May 13, 2026 – Special Needs Learning: Home Is Best!

Hey, Mama!

Gena Suarez, Publisher of TOS

Special Needs Learning: Home Is Best! 

Hey, Mama,

Maybe someone told you your child needs more than you can give. A specialist. A team. A program. And maybe they do need some of those things. There’s no shame in getting help where help is needed.

But that doesn’t mean your child belongs in a classroom all day. It means they need the one person who knows them best leading the way. That’s you.

Nobody on this earth knows your child like you do. You see the meltdown before it starts. You know which light is too bright, which texture is unbearable, which time of day their brain is sharpest. You know the difference between “I can’t” and “I’m overwhelmed.” You know that Tuesdays are harder than Thursdays for no reason anyone else can explain. You know which words to use and which ones shut them down. You know when to push and when to just sit on the floor beside them and wait.

No public school classroom of twenty-five can do that. But your kitchen table can.

“For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13–14, KJV). God didn’t make a mistake with your child. He gave that masterpiece to you.

You don’t need a degree in special education. You need patience, prayer, and the willingness to go at their pace instead of the world’s. Some days that pace is slow. Some days it surprises you. Both are good. Homeschool them, Mama! You are the one. Bring them home where they belong.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13, KJV). That includes this, Mama. Especially this.

His hand is on your head, Mama. Always.

—Gena

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

 By Dianne Craft, MA, CNHP

Special Needs Learning: Home Is Best

“Am I really the best person to help my child?” This is a question I hear often from parents of bright, struggling learners. When a child is falling behind, it’s natural to wonder if a classroom or specialist might be the better solution.

But here’s the truth: home is often the best place for these children to heal and learn.

Why? Because children with learning struggles don’t just need more instruction, they need different instruction. They need what I call “Healing Teaching”: a gentle, success-driven way of teaching that comes alongside the child and shows them how to use their brain.

At home, you have the unique ability to provide this. You can slow the pace, remove unnecessary pressure, and focus on success instead of completion. You can tailor each lesson to your child’s needs, using visual memory, color, emotion, and simple strategies that tap into their strong right-brain learning style.

In a traditional setting, much of the day is spent keeping up. At home, your child can finally catch up, often making a year or more of growth in a much shorter time when the right methods are used.

Just as important, the home environment restores something many struggling learners have lost: confidence. When a child experiences daily success, tears fade, resistance softens, and learning becomes enjoyable again.

You don’t have to replicate a classroom to be successful. In fact, the more you move away from it, and toward individualized, healing strategies, the more progress you’ll see.

Be encouraged. You are not alone on this journey. God will guide you each step of the way. With the right approach, you can unlock your child’s potential right at home.

www.diannecraft.org

Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

The Inadequate Special Needs Teacher

Having a child with special needs can take all of our energy, creativity, and patience to train, nurture, and educate. It can be exhausting! There are rare breaks due to the constant dependence and oversight, so we find ourselves on our knees for guidance and wisdom—and especially help with resources. Often, we find help in the form of special teachers, teaching methods, or products for these kids. And there are plenty! 

Even with that, there were many years I was convinced of my own inadequacy for this task of home educating. Not many of us think we are getting this 100% right as we meet so many different needs. But I have found in teaching my special learners that I need and am given special grace. God’s grace is what covers all my inadequacies. God’s grace is what covers my child and carries us through each day.

Our special learners thrive at home. They do not have to worry about anxiety, separation, or even comfort. At home, they are treated best and loved most, and in this environment, they make incredible progress. 

Whatever the needs of your child, they are made uniquely by the hand of God to be used by Him for His purposes (Ephesians 2:8-10; Psalm 139). If they are strong-willed fighters, they can be trained to become warriors in God’s army. If they are quiet and compassionate, they can show forth the mercy and love of God. If they are very childlike and innocent, they may be those who are “pure in heart” and will help us see God. If they are extremely intelligent or extremely talkative, they can be useful movers and shakers and orators for the Kingdom of God. Each one is God’s workmanship created for good works. God desires to use us and our children and all of our special needs for His Glory! 

When I feel I am an inadequate teacher, I remember God’s grace—His free and unmerited favor—it is what He pours out on this struggling, special, and very dependent‑on‑God teacher. His grace is also the treasure we offer our struggling learners as we keep them Home Where They Belong.

“In the house of the righteous there is much treasure.” Proverbs 15:6

~Deborah

The Distracted Child by Cheryl Swope, M.Ed. 

Can I Pull My Child with an IEP Out of Public School? by Dianne Craft, MA, CNHP

Labor of Love: Should Parents Homeschool a Child with Autism? by Geary Smith

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Todd Wilson

They All Need It 

I may not know diddly about ‘special needs kids,’ but I do know there are certain non-negotiable needs that all children, including special needs kids, need from their moms and dads.

So, special kids need . . .

to be loved unconditionally.
to be liked unconditionally (which is way different).
to be shown how to trust in and follow God.
to be corrected when behaving inappropriately.
to be prepared for adulthood.
to be shown that they are not the center of the universe.
to be shown forgiveness.
to be shown patience.
to be cuddled.
to be chastised.
to be tickled.
to be told, “No.”
to be told no matter what, I will always love you.

And the best place to teach and learn that . . . is at home.

Be real,

Todd

P.S. Notice that I didn’t even mention algebra or sentence diagramming?!

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About the author

Todd Wilson is a dad, granddad, writer, conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down to earth realness have made him a favorite speaker at homeschool conventions, retreats, and churches across the country. As founder of Familyman Ministries and the Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind dads and moms of what’s most important through weekly e-mails, podcasts (The Familyman Show & The Smiling Homeschooler), seminars, and books and products that encourage parents. Todd, and his wife Debbie, still homeschool two of their eight children (six have graduated with four married) in northern Indiana. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.

Every child learns differently, and who better to know what is best for your child than you? With SchoolhouseTeachers.com, you can explore various grade levels, course formats, and learning approaches to discover what works best for your child, all in one place. As always, with SchoolhouseTeachers.com, you don’t have to navigate it alone! Check out the Help with Special Needs Learning Center, which includes adaptive courses and a Learning Style Assessment.