Homeschooling Special Needs Children: Questions and Help
by Wendy
Homeschooling Down Syndrome and Special Needs
I am very much wanting to homeschool my daughter. She is 5 years old and has Down Syndrome. She has been in a typical kindergarten class since school started this year. She has totally been doing fine. But the county we live in has decided that they think placement in a CDC classroom would be best. So we have decided to homeschool. Just don't know how to get started. We live in Chattanooga, Tn. Any help or information you could give me would be great. Thanks Wendy Eyrich Hi Wendy! Welcome to the wonderful world of homeschooling and congratulations on your decision to homeschool your daughter! First, you will want to find out the Tennessee home schooling laws and requirements. I would also encourage you to join a support group - either online or in your area. Finding other parents who are homeschooling special needs children, will provide much support, encouragement and guidance. Claiborne Thornton, president of THEA.org, a TN statewide support group answers another parent's question about homeschooling in Tennessee that may be of interest to you. You may want to check out Choosing & Using Curriculum: For Your Special Child  - you can find it on Amazon. (Check your local library too for this book as well as the ones I list below.)Some homeschooling books you may find helpful as you begin your journey: The Way They Learn, Discover Your Child's Learning Style, Every Child Can Succeed and Seven Kinds of Smart. Finally, I found a wonderful and informative post written by homeschooling mom and author , Barbara Frank; she homeschools a child with down syndrome. I think you will find her thoughts very helpful. Barbara Frank and her husband own Cardamon Publishers; she has written several homeschooling books including The Imperfect Homeschooler's Guide to Homeschooling:A 20-Year Homeschool Veteran Reveals How to Teach Your Kids, Run Your Home and Overcome the Inevitable Challenges of the Homeschooling Life  . She devotes a chapter on homeschooling special needs children.She also lists some educational resources she has found helpful with her son. Keep in mind... what works for someone else, may not work for you. However, finding out what other families use with their special needs child, will definitely help you as you begin to teach your daughter at home. I hope this helps! If you have any other questions or need anything else, please feel free to ask! Blessings, Heather :) |
