Homeschool Progress Report

Following, is a copy of the report I mailed to the school district today:

Reviewing last semester’s progress report has given me both a sense of hope and a feeling of dismay. Such is the world of the Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) student.

Z’s TS has not yet reached it’s peak. Every month, we hope that THIS is the peak; only to be disappointed when one of his conditions worsens. At this time, Z has several debilitating tics. These current tics make it difficult for Z to read, write, eat, or anything else that involves small motor skills. A positive attitude and the support and encouragement of his family, friends, and medical team are the only things that keep Z striving to learn.

As parents, our biggest worry is Z’s ability to fit into the working world as an adult. Life skills are a huge part of his education. ADD, OCD, and Executive Dysfunction make everyday living extremely difficult for Z. We’ve found that extreme structure and repetition help immensely. Z’s psychologist fears that his Executive Dysfunction will probably never improve. She laughingly says his best bet, as an adult, is to marry a super-organized woman.

Z’s greatest asset is his superior intelligence. Between our research, psychological counseling, and Z’s amazing efforts; his OCD behaviors have lessened considerably.

Z learns at an accelerated pace, when we give him free rein with a subject. Unfortunately this doesn’t work with all of his subjects. This learning method resulted in Z’s greatest accomplishment this semester: building his own computer.(for pictures go to: www.homeschoolkid.blogspot.com) This is why I incorporated his math and science grades into one grade. With very little guidance, Z has learned binary code and basic electrician’s skills. On his own, Z successfully rewired an Xbox controller to work on his computer. He also programmed his computer to run both the Linux and Windows operating systems.

This semester, we are trying to channel Z’s accomplishments into his other subjects. English composition and literature have proven to be the most difficult subjects for Z, at this time. My research has found that this is quite common with ADD students. I KNOW that, together, we will find a learning method that will work for Z, in this subject.

Math/Science A
History C
English D
Phy Ed/Health C
Art/Music B