes.

Trish

________________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

Hi Finette,

We are homeschooling for religious and moral reasons. We have homeschooled

our children from the beginning. I am not sure at this point about going to the

school system. From what I have read, the IEP process can be difficult. I am 6

months pregnant with my seventh child and I am already under a lot of stress

with this whole situation. I talked to another lady with a son with Chronic

Lyme Disease who is attending school in our district and the school district

gave her a very hard time re home bound instruction. They couldn't understand

why her son was " supposedly " so sick when other students with Lyme Disease don't

have a problem in school. (They obviously don't understand, and can't be made

to understand, the difference between Lyme Disease and Chronic Lyme Disease.)

If they gave and are giving her such a hard time and she is in the system, it

just make me wonder what they would want to put me through. I would love to go

to them seeking assistance, but I just

wonder if it would back fire and kick me in the butt. My son is extremely

bright (says the neuro doc!) and very ambitious. He has his own candy machine

vending business, is involved with a business with his siblings making and

selling Christmas items, volunteers at a local nursing home, and works with a

local farmer and at a nursery. He made his own green house and built his own

barn and coop (some help with his father). He would never get these

opportunities at the school system. These are just some of his outlets. It has

been progressively difficult for me to academically homeschool him, especially

with the doctors telling me there is either nothing wrong with him, he has a

strange virus, he has ADHD, etc. I discounted all of this and kept plugging

along anyway, knowing deep down inside that they were wrong, but I just didn't

know what was wrong with him. It wasn't until he started having severe memory

problems at the beginning of the year that I did extensive

research on the internet and came up to the conclusion that he still had Lyme

Disease (since 2000). I don't know what we are going to do at this point...I'm

trying to be patient as I research and review all the possibilities.

FinRussak@... wrote:

well, in my opinion this is a case for public ed...Im not sure why youre

homeschooling...politics, religion, state of area schools etc...but most school

educators are very experienced with multiple strategies for teaching/learning.

You may wish to consider classifying him (dont be afraid...not a label but a

door into a world of many options) and then the school can send home tutors and

work and you have them to pay for materials!!! In etween the visits he works by

himself or with your help. plus, for a case like this...schools have larger

connections into various curricula....again as an educator myself, Im not that

pro-homeschooling...and I really think it works best for those kids able to do a

lot of self teaching...which many kids with Lyme deficits cant do anymore.

additonally, colleges still look more critically at homeschoolers records...with

a public school on board they will be more accepting of his special

circumstances, and of his lags in schooling.

personally my son would do many self directed and independent learning

assignments, thru the school, to accellerate his program...and I figured now he

is so ill and at home maybe he can homeschool himself...BUT he cannot...the very

deficits he experiences are the things he needs to self learn..

I am so glad your son's reading isnt affected...Evan's reading is first to go

making most other work impossible...even if we record or read it to him ...at

age 11 he scored over 1200 on the SAT thru Hopkins...andnow his affective

reading level at age 16 drops often to 6th grade level!!

good luck and perhaps the neuropsych who did the testing has suggestions for a

behavioral learning consultant...we had one for Evan for awhile..she helped him

to use other parts of brain and teach him how to study (he really never had to

before) and learn differently. she even had him WALK while reviewiing his trig.

helped with memory....that is until the last relapse/crash.

Finette

[Guest guest]

,

Thank you so much for your suggestions. The tutors that you mentioned, are

they provided by the school district? Can you find out what they charge. If I

get a tutor with out using the school system, I'm wondering how much it might

be.

I hope your appointment with Dr. goes well. Ours in on the 23rd.

<faces@...> wrote:

I

I talked to my friend about the homeschool program they use, and this is what

she had to say.

" The homeschooling umbrella school is Clonlara, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Very helpful. Our advisor there, Cochran, has a background in special

needs, knows a lot about head injury, they can even do 504 plans. One benefit

is that they award high school diplomas - many homeschoolers don't get one, take

the GED, etc. They also just helped us apply for accomodations for our daughter

to take the ACT. www.clonlara.org "

This mom and daughter also had written an article on their experience with

homeschooling and Lyme and it is coming out next week in the upcoming special

Issue of the Lyme Times - an education issue. If you have not seen the Lyme

Times it is worth checking out. http://www.lymetimes.org/ They have done a few

special issues in the past that I have bought and handed out. One is on kids,

one of insurance issues, and I think the other is just diagnosing and treating.

Some of their regular back issues are available for download, as I just saw on

this site. It is published by the California Lyme Disease Assoc. CALDA and their

site is http://www.lymedisease.org/

We are off to see Dr. today. Our appt is actually tomorrow but had to take

a few days travel.

Hope all are well and you Moms have a nice Mother's Day!

[Guest guest]

Hi Trish,

My son, , was diagnosed with Lyme Disease origionally in 2000. We did

not catch it right away. He already had fevers, joint aches, fatigue. We live

in a highly tick-infested area. All of my children are constantly getting ticks

and getting bitten. Also, back then we didn't know that much about Lyme

Disease. I came from South Florida where we didn't have any ticks. My husband

said that ticks were not a problem in our area when he was young. We know a lot

more now than we did back then. We took him to the doctors and he was diagnosed

by the doctor's assistant. We always saw the doctor, but thankfully the doctor

was not available that day. (The doctor is very anti-Lyme Disease). When his

results came back positive, was given a 28 day supply of medication.

My youngest son got Lyme Disease when he was 2. We didn't catch his right

away and he had 28 days of anitbiotics and he seems to be fine.

My husband and I both had Lyme Disease and we were caught right away. We

got 3 weeks of antibiotics and we are fine.

The latest is my youngest - she had a tick on her head about 2 months ago.

We called Dr. . We weren't sure if the tick was on her one or two days.

We didn't take any chances. She had a perscription for 28 days of antibiotics.

As you can tell, we have lots of ticks! We live in upstate NY. Where do

you live?

Thanks for your encouraging post! What we have been doing with since

the beginning of this year would be considered unschooling, although, it is not

the way I am personally used to homeschooling! (Or comfortable! )

I still believe he can be educated academically. I just don't know the

right way yet. The Audiblox program is some kind of brain cognitive exercises

program. I'm highly considering it. I just wish I could find some other

homeschoolers with children with Lyme Disease who have used it.

" globe_amaranth@... " <globe_amaranth@...> wrote:

Hi ,

I have 3 children ages 6, 3, and 18 months. My youngest had a tick bite and he's

on a 28 day course of antibiotics. I'm wondering if your son was treated right

after the tick bite or had some time elapsed? I've been to 3 doctors and no one

will give us more than 28 days (yet.) So I'm hoping that because we treated it

within 6 days of the bite, the 28 days will suffice. I'd like to know your

son's story.

This email is to express solidarity because I am a Christian homeschooler. I

believe in homeschooling. While I haven't much to offer in terms of curriculum

suggestions (because my son is in standard K and first grade) I wanted to

reassure you that what they call " unschooling " does WORK. And your son's reading

is taking him places. For your peace of mind, perhaps you might check out some

of the Growing Without Schooling back issues? I do not mean to suggest that you

just leave your son's education to chance; but until you land on the right

curriculum or strategy, remembering the value of self-education and

self-directed study may cheer you up and tide you over!

Best wishes.

Trish

[Guest guest]

I didnt mean to get political...we all have varying opinions on raising and

teaching children so I apologize for any offense.

also Ive found an interesting article by Dr Strydom who is either the developer

or integral part of Audiblox:

http://christian-parenting.learninginfo.org/work_attitude.htm

It seems that he has very specific ideas about children and their education,so

Id want to be sure I agreed with him before using his program...and also their

website is very general...perhaps if you post on their message boards asking if

any of the experienced users have done so for the specific problems youre trying

to improve??

just trying to help you gain the info you seek, without stepping upon toes.

You may still as a home schooler, get help from the school system anyway...email

their learning consultants, ask what they would do for your child...Im a

believer in getting many suggestions then using what feels right.

Finette

[This email is to express solidarity because I am a Christian homeschooler. I

believe in homeschooling. While I haven't much to offer in terms of curriculum

suggestions (because my son is in standard K and first grade) I wanted to

reassure you that what they call " unschooling " does WORK. And your son's reading

is taking him places. For your peace of mind, perhaps you might check out some

of the Growing Without Schooling back issues? I do not mean to suggest that you

just leave your son's education to chance; but until you land on the right

curriculum or strategy, remembering the value of self-education and

self-directed study may cheer you up and tide you over! ]

Best wishes.

Trish

The book, Confronting Lyme Disease: What Patient Stories Teach Us is now

available through Amazon and Booksurge Bookstores. Please visit the

official website at http://www.confrontinglyme.com for more information.

[Guest guest]

Hi Finette,

A portion of my email to about homeschooling was attached to the

bottom of your last post, in which you apologized for possibly giving offense.

So I wanted to clarify that I was not at all offended/ I really appreciate that

you just speak your mind. My husband is the same way and I wouldn't have married

him if I didn't value bold honesty.

Cheers.

Trish

________________________________________________________________________

Try Juno Platinum for Free! Then, only $9.95/month!

Unlimited Internet Access with 1GB of Email Storage.

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[Guest guest]

Thank you Finette.

Yes, I did notice that the Autiblox site was very general. I didn't

notice that they had a message board. I will definately try there - that's a

great idea.

I'm not ruling out the possibility of going to the school system. I'm

just being cautious. Do you think they would advise me as to suggestions or

tell me what they could do for us even before setting up an IEP meeting?

FinRussak@... wrote:

I didnt mean to get political...we all have varying opinions on raising and

teaching children so I apologize for any offense.

also Ive found an interesting article by Dr Strydom who is either the developer

or integral part of Audiblox:

http://christian-parenting.learninginfo.org/work_attitude.htm

It seems that he has very specific ideas about children and their education,so

Id want to be sure I agreed with him before using his program...and also their

website is very general...perhaps if you post on their message boards asking if

any of the experienced users have done so for the specific problems youre trying

to improve??

just trying to help you gain the info you seek, without stepping upon toes.

You may still as a home schooler, get help from the school system anyway...email

their learning consultants, ask what they would do for your child...Im a

believer in getting many suggestions then using what feels right.

Finette

[This email is to express solidarity because I am a Christian homeschooler. I

believe in homeschooling. While I haven't much to offer in terms of curriculum

suggestions (because my son is in standard K and first grade) I wanted to

reassure you that what they call " unschooling " does WORK. And your son's reading

is taking him places. For your peace of mind, perhaps you might check out some

of the Growing Without Schooling back issues? I do not mean to suggest that you

just leave your son's education to chance; but until you land on the right

curriculum or strategy, remembering the value of self-education and

self-directed study may cheer you up and tide you over! ]

Best wishes.

Trish

[Guest guest]

Finette,

I have to thank you for the article. It gives much food for thought! I

can't seem to find the message board for Audiblox. Can you tell me where you

found it?

FinRussak@... wrote:

I didnt mean to get political...we all have varying opinions on raising and

teaching children so I apologize for any offense.

also Ive found an interesting article by Dr Strydom who is either the developer

or integral part of Audiblox:

http://christian-parenting.learninginfo.org/work_attitude.htm

It seems that he has very specific ideas about children and their education,so

Id want to be sure I agreed with him before using his program...and also their

website is very general...perhaps if you post on their message boards asking if

any of the experienced users have done so for the specific problems youre trying

to improve??

just trying to help you gain the info you seek, without stepping upon toes.

You may still as a home schooler, get help from the school system anyway...email

their learning consultants, ask what they would do for your child...Im a

believer in getting many suggestions then using what feels right.

Finette

[This email is to express solidarity because I am a Christian homeschooler. I

believe in homeschooling. While I haven't much to offer in terms of curriculum

suggestions (because my son is in standard K and first grade) I wanted to

reassure you that what they call " unschooling " does WORK. And your son's reading

is taking him places. For your peace of mind, perhaps you might check out some

of the Growing Without Schooling back issues? I do not mean to suggest that you

just leave your son's education to chance; but until you land on the right

curriculum or strategy, remembering the value of self-education and

self-directed study may cheer you up and tide you over! ]

Best wishes.

Trish

[Guest guest]

, I have read a lot of the other responses and I agree with

the suggestion of unschooling. He is learning and quite successfully

it sounds like to me!! I wish my son had the energy to be involved in

all that your son is doing. So keep up the good work!

I wanted to let you know that my son also had encopresis, most notibly

around 10. I was so embarrassed for him, it broke my heart. What we

found out after many doctors appointments and different kinds of meds

was that he was allergic to corn. And when I started reading labels I

was amazed that it was in everything!! High fructose corn syrup or

corn starch was always on the label. When I de-corned my house we had

hardly any food left. And the first time I went to the grocery store,

I left 90 minutes later in tears and with hardly any food because

everything I was used to buying had corn in it. My learning curve was

huge!

But once we identified his corn food allergy and elminated the corn

exposure the accidents stopped. And his behavior and concentration

improved because of no corn in his diet.

Years later we found out he had lyme. And I have read of allergies

going away after lyme is treated successfully. That is what we are

hoping and praying for. But until then, we are healthier for not

eating all of the food with corn syrup in it. And my son does not

have accidents any more. His appetite for sweet things is much

reduced. And he has become a label reader! Not bad for a teenager!

Lastly, before we knew my son had lyme we did a lot of the neuro

re-training stuff. Spent a lot of money and time on it. It

fraustrated my son a lot and it did not improve his academic ablilty

or our relationship. I have for the last two years done the

unschooling thing. My son who hated to write and would be in tears

before the assignment was finished is now writing 6 hours a day on web

sites with other kids. And he is considering a career as a writer!

So relax, you and your son are doing ok.

Hugs,

[Guest guest]

Hi

Ill try to paste you over to the boards...I clicked on the link for parents then

looked way over on left and saw choices for " message boards " ...but try the

shortcut below

http://www.audiblox2000.com/messboard.htm

as for help, I was an ed consultant BL (before Lyme) and Ive found that many

(not all) educators are there to help kids...and would not mind a conversation

for information or suggestions . I would try to phone them, explain that you are

a home schooler and that your child has Lyme etc...and that you were hoping for

help with suggestions for learning/curriculum...ideas and strategies. If they

dont want to or cant help, then ask if they have referrals for a learning

specialist outside the system. This private learning consultant may or may not

charge for a consult...and they may be available for occassional ongoing help.

Id call both the school's learning specialist (found on the website or call the

main office to ask for the name and extension) or email, as well as the Child

Study Team office and/or guidance or student asistance offices (they all have

different names and it can be maddening as they provide the same sort of

services).

It may be that you can have a team approach with the school system working with

your home schooling...the trick is to emphasize " the best plan for the child "

without trying to " convince " them that homeschooling vs in schooling is

better...and by not letting them turn the conversation into them trying to

convince you in-schooling is better.

Ive found it helps to have a written set of notes handy, and keep steering the

conversation back to your key points. You may want to call the appropriate

school (elementary vs middle vs high) before the district itself. This way youre

speaking with those who have direct experience with the kids and not just a

supervisor who may have lost touch with " the desk " .

As a consultant called in to assess and " fix " science programs,I liked to get

the feel of those in contact with the kids first before meeting with the

district who often had an unrealistic agenda.

Speaking with district personnel sometimes gets a bit harder...they are in " the

business of selling the reasons why their schools are better " ...and swamped with

supervisory duties..but it may be worth a shot.

Keep in mind this is a busy time, evaluating standardized tests results,

planning strategies for the next year, setting up career workshops for the

summer,deciding on staff placements, planning the kids' next promotion

placements, etc etc so if they take a bit to respond dont take it personally.

good luck and if I can help you further, let me know...

Finette

Re: [ ] Introduction and homeschooling and Chronic Lyme

Disease...

Finette,

I have to thank you for the article. It gives much food for thought! I

can't seem to find the message board for Audiblox. Can you tell me where you

found it?

FinRussak@... wrote:

I didnt mean to get political...we all have varying opinions on raising and

teaching children so I apologize for any offense.

also Ive found an interesting article by Dr Strydom who is either the developer

or integral part of Audiblox:

http://christian-parenting.learninginfo.org/work_attitude.htm

It seems that he has very specific ideas about children and their education,so

Id want to be sure I agreed with him before using his program...and also their

website is very general...perhaps if you post on their message boards asking if

any of the experienced users have done so for the specific problems youre trying

to improve??

just trying to help you gain the info you seek, without stepping upon toes.

You may still as a home schooler, get help from the school system anyway...email

their learning consultants, ask what they would do for your child...Im a

believer in getting many suggestions then using what feels right.

Finette

[This email is to express solidarity because I am a Christian homeschooler. I

believe in homeschooling. While I haven't much to offer in terms of curriculum

suggestions (because my son is in standard K and first grade) I wanted to

reassure you that what they call " unschooling " does WORK. And your son's reading

is taking him places. For your peace of mind, perhaps you might check out some

of the Growing Without Schooling back issues? I do not mean to suggest that you

just leave your son's education to chance; but until you land on the right

curriculum or strategy, remembering the value of self-education and

self-directed study may cheer you up and tide you over! ]

Best wishes.

Trish

The book, Confronting Lyme Disease: What Patient Stories Teach Us is now

available through Amazon and Booksurge Bookstores. Please visit the

official website at http://www.confrontinglyme.com for more information.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

Thank you so much for your post! I actually cried. It is still so

emotional - the encopresis issue. My son would be incapacitated on the couch

for days until we found out what was wrong with him. The ped. recommended a

specialist who just basically gave him strong laxative medication. He was on a

double-strength adult dosage for about two years. I finally took him off of it

because I realized that it wasn't doing anything for him. He was becoming

laxative dependent and it also started to not even work. We just keep doing

clean outs and re-potty train. We keep going in cycles because he eventually

gets plugged up again and then we have to start all over again. How did you

find out that your son was allergic to corn? Did you have allergy testing? We

had suggestions of diet changes about 2 or 3 years ago. The suggestions were

for us to eliminate dairy and wheat and then try the Feingold diet. It was very

hard and frustrating. Especially trying to feed

everyone (large family - 6 children). How do manage making meals? I stopped

the suggested diets because we didn't see any improvements in 's condition,

although, we try not to use any foods with dyes, preservatives and colors. Even

that is hard, but I know it is healthier.

So it's very hard on two fronts. Thank you for your encouraging words about

the schooling. It's so hard because I never quite know if I'm doing O.K. with

. There is not much local support because none of the other homeschoolers

are dealing with special needs. I feel quite alone in dealing with the whole

thing. Our schooling has been drastically changed in his case. What neuro

retraining did you do?

kgg12003 <kgenest@...> wrote:

, I have read a lot of the other responses and I agree with

the suggestion of unschooling. He is learning and quite successfully

it sounds like to me!! I wish my son had the energy to be involved in

all that your son is doing. So keep up the good work!

I wanted to let you know that my son also had encopresis, most notibly

around 10. I was so embarrassed for him, it broke my heart. What we

found out after many doctors appointments and different kinds of meds

was that he was allergic to corn. And when I started reading labels I

was amazed that it was in everything!! High fructose corn syrup or

corn starch was always on the label. When I de-corned my house we had

hardly any food left. And the first time I went to the grocery store,

I left 90 minutes later in tears and with hardly any food because

everything I was used to buying had corn in it. My learning curve was

huge!

But once we identified his corn food allergy and elminated the corn

exposure the accidents stopped. And his behavior and concentration

improved because of no corn in his diet.

Years later we found out he had lyme. And I have read of allergies

going away after lyme is treated successfully. That is what we are

hoping and praying for. But until then, we are healthier for not

eating all of the food with corn syrup in it. And my son does not

have accidents any more. His appetite for sweet things is much

reduced. And he has become a label reader! Not bad for a teenager!

Lastly, before we knew my son had lyme we did a lot of the neuro

re-training stuff. Spent a lot of money and time on it. It

fraustrated my son a lot and it did not improve his academic ablilty

or our relationship. I have for the last two years done the

unschooling thing. My son who hated to write and would be in tears

before the assignment was finished is now writing 6 hours a day on web

sites with other kids. And he is considering a career as a writer!

So relax, you and your son are doing ok.

Hugs,

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much, Finette! You've been very helpful! If we decide to go to

the school district, we will certainly follow your advice. If I think of

anything else, I'll be sure to ask you.

FinRussak@... wrote:

Hi

Ill try to paste you over to the boards...I clicked on the link for parents then

looked way over on left and saw choices for " message boards " ...but try the

shortcut below

http://www.audiblox2000.com/messboard.htm

as for help, I was an ed consultant BL (before Lyme) and Ive found that many

(not all) educators are there to help kids...and would not mind a conversation

for information or suggestions . I would try to phone them, explain that you are

a home schooler and that your child has Lyme etc...and that you were hoping for

help with suggestions for learning/curriculum...ideas and strategies. If they

dont want to or cant help, then ask if they have referrals for a learning

specialist outside the system. This private learning consultant may or may not

charge for a consult...and they may be available for occassional ongoing help.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I'm replying late, as usual. I've glanced at all of the other

responses. We homeschool our boys...have always. Our dtr went through

the public school system. My boys are 8 and 12. I don't think your

comment/questions has to do with whether or not someone should

homeschool or not (wow...we could have a HUGE debate on that!).

Homeschooling a Lyme child...hmmm...well, I can tell you our

experience. Basically it comes down to this...I am SO thankful that

we homeschool, especially my youngest. There is NO way he could've

been in a " school " setting. He would not have tolerated it

whatsoever. (He has a lot of neuro-type symptoms). He has been sick

for almost a year now. I had started out enrolling him (with an

umbrella school) as a 2nd grader. Mid-fall, I changed him to a 1st

grader (though his math level was never an issue). Did he get the

required 180 days in this year? Nope, not even close. We did what he

could do. Depended on the day.

As far as self-learning goes...that is what I hope my boys will do

when they get to highschool...or at the least...do alot of

independent learning. That is one thing that is great about

homeschooling...the flexibility of meeting your child's needs!

Homeschooling is a lifestyle of learning. For us, I can't imagine

doing it otherwise within a school-type setting. They, especially the

youngest, just wouldn't make it.

For us, getting the boys healthy is our priority! We do what we have

to do.

(TN)