For parents with children with special needs, it is always a struggle to find the right school that teaches them well. While there are private schools which offer special education for your child, they are often very expensive and their lessons are not truly fit to match your child’s needs.
In some instances, these schools can be far from your home and the trip can be stressful for you and your child or you might be placed on a long waiting list.
So, what do you do if you want to give your kids with special needs the education that truly works for them?
Fortunately, homeschooling is another option you can consider if you wish to help your special needs child get the education he needs. As the name implies, your child will be educated at home rather than a classroom and it can be either you, the parent or a home tutor who will do the lessons and be their teacher.
If it will be you who will be teaching your child at home, you will need to consider and prepare a lot of things to ensure the classes run smoothly. This would mean you will need to sort out a schedule to fit in your child’s lessons and purchase the resources necessary for each class. However, these things will be worth it if done right because homeschooling can offer a better education for your children as compared to the education they can get in a traditional setting.
Still unconvinced? Here are ten major reasons why you should consider homeschool for your child with special needs:
You have a better understanding of what your child’s needs than others
As a parent, we know everything there is to know about our child. We are there from the minute they born, diagnosed that they have a special need, during therapy sessions to taking care of them when they are sick. We have shared everything with our child and because of that, we know what they need without being told directly of what they need. This knowledge can help you adjust your child’s lessons to fit your child’s needs.
Homeschooling enables opportunities for positive socialization
Some people tend to argue that homeschooled children would not be able to socialize with other kids. However, socialization doesn’t have to be just with other kids because children, especially those with special needs, can still socialize by developing their relationship with their siblings and parents. Through homeschooling, you will be able to teach your child how to improve their relationship with others, especially those who are older than them.
Homeschooling does not need to worry about distractions
When your child with special needs is taught in a regular setting, they will be distracted by many things. Children with special needs tend to find it difficult to focus, and distractions will make it harder for them to do their work. By homeschooling, the distractions will be at a minimum and you can simply move them to a silent room for their lessons. You can also spread out the teaching time between your children so you can focus on one child without being distracted to check the others at the same time.
Homeschool enables one-on-one teaching
Many children with special needs will require close monitoring and guidance throughout their lifetime, not just in their education. Take time in explaining concepts and tasks to your child, and give them all the attention they need. When your children with special needs know your focus is on them, it encourages them to do well and it also improves your relationship with one another. It will also help you determine which parts of their lessons need to be adjusted.
It enables better focus on the child’s strengths
For children with special needs, they will need help to overcome all the challenges they will face daily which is why negativity should be avoided in any way. When you have identified their strong subject, spend time in honing their knowledge on the subject to help boost their confidence. When tackling their weak subject, briefly touch them with your child and do not take a lot of time in it to prevent them from becoming stressed on the subject.
You can use their interest or compulsive tendencies to help them focus on their studies
Some children with special needs tend to have random quirks and interest which they tend to fall back into when they are not doing anything. Simply take note of these interests or quirks and use with your lessons. If they love reading colorful books, you can purchase colorful learning books which they can read with you for their classes. Your kids will definitely love it when they can do their favorite things while learning.
Your other children and their fellow homeschoolers can assist your child with their studies
Your child’s siblings can also help you teach your child with special needs because they are also aware of their sibling’s plight. They know how to motivate their siblings in doing their schoolwork because just like normal siblings, children with special needs would also try to copy their older siblings when they do something. If your child does not have siblings, you can recruit your child’s friend or another homeschooler to assist.
You can adjust your child’s life and self-help skills based on their needs
Children with special needs vary when it comes to what they require to make things easier for them to understand. If you teach them at home, you will be able to determine what they exactly need and how to help them. Take time in teaching your child what they need, even if you take the entire semester teaching just one thing. Your child will require a lot of tries to get something done perfectly so you need to support them in every step of the way.
You will be able to teach your child morals, manners and values easier
While homeschooling your child, you will be able to teach your kids the importance of values, manners, and morals by giving them a clear example on how it should be done. Even if they have special needs, your child still needs to learn these things since it is a part of life that they need to be aware of. Do not hold back in teaching them these lessons since it will allow them to be respectable people despite their disability.
You can share your child’s experiences during their education: from the fun times to the challenges
Finally, homeschooling your child with special needs is both rewarding and challenging. Since your child will require more effort to do well in school and life, you will feel the same achievement when their efforts produce results after trying to do it for a long time. It is a priceless experience. If your child feels the frustration, you will also feel it too because you know how much effort they are putting into their work.
Final Thoughts
When you find out that you are a parent to a special needs child, do not immediately feel disheartened that your child won’t be able to keep up with their peers because there is a way to help them.
As parents, we must love our children regardless of their condition and give everything they need even if we have to sacrifice a lot of things for them. The struggle will always be there, but with some love, care, and patience, your child will be able to function as normally as possible and take on life despite their condition with your help.
We have more special needs articles for your reading:
7 Ways Home Tutors Can Support Students with Special Educational Needs
Teaching Tips: 5 Effective Ways TO Help ADHD Kids Learn
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