How To Homeschool A Special Needs Child

If your child has special needs and you are considering homeschooling him, then you probably have a lot of questions and concerns. You should know up front that homeschooling can be hard at times but it will always be interesting. However, with the one-on-one learning that parents can provide within a homeschool setting, children who have special needs can truly excel. Here are some tips that can help you out along the way if you do decide that homeschooling is right for you and your child:

1.You cannot duplicate school in your home and hope to succeed, especially if you have younger children. Trying to do this will only make things hard and destroy your child's love of learning. Instead, you need to relax, do things together as a family and encourage your child to follow their own interests.

2.Stop and think about the basic skills that children need to survive in life: reading, writing, math, and a love of learning. You should spend time concentrating on these subjects and allow everything else to be learned whenever your child is ready.

3.Expect to have some bad days that your child will experience very intensely. This is because children with special needs tend to have a different sense of time. For instance, if you have a child with ADHD you will see that she has a "Now-Not now" sense of time, which causes them to grow frustrated whenever they feel as though they are being rushed. These children grow frustrated when they do not do things correctly and will interrupt you because they are afraid that they will forget what they want to say. There will also be discrepancies in your child's skills. For instance, he may be doing second grade math but only first grade English.

4.Make sure that you are willing to take some time off whenever necessary.

5.Humor and exercise are great motivators for children as well.

6.Creating both weekly and monthly calendars that you place where the entire family can see it will help you to keep on track. This will also provide you with structure. However, it is important to understand that structure means predictability and it is not "set in stone."

7.Whenever things get hectic, find a friend with whom you can trade children. This will give you some time away from your own child to be able to relax and recharge.

8.Take some time to help your child work through whatever causes them to become stressed in a non-judgmental way can help them to understand cause and effect. By showing your child compassion whenever you are working through your expectations is very important.

9.If your special needs child has an interest that they are constantly preoccupied with, allow them to have the freedom to do this. Just be sure that your child gets enough rest and proper nutrition. This "hyperfocus" can also be used to introduce your child to other topics. The only time that this should cause you to grow concerned is if this "hyperfocus" is impeding upon your child's mental, physical or social well-being. It is at this time that you should seek professional help for your child from someone who is homeschool friendly.

10.Allow you and your family time to de-stress if your child is leaving the traditional school setting.

11.If you and your child are having a hard take, go for a nature walk. After all, exercise is the best thing for a child with ADHD.

12.Learn how your child likes to learn and what you can do to help your child cope with his disability. You cannot allow these things to frustrate you and when they do, ask others for some help. Take a step back and try to figure out what your child's behavior is really trying to tell you.

13.The school system is set up with limits imposed that are not experienced in the outside world. For instance, in school children can only stay within the same age group and not move ahead regardless of how advanced the child may be. Whenever you are homeschooling your child, these limits are not present. There are numerous opportunities available for your child to be able to learn at their own pace.

14.As far as curriculum is concerned, there are many choices available and you do not even have to use curriculum if you really do not want to. Of course, you can also use such things as books, magazines, videos, television programs, community events, field trips, hikes, science experiments and web sites can become your child's learning tools. So, if a step-by-step curriculum for your child does not work, you should know that it is OK to move on to something that does work.

15.It is also a good idea to help your child to dream big. Even if your child has a disability that will not permit your child to make his dream come true, you should still encourage your child to dream big. After all, your child will more than likely change his mind about what he wants to do whenever he grows up. So, do not miss out on this opportunity to grow closer to your child because sending even a nonverbal message to your child that they are defective will only make your relationship with your child worse. Of course, as adults we need to use labels but these labels do not give us permission to destroy someone's dreams.

16.Learn to be your child's best advocate. This is especially important if your child was once within the traditional school system because a lot of people in this system were involved in trying to help your child. These people may not understand why you have pulled your child out to homeschool her. Therefore, you need to know your rights when it comes to homeschooling.

17.The beauty of homeschooling is that not only will your child benefit from it but you, as the parent, will also benefit. Your homeschooling journey is a decision that you have made about your family's lifestyle. Of course, you will need to have the courage to overcome the hurdles that you will face as a homeschooling parent. With this decision comes stronger bonds within the family, which is a sanctuary of love that your special needs child is sure to benefit from.