Homeschooling Your Child With Special Needs

March 27, 2009

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Once an unthinkable idea, more and more families are pulling their children with special needs out of the public school system and are homeschooling them. Their diagnoses can range from ADD, ADHD, autism, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, and dyslexia to medically fragile.

Many families spend a lot of time and energy “fighting the system” to get an inclusive education for their children. Homeschooling is the most naturally inclusive way to educate a child there is. Instead of being segregated in a room with similar functioning peers, they have the opportunity to interact and learn from their families and in the community.

Your child will have the freedom to learn at his/her own pace without the potential stigma of being in a special education class, or being warehoused in a resource room. You can tailor the curriculum around what motivates and inspires him or her.

Does teaching a child with special needs require specific training or a master’s degree? No. As a parent, you are your child’s first and best teacher. With the amazing amount of information at our fingertips in the Information Age, parents can easily find the help and information they need to homeschool.

You will need support. HSLDA.org is a great place to start. It answers frequently asked questions and has a great list of resources. They have two special needs coordinators who will be more than happy to spend time on the phone with you and help point you in the right direction. (You do need to be a member, the fee is a very nominal $8 per month.) A local teacher or consultant who is supportive of homeschooling will also be beneficial.

Here are a few additional helpful resources to check out:

The Home School Starter Kit (includes copy of Home Schooling Children with Special Needs, a CD-ROM entitled Understanding and Teaching Struggling Learners, a DVD of Program Planning for the Special Needs Child Workshop and an accompanying Curriculum Planning Guide from Almaden Valley Christian school. They also offer nationwide consulting services.

Christine Field has written several good homeschooling titles including Homeschooling the Challenging Child and Help for the Harried Homeschooler.

Sue Patrick has developed a workbox system inspired by her experiences teaching her child with autism and also offers consulting services. This is a great system to help you get organized and increase your child’s self control and independence. It has been the talk of my homeschool community the last few weeks.

Homeschooling your child with special needs can be tough, but may also be the most rewarding thing you’ve ever done.

Marya Mesa is living the chaotic suburban life in the Tampa Bay area with her husband, four children (two of whom have learning disabilities and one has Down Syndrome) and assorted pets. You can read her blog at http://www.suncoastmom.com

Posted by carrie | Filed Under Homeschool 

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