My daughter is starting the Hospital Homebound – Special Education program for school. Because the diagnosis of Narcolepsy has caused numerous absences, her doctor requested that she be homebound for the rest of the school year. This way she can keep up with her school work with a teacher coming to our home.
The individualized instruction will also assist Sammi with the problem of concentration due to excessive sleepiness. The teacher can only come to our home in the evening because she teaches full time, so we are going to work on either a nap during the day or a later wake up time. We want Sammi to be alert during her instruction time through the Hospital Homebound program.
Since Sammi now has an IEP, she is in the Special Education program, even though she has not been evaluated and found to have a disability. Her grades and FCAT scores will be monitored though. If there are continued low grades (especially on the FCAT), she will be evaluated for an IEP.
This has been a big step for us, as we’ve been seeking an evaluation for months now. I’ve learned that being an advocate for your child can work! Even though it’s not the exact answer that we wanted, it’s a first step and a good one.
I’ve spoken to the teacher assigned to Sammi by phone. She will come to meet us tomorrow evening, work out a schedule and let us know what work is to be done. Sammi has mixed feelings about being in the Homebound program. She does want to improve her grades, but she is sad about not seeing her friends at school and being there for the end of sixth grade.
I am hoping that Sammi will get her confidence back when she sees that she is able to get the grades she is capable of getting. Also, we are still working on a medication that will help with her sleepiness. Our goal is that Sammi will return to school again for seventh grade.
If you have a child that has an illness that causes excessive absences, or your child is hospitalized for a period of time, check with your public school about the Hospital Homebound program. This can be done on an intermittent basis as well.
Have you had any experience with the Hospital Homebound program?
Resource for parents: 50 Ways to Support Your Child’s Special Education: From IEPs to Assorted Therapies, an Empowering Guide to Taking Action, Every Day
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