Anxiety Disorder: CAN I REMOVE MY SON FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE OF ANXIETY?

Yep I was homebound schooled it helped me alot I suffer with severe depression and anxiety attacks I wasn’t able to be in a regular school setting for awhile.

Kim-

I concur with Chuck on this, and want to add that many school districts are beginning to recognize the distinct needs of students with social-emotional issues that don’t necessarily involve behavior.

Meeting with the Team to discuss your son’s needs is a great idea. Home bound instruction and homeschooling are two possible solutions to meet them. These can be accompanied by a transition plan that helps your son reintegrate back into school.

You may also want to consider and propose to the Team virtual school. In most states these are considered public charter schools, so your son would be able to maintain his IEP. If this is not free in your area, your district could pay for it like they would a placement in a private school. Online learning provided and monitored directly by the district may be another option.

Also be open to what the school may propose. Many districts have programs for kids with school anxiety that has them attend on a different schedule than other students, and provides them with a separate, structured learning environment. These usually have an ultimate goal of reintegrating students.

And on the far end of the spectrum are separate therapeutic schools, though many of these specialize in educating students with behavioral challenges.

Before you make a huge leap, it is smart to get a better idea of what exactly what’s going on with your son. You can ask the Team to reevaluate him. The results of the reevaluation may point to challenges that can be addressed without the need to change his placement.