May 1, 2024 – Special Needs Homeschooling: It Can Be Done!

Hey, Mama!

Gena Suarez, Publisher of TOS

Special Needs Students Thrive with Homeschooling

Hey Mama,

So, you’re thinking about homeschooling your child with special needs? YES! Your kiddo is going to thrive under your love, humor, and overall personality. I mean, who wouldn’t want to learn and grow in the comfort of their own home with the world’s best teacher (that’s you, by the way!)?

Let me tell you, homeschooling is like having a superpower. You— the one who knows them best— get to tailor your child’s education to their unique needs and abilities. It’s like having a custom-made learning plan, and you’re the designer! And the best part? You’re not alone. There’s a whole community of homeschooling families out there, ready to support you and cheer you on. In fact, before you read any further, check out JoinSchoolhouse.com— you absolutely must register with one of these homeschool co-ops this fall. The locations in East Tennessee even have a (highly certified) special needs homeschool mama who helps member parents assess their kids’ needs even further and come up with game plans. She’s excellent! And it’s free to join a Schoolhouse if you’re already a SchoolhouseTeachers.com member. Do it!

Now, I know what you might be thinking. “But Gena, will my child really do well with homeschooling, much less even at a local Schoolhouse?” Well, let me share a little secret with you. According to a study by Dr. Steven Duvall, homeschooling can provide a conducive learning environment for children with special needs, allowing them to thrive academically.

And let’s not forget about the flexibility. Have a doctor’s appointment? No problem. Need to take a break and have a dance party? Go for it! Homeschooling allows you to create a schedule that works for your family and your child’s needs.

But here’s the thing, Mama. It’s not always going to be easy. There will be days when you feel like you’re not doing enough or when things don’t go as planned. That’s when you lean on your faith. Remember, our great God has a plan for your family, and He’s walking beside you every step of the way. As it says in Philippians 4:13 (KJV), “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” And it’s true. You know it’s true because you have seen His hand so many times before.

So, put on your cape, Mama. You’ve got this!  And just think, one day, you’ll look back and realize that you not only taught your child academics but also helped them grow into the incredible person God created them to be. Discipleship, Mama. It’s about discipleship, and your special needs kids need that as much as any other child. Disciple them. Raise them up in Him, in the way they should go. And as you do so, you must remember something else, dear one, because it is so important: His hand is on your head today. He’s not leaving.

Reference: Duvall, S. F. (2004). The effectiveness of homeschooling students with special needs. In B. S. Cooper (Ed.), Home schooling in full view: A reader (pp. 151-166). Information Age Publishing.

-gena

Whole Brain Teaching – Begin your “healing teaching year” with at-home midline therapy and right brain teaching to get your child caught up! https://diannecraft.org

Beth Mora

Homeschooling is the Best Option for Children with Special Needs

Me: Spell the word “BECAUSE”
Daughter: “B-E-C-A-Z”
Me: <Repeat spelling rule instruction, hands-on practice of correct spelling, and give encouragement.>
Daughter: B-E E-C-A-Z
Me: <Repeat spelling rule instruction, hands-on practice of correct spelling, and give encouragement.
Daughter: B-E-A-C-AU-Z-E
Me:<Repeat the above scenario . . . for. the. next. twelve. years.>

My daughter has dyslexia, dysgraphia, and struggles to write her thoughts down. Although I had many experts and family members telling me to let the professionals in the public school handle it, I cringed at the thought of what that would do to her self-worth. I am grateful we homeschooled her through high school. She’s a beautiful woman inside and out and is now a wife, a mother, and a very successful business owner.

Whether your child has a physical, emotional, or mental disability or a learning challenge, as a former certified rehabilitation nurse, I wholeheartedly shout out, “Homeschooling is, by far, the best option for your child with special needs!”

Why am I so passionate? Homeschooling is the creme de la creme for individualized instruction pillowed by your loving support and encouragement. Your child will not receive this kind of care consistently anywhere else.

But let’s face it, it is one tough journey, and there were four things that I constantly needed to remind myself of:

1. There is no magical curriculum that will fix all, so I need to be flexible and creative.
2. I need support—friends who understand and know how to pray.
3. Don’t compare her journey with others; let her grow at her own pace.
4. Steady plodding equals success. There’s no “behind” in homeschooling.

When my daughter graduated, she gave me a treasured gift that sits on my desk. It’s a coffee mug with the word “BECAUSE” printed about twenty times, proving that she knows how to spell it. When she gave it to me, we laughed and cried; she thanked me with a big hug. And I thanked God for the opportunity to homeschool this precious young lady. If you are at the beginning, middle, or nearing the end of your homeschool journey with your child who has special needs—do not give up! Homeschooling is the best option for children with special needs.

About the author

Beth Mora is creator/teacher-on-camera for Here to Help Learning’s Homeschool Writing Program (grades 1–6) and homeschool conference and women’s events speaker. She loves to blog at Home to Home. She serves up HTHL’s Writing Tip of the Week for those teaching their kiddos to write. Everything she does, whether laughable or heart-gripping, is done to honor One. God’s grace is the salve that has healed her own life and is what she offers liberally to others.

Dianne Craft

https://diannecraft.org/

Special Needs Homeschooling: It Can Be Done

Many parents across the country are contemplating homeschooling their child with special needs but are daunted by the uncertainty of not being able to provide the same resources as the school. As a special needs learning consultant with twenty years teaching in Resource Rooms, I have worked with hundreds of parents across the country who are delighted with their child’s response to learning at home. These children are thriving when allowed to work in a less structured setting with more tailored teaching methods.

Home “Resource Room”

The important thing to remember about these smart, hard-working kids and teens who have to work too hard to learn, is that we do not want to teach “slower, louder and more repetition.” Instead, we want to teach the way they learn. We use a more tailored teaching method, in which you automatically put “memory hooks” on everything that needs to be learned. You will cover the same subject matter as instructed in your curriculum, but you will aid in memory or understanding of the subject by drawing little cartoon-like pictures, stories, emotions, or zany clues to the information. This user-friendly method of instruction bypasses the student’s learning weaknesses and takes advantage of the student’s strong visual memory. They learn the power of using their “photographic memory” to instantly store processes in their long-term memory.

We use this method from kindergarten through high school, and many students even continue to use these visual strategies through college. You can apply this to reading, writing, math, spelling, vocabulary, and other subjects where they need the extra “Velcro.” These strategies work with any curriculum. Invest in a flip chart so you can isolate concepts that need extra memory hooks and to easily review the templates you make with your child.

Resources

Both HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association) and your local homeschool groups will have resources for local tutors, online help, legal protection, recommended curriculums, etc. to help you navigate your new at-home teaching structure. We also have many articles and free downloads on our website to help you get started.

You can do this, and you will become addicted to your child’s success!

About the author

Dianne Craft has a Master’s Degree in Learning Disabilities and is a Certified Natural Health Professional. Her books, The Brain Integration Therapy Manual, The Right Brain Phonics Reading Program, her new Craft Right Brain Readers for children with dyslexia, and her DVDs, Teaching the Right Brain Child, Smart Kids Who Hate to Write, and The Biology of Behavior have helped hundreds of families remove learning blocks in their struggling children. Review her other articles published through The Old Schoolhouse Magazine to learn more about Right Brain “Healing Teaching” such as “Spelling Can Be Easy,” “Can I Pull My Child with an IEP Out of Public School?” and “Dyslexia: How Do I Teach This Child?”  https://diannecraft.org/

Pillar of Faith

Heidi Mosher

Because You Are Special, Your Child Needs You

Let’s cover an area that doesn’t get talked about often: learning challenges that don’t quite fall under a category or that are undiagnosed. 

Tears and lack of cooperation are a child’s not-yet-mature way of communicating their need for help. If they’re crying, they’re telling you they need your maturity and love (not necessarily a new curriculum or medication or a “real” school setting.) You are irreplaceable. Equipped with a mother’s love, you can meet their needs like no other. Because you are special, your child needs you. 

Every child has different needs, challenges, and abilities. Every child could benefit from a tailored educational experience that lovingly takes those needs and abilities into consideration. That’s why homeschooling is exceptional. We understand what motivates our children, and we see where they struggle. As homeschool moms, we can invest our time into research and creativity for each child’s success. 

Here’s how I define homeschool success: honoring the uniqueness of a child and working towards the best outcome for that child, while maintaining an invested, loving relationship. 

“Everybody responds better to praise than to criticism.” That’s what my boys’ soccer coach told me when I thanked her for her constant stream of positivity. Her little players felt like stars. We can apply that wisdom as a bright line to guide our homeschooling.

So, we can recognize that every child is unique, and we can pour positivity into their schooldays. How else can we deliver for a homeschooled child who struggles with vague learning challenges? Show your child that he or she is not alone. Watch the burden lift when you work her math problems too, right next to her, or when you compose a paragraph of your own to share with him after he writes. Incentivize school time by connecting before each school session with “five minutes of fun” together (a quick game, a Mad Lib, or maybe a tiny Lego build). Little relationship investments like these show a child that you are with them and for them. They foster cooperation and wipe away tears.  

These years go quickly! Spend them together. And keep this central in your homeschool: because you are special, your child needs you.

About the author

Heidi Mosher is honored to write for The Homeschool Minute, as it was the lifeline of her early homeschooling years. She is thankful to be the mother of four—two recent homeschool graduates and two who are currently homeschooled.

Are you concerned about a reader who’s having difficulty? Is your student not experiencing the joy of reading? If that’s the case, consider Reading Remedies on SchoolhouseTeachers.com. Through its combination of text-based lessons, audio files, printable materials, and book lists, students with diverse learning preferences will be able to see their progress as they strive to enhance their literacy skills.