I would  ask your ds how much he is comfortable with everyone knowing.  Some kids are comfortable and don't mind if everyone knows all the details.  Some kids aren't ashamed so much as think its no one's business.  You are right though, it is important to get it worked out in advance.  Also the phosp might have some good ideas.  Last time my dd was in the phosp when she got back she told everyone that she was skipping school and finally got caught.  That pretty much shut the other kids up, but they are all a bit older and there is a 'bad-ass' element to her explanation.  I don't recommend it personally but it worked for her.  A simple statement like 'I was out becuase I had to take care of myself' is both honest and vague.  And most kids will accept it and not dig deeper.

I'm happy for you that he is getting out soon and able to return.  Good luck!

--

Karenj

Self: as sane as I can be everyday
A - DD (17yo) well adjusted, high functioning, motivated, successful, waiting patiently to go away to college
M - DD (13yo) Bipolar I (dx 4/2011) ADHD (dx 2nd grade), dumb high IQ, mainstream education with IEP/BIP, Seroquel XR 550mg, Lamictal 150mg, 3000 mg fish oil, 1000mg B-12, B-Compex - morning
BF - Live in boyfriend of 5 years, supportive and learning more every day
EX - Ex-husband, divorced since 2002, family history of bipolar, unpredictable and sometimes explosive

I saw that you posted this back in Feb.  How did it go?  My son has been out of school for 2 weeks in a hospital stay as well.  He is 6th grade.  I saw an email from a girl in his class asking him where he has been.  I know that my ds feels that everyone already things he is the angry boy with problems.  What is a FBA?  And did they catch him up with some tutoring? 

--

Mom,43, Anxiety, 50 mg. Zoloft,
DS, 13, ADHD, Daytrana Patch
DS, 11, Bipolar, ADHD, ODD, Anxiety: 10 mg. Abilify
DS, 9, healthy
DD, 6, healthy
Married 7 years to DH, 46

Medicines tried: Intuniv (manic in 6 weeks), Zoloft (could of caused manic but unsure), Risperdal, increased prolactin -- Geodon, hyperfocused and obessessed all day -- Trileptal, 1 dose and was bouncing off the wall -- concerta, out of control in school -- Seroquel, anger, irritable, sucididal -- clonidine for sleep at times, tenex ?? -- Abilify now for 3 years and still wondering if he has akasthia or just hyper and can't sit still.

Unfortunately it didn't go well. Long story but he was returning to amcharter school which had just opened this year, and it was only after we got into this crisis situation that i realized that they had practically no special ed services. I knew i could fight for thrm to find a way to provide what he needed but i didn't feel we could take the time to domthat so now he's back at our district school. It's still hard and we're meeting next week to revise his IEP.

I saw your other posts and i'm sorry the hospitalization went so badly. If there's not another option for a day treatment program before your son returns to school, i'd strongly recommend trying to set him up with Hospital Homebound services temporarily. It really does take time for them to be ready to re-enter school, and it's not likely to go well if he's still very unstable. hHB is a way to keep from falling farther behind on academics, and it will avoid truancy while you keep him at home a bit longer.

--

Chris Stanley- DS 11 ADHD ( ?) ODD, Bipolar NOS
currently taking Lithium, Risperidone, Melatonin

Thank you for the feedback.  This week he only has 2 days then all of 6th grade goes on a 3 day field trip which he said he didn't want to go.  So I plan on keeping him home for the week.  Then we are on Spring Break for a week. 

There really is no day treatment programs nearby.  There was one right near us but they moved the facility far away.  We do have something that we had before that is called Contiuum of Care.  I am trying to get back in with them.  They came out for a year a couple of years ago.  I have to fill out the paperwork and wait though.  What is Homebound?  Does a teacher work with him?

--

Mom,43, Anxiety, 50 mg. Zoloft,
DS, 13, ADHD, Daytrana Patch
DS, 11, Bipolar, ADHD, ODD, Anxiety: 10 mg. Abilify
DS, 9, healthy
DD, 6, healthy
Married 7 years to DH, 46

Medicines tried: Intuniv (manic in 6 weeks), Zoloft (could of caused manic but unsure), Risperdal, increased prolactin -- Geodon, hyperfocused and obessessed all day -- Trileptal, 1 dose and was bouncing off the wall -- concerta, out of control in school -- Seroquel, anger, irritable, sucididal -- clonidine for sleep at times, tenex ?? -- Abilify now for 3 years and still wondering if he has akasthia or just hyper and can't sit still.

Homebound usually means a limited amount of tutoring, combined with either a partial school day or working from home sometimes using an online curriculum. My son's currently going to school half days and is actually there for all of the instructional time, but we had to fill out the paperwork for HHB to give the flexibility and to be ready in case he becomes unable to go to school. 

I assume it's called different things in different states, but I'm pretty sure all states have similar programs for kids who have to miss school for a prolonged illness, hospitalization, or mental health issue. You have to have paperwork filled out by a physician (psychiatrist in our case.)

--

Chris Stanley- DS 11 ADHD ( ?) ODD, Bipolar NOS
currently taking Lithium, Risperidone, Melatonin