At 16, I was damn well ready to drop out of high school too. Only reason I didn't was because I finally received some support and resources after the school realized that I was going downhill fast after my friend and uncle died suddenly. Its kind of sad really, it took a tragedy for them to realize I needed help. The staff cared about me and were determined to get me all the way through till graduation. I owe them all a lot. Also, its hard to get anywhere nowadays without your grade 12 education at the minimum. And as time passes, the education requirement is going to go up. Tell your boys about that and show them that if they want a decent job they need to stick with school. Hope that helps.

You are in a tough spot, I know, I've been there. I live in the US, and I don't know anything about the Canadian system. I took my kids out of school, and home schooled them. I know this may not be an option for you. If it is, it is an option worth looking at. Here in the US there are internet programs of study, as well. If there is one legally suitable in Canada, maybe you can see if it is something your family would be able to do. I am NOT a fan of public education, not for religious reasons, but because it doesn't address the needs of LD kids. Our kids are not dumb, worthless, or too much trouble. I'm sorry you are having this difficulty, I DO know how you are feeling. Good luck to you and your sons. You are obviously a mom who cares. Don't let the school try to blame you, that will be their next mission. They don't want to be viewed as the failure
( which they are) so they will pass the buck to you. Stay strong and advocate for your kids.

hell i know i am ready to drop out of school too the only reason is that school is really boring and stressful for me

look im gonna be 16 in 5 days and i felt like droping out ever since freshmen year because i dont consintrate wel and the teachers yell at me but i just tell myself dont give up, dont give in, if u do they shall win so tell him dont give up dont give in if u do they will win aka the teachers and others are the (THEY) in that ok just tryin to help:)

I was 15 unmedicated and dropped out of school. But I made a life for myself earned a good living and now have a family so I would say it is the biggest mistake I made dropping out but You can still make it.

I am having the same struggle with my 14 yr old ADHD/gifted son, who came home today with C's, D's and an F on his report card. The kid forgets to turn in the completed homework! I just gave him my "It is your choice" speech. I am trying to get him to see that he DOES HAVE THE POWER TO CHOOSE. And that there are consequences for his choices. Forgetting is not an acceptable life skill or option. Perhaps, helping your son to see the reality of quitting school, and the reality of the consequences would be a major deterrent?
Let him get a job at McDonald's or equivalent and see how hard it is to make it earning that type of salary. Let him pay for his extracurricular activities...let him earn the money. When they have to earn it, they understand, and appreciate it a lot more.
Then, ask him how he would like to not go to school, and work a job like that for the rest of his life? Also, let him know that you are not going to support him financially after High School, OR if he chooses to quit and not finish. His JOB RIGHT now is to go to school and do his best. Hang in there, parenting teens is harder than it was being a teen! Lol!

do you have any behavioral schools in your area? Not one that replaces his school, but an addition. They talk in groups about what happened at school and how they handled it and then the group talks about different ways they could have handled it better. They teach them social skills and so forth. It's worth finding one.

My son is 17 and ADD. For the past year we have been in HELL. He was on Adderall and when we increased his dosage he started flipping out. We got him off the meds and he continued to flip. We just had him tested and we found out he has a severe math, organization and progression learning disability. He is also socially slower than this peers by about 4 years. All this combined made him act crazy. We will be restarting meds for him. Maybe by having your son tested for learning disabilities you can find out exactly where his weaknesses are and go from there.

The school system i set up for kids to fail. I doubt he's LD- I'm sure he's perfectly as capable of learning s everyone else is... school is just boring as shit. Don't worry about grades... grades are pretty lame. Get him to love the material. The material is always a lot more interesting than teachers make it seem... if he loves the material, and wants to learn it on his own, he is gold, failing or not

iS HE ON MEDS? WILL HE TAKE THEM? THEY MIGHT HELP GET THROUGH THE ROUGH SPOTS AHEAD.

Hi..well thank you all for your input...keep it coming..I've always got an open mind...willing to learn and try to get the best out of life for my little men!!! :o)
I'm seriously looking into the idea of online schooling..as both boys can focus really well on the computer!!
Also just as an update..the oldest has been reassessed for his LD..and we(he and I) work with it...to our advantage..the youngest is to be reassesed in Feb of 08!!! So that is good news!! Things are still bumpy..but we are moving slowly forward!!
Hope everyone has a great relaxing holiday season!!! Cynb

My 13 year old sounds similiar. He would complete his homework, but never find it . Tests/quizzes he did well on, but his marks dropped because of the organizational piece. We could never find his homework, textbooks, and he never knew what he was supposed to do. We have had him tested and although very bright he has fairly severe ADHD (inattentive) as well as NVLD (non-verbal learning disorder).
We have an awesome school where I live that is for kids with LD's . It is private, but there is funding for people that cannot afford it. It has made an amazing difference just having people teaching him that are aware of what his problems are. He feels supported for the first time in his life. I believe that is the key.. to find a school that are willing to put in the time and energy to help him. GOod luck!!

Get an IEP for the kids from the School. I went through the same stuff with my son.(Indivdual Education Plan)