Homeschoolers in the Cypress/northwest Houston area interested in finding a social group for their “quirky” kids are welcome to join Learning Differences Homeschool Network of Southeast Texas (LD Kids, for short) on Thursday, November 9, at 11:00 a.m. at the Richard & Meg Weekley Community Center in Cypress, TX, for the group’s Thanksgiving Feast & Fun. Bring a potluck main or side dish to share, and card games and/or board games to play.
Jubilee Potter, 3-1/2, a member of Learning Differences Homeschool Network of Southeast Texas, gets ready for her turn at the group’s bowling activity on November 2, 2017.
Learning Differences Homeschool Network of Southeast Texas is a social and support group for anyone in the Cypress/northwest Houston area homeschooling one or more kids with any diagnosis that affects learning.
The group has activities once a week for kids and periodic evening support meetings for parents. The group emphasizes activities that all ages can enjoy together.
Activities scheduled for this school year include a tour of the Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary, Christmas party, watercolor painting, Waco Mammoth Dig tour, sand art, garden day, exploding science day, strawberry picking, kite flying, field day, park scavenger hunt, volunteering at a homeless shelter, T-shirt tie dying, Valentine’s party, Easter egg hunt, and more.
Learning Differences Homeschool Network of Southeast Texas is especially geared to extremely high functioning and very high functioning kids but is open to anyone with a “quirky” kid who wants to find friends. Diagnoses in the group include ADD, ADHD, autistic spectrum disorders, bipolar, anxiety disorder, sensory processing disorders, dyslexia, Asperger’s, Tourette’s, language disorders, and others.
There are currently 23 boys ranging in age from 3 to 17, and 13 girls ranging in age from 3 to 16, in the group.
“LD Kids is open to anyone with a quirky kid who wants to find a social group,” said Tammi Wright, group founder. “My husband and I started this group because we have an extremely high functioning son diagnosed with bipolar, an autistic spectrum disorder, and dyslexia, and he struggled to find groups where he fit in. We accept anyone who is willing to complete the membership process and who wants to be active in group of friends where no one cares if you have sensory issues or struggle with social skills or get easily distracted and have to be redirected a lot or just learn differently.”
The membership process includes completing an electronic membership form, asking to join the group’s Facebook page, and paying a $20 per family annual membership fee, which is used to pay for activities for the kids. Last year, for example, one of the activities the membership dues paid for was a private reptile show by Clint the Snake Guy where the kids got to see and handle many different reptiles. This year the group is looking at having a special half-day hands-on event by the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Very high functioning kids often fall through the cracks, Wright said. “We have bright kids whose abilities are often masked by their learning challenges and social skills issues,” she said. “Unfortunately, our kids often don’t fit with groups and services aimed at special needs kids because they are too high functioning and they often don’t fit with neurotpyical groups, either, because they’re quirky. Our kids are often lonely. So are their parents, who struggle to find groups that are supportive of their unique parenting and teaching challenges. We want this group to fill that gap.”
In addition, Wright said, kids with mental health diagnoses and their families are often ostracized by friends, and even family, who don’t understand those diagnoses and fear what they don’t understand. “You learn very quickly that it’s often not a good idea to announce to your homeschool group that your child has a mental health diagnosis,” she said. “That typically dries up social opportunities pretty quickly.”
In addition to activities for kids, the group has periodic evening parent meetings focused on providing support for parents homeschooling kids with learning differences. For example, recently the group hosted a meeting where an attorney specializing in special needs law came and spoke to the group. Group members also exchange information on homeschooling, curriculum, therapies, research, local resources, and other related topics through the Facebook group.
“What we hear over and over from parents is how excited and relieved they are to find a group where their kids are truly welcome after years of not fitting in and having few friends,” Wright said. “Almost everyone who comes into the group spends a few activities clearly keeping tabs on their kids and worrying how we might respond to any behaviors. They quickly find out that none of us care or, in many cases, even notice quirky behaviors. We’ve all been there, done that, and we are totally accepting. Most of us have many stories of encounters with the public school system or other places where our kids’ differences were not embraced at all. We understand the struggle to balance school with doctor’s visits, therapy appointments, medication issues, mental health issues, behavioral issues, dealing with the healthcare system and insurance issues, and all the other challenges that go with having a kid with learning differences. Group members know how lonely and frustrating this journey can be, and they are very supportive of each other.”
For more information about the group, contact Tammi Wright at tammiw@tazandweaselman.com. Or visit the group’s website, http://www.ldkidshomeschool.com/, or Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/LDkids/.