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marysjoys
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| Posted: Feb 10 2007 at 7:18am | IP Logged
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I'd like to propose we form a support group for Catholic moms of special needs children. After reading Lissa's post about her son's IEP, all my struggles with pressure from the school district to put my Christina (preschool age with Down Syndrome)into Kindergarten came back to me. I feel isolated and tend to doubt my otherwise good homeschool mother instincts.
Let me know how you feel about this.
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Maria B.
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Oh, this would be wonderful. My special needs daughter will be twenty this March. I still have a huge need to share with other moms. Each day presents new challenges, good and hard times. I think we could all benefit from each other.
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Maria in VA
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Taffy
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I would truly like something like this here. I know very well the feelings of isolation you've described, as well as the poor experiences with school and IEPs. I've been feeling more confident as we progress in the home education journey, but it's very lonely! As much as I enjoy reading about the educational journeys you all post here, I find it hard to relate so often.
What I'm currently really interested in, is in locating real books for teaching history, geography and sciences, but in a language that is easy enough for my son to narrate. It's been a very slow process getting him to narrate anything, and we're finally making some progress. I've seen the fruits of narrating in many other areas and would like to increase them.
Currently, he's been narrating from The Beginner's Bible, sentence by sentence (i.e. - I read a sentence and he narrates it back) and we've been progressing nicely. We've also been doing some picture narrations and it's been great for helping him express his own thoughts. I need to find a way to tie in content based subjects though, like history, geography and sciences.
Sorry for being so incoherent. I think a support group for us moms to special needs, that's based on the practices of this board (i.e. - primarily catholic and very supportive, friendly and caring, and NOT whiny) would be wonderful and I am happy to help with this in any way I can.
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Susan
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Elizabeth
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I don't understand what you mean. You want a support groups for special needs moms, here? Or in real life? Or a national network?
This board--Special Blessings--is intended to be exactly what Taffy is describing. It's terribly under-utilized, but is is here.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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marysjoys
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| Posted: Feb 10 2007 at 6:47pm | IP Logged
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You're SO right, Elizabeth, and I realize I am the most guilty of under-utilizing it! It's just that Lissa's post about her IEP brought an unexpected rush of emotion about my own experiences that I hadn't shared on my blog, that I just blurted out my feelings here. Finally!
Then I ran off to teach all day, and I come back to find out that I may have started something.
So. . . perhaps there is a national support group being born here, because, in four years, I haven't yet found a group that's both Catholic and for homeschoolers, so let's see where God takes this. Wherever there is a need, and people who say, "yes, Lord, I've come to do your will", He graciously provides. Sort of like you and Macbeth when you started 4real Learning when you saw the need for a Catholic Charlotte Mason group. I do feel called to write a book on this, as a follow-up on my upcoming article in Faith and Familyin May. I just need the input of other solid Catholic homeschooling moms, to keep my ideas from becoming myopic.
B]TaffyI too like the way we treat one another here, this would be a great place to start, and, both of you, please drop by Cause of Our Joy[ and comment, one of my intentions in starting a blog is to share the joys of raising and homeschooling my special girl, but I get little input from special moms, I suppose I didn't feel comfortable whining there, with so little immediate response. Can't we allow a teensy bit of whining?! Please?
Maria, you could be a mentor for some of us special moms who are just beginning the whole process, as I said, Christina is only 4. I stand to learn a LOT from you!
So, for now, let's just support one another, and see where the Holy Spirit leads us. Maybe by the Feast of the Annunciation, we'll have an idea growing. . .like your baby, Taffy
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KC in TX
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I am also very guilty of underutilizing this forum. I need to try to use it more often. Thanks for the reminder, Elizabeth.
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KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
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Willa
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Yes, I think Elizabeth is right. It may be my fault 
This board isn't just for asking specific questions -- we can share joys and sorrows, frustrations, all that.
Things are going pretty well right now with my special needs child age 7, but it wasn't always that way and I think it is probably we will have trouble times again; in God's hands either way, of course.
One thing we could do perhaps is link to blog posts -- ours or others -- that ring true to our state of mind. Thanks for linking to yours, Leticia.
Another thing we could do is share what's going on in our lives and find connections among ourselves -- children of similar age, similar ways of learning or similar needs.
I will start another thread for intros since that may be one way we can get a specific idea of who we are who are doing "real learning" with special needs children.
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Willa
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Lissa
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Leticia, I'm just now catching up on this. I saw your comment at my blog about the possible need for an organization for special-needs homeschoolers who utilize some public services (as well as your lovely post about it on your blog), and I think it's a really intriguing idea.
Ever since I began posting about Stevie's IEP process, I have been getting a flood of mail from mothers trying to navigate the same waters. They are writing me privately rather than commenting on my blog, probably because the issues are so tender. I think you are absolutely right in saying there is a need here; and I am open to talking about whether there is something we can do to fill it. You are speaking on a broad scale, yes, broader than our cozy niche here at 4Real?
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Lissa
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Lissa
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WJFR wrote:
Yes, I think Elizabeth is right. It may be my fault
This board isn't just for asking specific questions -- we can share joys and sorrows, frustrations, all that.
Things are going pretty well right now with my special needs child age 7, but it wasn't always that way and I think it is probably we will have trouble times again; in God's hands either way, of course.
One thing we could do perhaps is link to blog posts -- ours or others -- that ring true to our state of mind. Thanks for linking to yours, Leticia.
Another thing we could do is share what's going on in our lives and find connections among ourselves -- children of similar age, similar ways of learning or similar needs.
I will start another thread for intros since that may be one way we can get a specific idea of who we are who are doing "real learning" with special needs children. |
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Lovely idea, Willa. Here is a link to my series of posts on Steve's IEP process.
Off to check out the new thread now.
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Lissa
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Willa
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Thanks Lissa!
The intro thread is here
As Amy mentioned over there, you are welcome to introduce yourself if your special blessing has very mild issues as well. Even if he or she hasn't been formally diagnosed.
Another category is a child's medical issues. If you think the medical challenges impact your homeschool, even if the child has no particular learning differences. Please feel welcome to introduce yourselves.
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Willa
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Nina Murphy
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I am so glad this was written. Maybe inspired by the Holy Spirit? I also have been needing more support and struggling....
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God bless,
~~Nina
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and 2 yet-to-be-met
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Taffy
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I am so happy to read all of these messages here! It has really made my heart lift for joy - Thanks. 
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Susan
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marysjoys
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So. . . perhaps there is a national support group being born here, because, in four years, I haven't yet found a group that's both Catholic and for homeschoolers, so let's see where God takes this. I'm open to wherever this leads. Lissa. If there's as great a response as you're experiencing, perhaps we've touched upon the need.
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Mom to three lovely girls, Gabby, 13, Bella, 9, and Christina, 5 who has Down Syndrome.
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4Real Forums : Special Blessings
Topic: Support Group for Special Catholic Moms
