I’m meeting more and more parents of kids with special needs who are considering the idea of homeschooling. But that’s as far as they get. When push comes to shove they each end up feeling that there is no way you can homeschool your child with special needs.
I’m here to tell you that isn’t true! Yes, you can homeschool your child with special needs and I’d love to share some ideas with you on how to do exactly that!
First, a disclaimer: It’s easy to romanticise homeschooling. It’s even easier to become discouraged and then quit. This teaching kids at home thing takes a lot of work and time. But it’s worth it. Absolutely totally worth it. So, let’s get started, shall we?
Where to start? Because Parker is technically a Home and Hospital student, he has an IEP. I use this IEP to create my lesson plans from his IEP.
What if you don’t have an IEP?
If you are pulling your child out of the public school system, you can request a copy of what I call your child’s ‘scope and sequence.’ This is basically a written list of what the teacher would be teaching your child if they had remained in the classroom. You can take that and go from there.
There is a series of Core Knowledge Books each with the title of ‘What Your Child Should Know…..in preschool, in 1st grade, etc. You can pick the book that best works for where your child currently is academically.
The Utah Office of Education’s website offers Utah’s Core Standards. Your state office of education will offer up your state’s version of these too. Use these standards as a guide to creating your child’s curriculum. (Please note: These standards are NOT curriculum. They are just that, STANDARDS to which you will need to provide the ‘how to’ or curriculum. It’s the actual curriculum wherein the sky is the limit, allowing you to employ all sorts of learning strategies geared to your specific student.
There are many support groups for parents of kids with special needs wanting to homeschool their children. Homeschooling and Down Syndrome II is one.
By joining the HSDLA, you’ll have access to special needs consultants that can offer ideas and direction.
Address your child’s individual learning style! Parker is a sensory seeker! I begin each lesson with some sort of sensory activity, from bouncing on a ball, simple massage, a pressure vest, etc. Also remember that the more senses you employ during a lesson they better those learning connections will be made! Don’t be afraid of getting dirty with fun sensory materials! Add in music, technology, manipulatives! Keep learning directed, but exciting!
Remember, that for homeschooling families, Google is your friend! There are so many blogs and sites full of information and ideas on how to homeschool a child with special needs.
Finally. Resist the temptation to compare your child with others. It’s important that your student progresses, don’t get me wrong. It’s also important that you not get caught up in what material other homeschoolers have seemingly blown thrown and start to push your student in ways that only result in frustration and moving backwards instead of forward. Not that I have any experience with this. sigh.
Want more ideas? Check out this post on multisensory homeschooling for kids with special needs.
More excellent resources:
Homeschooling Children with Special Needs
What are some of your favorite homeschool resources? Share the wealth with us in the comments section below!
Twitter: jenniferajanes
Nov 30, 14
Thank you for mentioning my multisensory homeschooling series! I am so glad to find a fellow special needs advocate who also homeschools!
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You’ve blogged that Parker was very, very behind on many areas you’ve been working with him on for years — walking up/down stairs, pincer grip, etc.
What have you done to ensure he stays on track?
Obviously, you can’t push a fragile kid too much — but surely he should know his letter and to do stairs by now?
UPDATE: Just looked at you email address, Dierdre. You’ve left this comment using a disposable email address. Which means you are a troll. Sad little life, picking on a medically fragile kid with special needs, wouldn’t you say? Please seek help. Who knows what kind of damage you are doing to YOUR kids.
Dierdre,
Low tone in kids with Down syndrome doesn’t just go away. It’s something Parker will always deal with. When you say something like ‘but surely he should do stairs by now’ you are totally ignoring the fact that Parker has a physical and cognitive disabilities.
He is walking up and down stairs, and he was just fitted with new Sure Steps as his ankles rotate to the point where it is a big issue for him. He’ll be better able to stand on one foot (which is a skill needed in many physical activities that we don’t even think twice about) as well as go up and down stairs, switching feet, much faster and easier.
Parker knows his ABCs. In order for a non-verbal child to ‘prove’ mastery they have to first, be able to match a letter’s sound and sign to it’s shape. THEN they have to match a letter’s sound and sign to the shape in a field of two. Then they repeat this in a field of three. It’s not like a typical child where you can ask them to tell you what letter you are holding and then you move on. The non-verbal thing makes for many more trials.
Parker is now reading and creating three letter short vowel words.
Parker can match over 400 words to their pictures.
He knows his numbers and shows mastery of number value from 1-10.
Parker has a pincher grasp. He dislikes writing. BIG difference. Writing is really hard for a kid that struggles with fine motor skills. Again that low tone thing he was born with. So we work to strengthen his hands to make writing an easier activity for him.
Parker works with professional therapists. He has a Home and Hospital teacher who comes Tuesday -Friday for 30 minutes. He works once a week with my mother who is a former special ed teacher. And he works with me daily. 6 30 minute sessions a day, along with free play with my other kids, myself and Reed.
I’d say thank you for asking about my son, but something tells me that you are trying to demean the two of us, rather than actually caring about Parker’s progress.