Need advice

[Anonymous]

We luckily join a small group that offer free activities run from parents with SN kids and student volunteers. They meet frequently, and they offer free swimming, art, dancing, soccer, basketball and etc classes free of change. They somehow get funding from somewhere, and someone pull me into this small private SN group. I am happy that my ES SN kids have more resources, and I wish I knew it years before.

My question is that my kids have been taking private swim 1:1 lessons, group swim lessons, soccer team, basketball team, dancing classes either from private company or thru the county for years. My kids have asd and adhd, and they are high functioning. They learn at their snail paces for anything with all sports I mention above, and they are making progress slowly because of low muscle tone and adhd inattentive. The group I mention above is not run by professional instructors, and they are run by student volunteers with some specialised skills. I am debating if I should keep signing up and paying for private classes or saving money (around $2k- $3k) & solely taking advantage to sign up for these free lessons run by student volunteers. One thing about these private group is that all attendees are SN kids of higher needs and my kids are considered on the level 1 or borderline. It will take away the possible social interaction that they could benefit from joining the regular ones like soccer team or basketball team.

My another approach is thinking to keep paying/signing up for the ones they are currently doing, and supplementing to catch up fundamental skills with free lessons if there's no schedule conflicts.

Any thoughts? I need to make decision to sign up for winter/spring now.

[Anonymous]

Keep paying.

[Anonymous]

If you can afford it and your kids are getting benefit from the private classes, stay in; but if you are facing financial difficulties that require you to save and cut back, be glad that you have the option to continue activities without payment.

[Anonymous]

Are you talking about Keen? This is not even something you need to think about. Volunteers are getting SSL hours that they need to graduate. If all abilities can participate don't feel worried about taking a spot. If you somehow feel guilty make a contribution to the program.