My son is 16 in the 9th grade. He will be 17 in July. He flunked the 7th and the 8th and if his grades don't improve this yr. he will flunk the 9th. If he flunk the 9th do u think he should drop out and get his GED?

NO! It will ruin his life! Go see a someone and have him tested first for learning dissabilities that he may very well have, but having them and it being so personal and private to him, usually through shame, he might not express it or share it with anyone. If he has learning dissabilities, he should have his work adjusted to meet his needs and therefore he can pass, work and succeed more easily. I know... I had them, a few of them actually way back before they were treated and diagnosed and I failed in school with almost a 160 IQ. I needed things said and shown to me differently than the curriculum allows for or compensates for. I shudder to think what I could have become if there were testing for such things back when i was in school. I let everyone believe I was stupid and put on a tough act and got into trouble when that was the farthest thing from the truth.

You should have him evaluated to see if he has a learning disability. I had a learning disability. I dropped out of high school and went to independent study. I got better grades then I did in high school. I graduated with my high school diploma when I was 16.

How about having him examined by a pschiatrist or another competent professional to determine whether or not he has special needs and would benefit from attending special ed classes instead?

Is he flunking because he's bored and not applying himself, or because of difficulty learning? The GED option is not all bad. It can have its limitations, like, for example, the Air Force won't accept him, but it can also have the advantage of getting him past the drudgery of high school and, with the proper additional tests, he can go straight to college if that would suit him. I left high school after the 10th grade and got my GED. I only did one year of college too. At that time in my life school was just not for me. But now I have several technical certifications and work for the federal government. Good things can happen, even with a GED.

he should get his GED, and then drop out. if he cant pass junior high, how will he pass a GED exam?

I have talked to his counselors and teachers and they say he can do it but he stays out of his seat while he is teaching which is a part of the ADHD. I want him to go to something like Sylvan but I can't afford as I am raising my two children myself. His grades have been like this just about from the 3rd grade maybe. Where can I go to see if he has a learning disability? What is dislexia? (I know I didn't spell it right)

That would depend on why he is failing grades. If it is because of laziness or contrariness, nothing will be learned by giving him the easy way out. If his IQ is low, and he simply can't keep up, then I would consider it. More importantly, rather than asking advice from strangers on this (very important) issue, I would speak with his school counselor and his teachers and find out what their opinions are. If they say he could do it he just doesn't want to, keep him in school, impose limits and find out about hiring a tutor.

Absolutely not. Invest in the time, money, and effort to get him up to speed, whatever it takes. Including courses in the summer. To do otherwise is to allow your son to handicap himself needlessly with respect to his education. That is NOT helpful.

I would look into the cause of his failure. is it IQ, ADD, relationship, drugs, whatever it is. and then address it. you should at least strive to finish HS no matter what.