Teen not interested in school

[Anonymous]

Get him a neuropsych

[Anonymous]

I would read up on Pathological Demand Avoidance.

Maybe think about a Sudbury School?

[Anonymous]

OP here. I have been reading the responses and thinking about them. I really appreciate the advice.
I agree the D’s are fine, but I’m not sure how to get him there. He didn’t get any credit first semester, and he’s on track not to get any credits his freshman year. He’s had tutors and things in the past when we were homeschooling, but they were overall less effective than I was at getting him to do things he doesn’t want to do.
I agree that he’s a nice kid. He’s definitely a different kid, though. He has no friends outside of his siblings, and he basically never has.
I did put in an application for military school. Maybe they can get him through high school. And maybe he could make friends?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would read up on Pathological Demand Avoidance.

Maybe think about a Sudbury School?

DP. Since her son is basically unschooling himself, a place like Sudbury may make sense. I think the goal sounds like it’s to keep him from failing highschool. Going back to homeschooling but more on an unschooling model might help too, but with tutors instead of OP doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He is very kind and polite. He has a normal IQ... he just sort of hangs out and reads computer coding manuals or plays with his siblings. Right now he is making homemade pizzas with his sister and telling her about Linux... ..is in a social skills group that he enjoys.
He is on a mountain biking team that he likes...

OP, forgive me but your son sounds like a great kid who is just a bad fit for traditional school. He seems to be able to get along with people, with siblings and seems to have interests. Reading a coding manual in his free time and making pizza with a sib is great. Is there a vocational program in your county that he could enroll in or is his schedule flexible enough that you could load him up on computer classes?

He has a typical high school day. He can take coding classes and AP computer science next year if he can pass his intro class this year. He knows this, but he can’t get himself to do it for sone reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op, he sounds bright but deeply ADHD Inattentive to me. At what age was he evaluated as level 1 autism? Is a re-assessment warranted? He sounds just like my brother who has an extremely well paying job in the computer industry. Do whatever you can to feed his interests at school and home. He sounds like a self learner. He may be more interested in school when he realizes that college is more freedom and more interesting things to do.

We tried various things for ADD without much success. He was diagnosed with autism three years ago.
It’s probably more like a non-verbal learning disability.
But whatever it is, the interventions geared toward that don’t seem effective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“ Right now he is making homemade pizzas with his sister and telling her about Linux.”

I love this. He sounds great.

OP, I think you’re just gonna have to drop the rope with this one. Possibly you could get him into a private SN school that will give him passing grades. Or maybe you just have to wait and see.

Can you intervene to physicalmy get him to do some of the work?

Are you in MoCo? Could he transfer to the GT/LD program?

Tell me you are 70 and kids raised without telling me you are 70 with the kids raised. GT/LD is MCPS paper tiger. It is a complete shadow of its former self. The county doesn’t do away with it formally because your gen touts it as an option. It’s a taxed program not worthy of a referral- unless Walter Johnson is your home school.

How about a night school option (with job in the mornings?). Colleague had child like yours become a bag handler at Dulles and went to public high school at night. Recharged everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would read up on Pathological Demand Avoidance.

Maybe think about a Sudbury School?

DP. Since her son is basically unschooling himself, a place like Sudbury may make sense. I think the goal sounds like it’s to keep him from failing highschool. Going back to homeschooling but more on an unschooling model might help too, but with tutors instead of OP doing it.

I’m not familiar with Sudbury. I will look at it.
I’ve thought about homeschooling again, but I’m not sure if I have it in me.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like military school would make him the most miserable.

[Anonymous]

Military school sounds terrible for a kid like this.
What county are you in? A lot of kids who are unmotivated become more motivated when they can do a career program part time and can see the practical benefits of getting a degree.

In our county there are several computer paths and I think in one Linux is one of the topics taught. You graduate with certificates that would cost thousands to get on your own.

[Anonymous]

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high/career-and-technical-education

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“ Right now he is making homemade pizzas with his sister and telling her about Linux.”

I love this. He sounds great.

OP, I think you’re just gonna have to drop the rope with this one. Possibly you could get him into a private SN school that will give him passing grades. Or maybe you just have to wait and see.

Can you intervene to physicalmy get him to do some of the work?

Are you in MoCo? Could he transfer to the GT/LD program?

Tell me you are 70 and kids raised without telling me you are 70 with the kids raised. GT/LD is MCPS paper tiger. It is a complete shadow of its former self. The county doesn’t do away with it formally because your gen touts it as an option. It’s a taxed program not worthy of a referral- unless Walter Johnson is your home school.

How about a night school option (with job in the mornings?). Colleague had child like yours become a bag handler at Dulles and went to public high school at night. Recharged everything.

The point is damage control - enroll him in a program that will figure out how to get him to graduate.

[Anonymous]

Military school would be horrible. Please consider other options as I'm worried what it would do to his mental health.

[Anonymous]

Consider Parkmont

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Consider Parkmont

Or Fairhaven