You CAN Homeschool Your Learning Challenged Child.
One of the questions I'm frequently asked is, "Can I homeschool my child?
He (she) has learning disabilities." Parents are often terrified at
the though of having to meet the special learning needs of a challenging
child.
My answer is an emphatic, "YES!" You can homeschool your child, and he will probably do better than he could in a traditional school setting. By the simple fact that you will be providing your child with one-on-one, direct instruction, he will progress faster than he could in a traditional classroom.
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Another fact that may be concerning you is whether you are 'qualified' to teach your child.
Again, I say, "YES!" Did you know that very few classroom teachers have any specialized training in teaching children with learning disabilities? In college, students studying to become teachers are generally required to take one special education class. The topic of that class is "How to recognize special need or learning disabilities". The class only teaches recognition, not remediation. This is why so many children 'fall through the cracks' in traditional classrooms -- the teachers are just not qualified to meet the child's specific learning needs. (continued below..)
Generally speaking, you are as capable of teaching your child as any
general education classroom teacher. Specialists in Special Education
Resource classes may, or may not, have special education backgrounds
which qualify them to teach your child. MANY school districts place
general education teachers into Resource Room settings simply because
they need a teacher for that room. Some teachers are specially trained,
and qualified to be Resource Room teachers, but whether or not the teacher
has training specific to your child's needs is yet another issue.
Basically, chances of getting a highly qualified teacher able to meet your child's specific needs in a typical school setting are not that great, although No Child Left Behind does seek to increase that possibility.
So,
if you do decide to homeschool, where do you begin? Three resources
will help you extensively:
1) The Internet - There are any number
of resources for helping parents get acquainted with the idea of home schooling
a child with special learning challenges. There are special resource
sites for just about any learning difficulty. This site provides links,
curriculum resources, a support group, and other information that can
help you get started teaching a child with a Specific Learning Disability
such as ADD,
ADHD,
Dyslexia,
Dyscalculia,
Dysgraphia,
mild Asperger's,
mild Autism,
or other such resources. If your child has a physical impairment, such
as blindness, deafness, Cerebral Palsy, etc., you can find resources
specific to your child by searching for "<your child's disability>
and Homeschool
2) Your Local Library - Libraries are great places to find books about home schooling in general, your child's specific learning challenge, teaching methods, and even books about your home schooling your special needs child. If you find out about a book that you think would be helpful, but your local library doesn't have the book, ask your librarian about "Inter-Library Loans". Most libraries offer this service. They will borrow the book from a library that has the book, and will let you check it out. It can take longer to get the book, but I have found I can get just about ANY book I want to read this way.
3) Local Support Groups - If you live in a large metropolitan area, there are likely to be all kinds of support groups around town. You may even be able to find one specific to home schooling children with learning difficulties. If you live in a smaller community without many resources, your likelihood of finding a special needs group are slimmer, but you can probably still find a homeschool support group nearby. (continued below..)
Unfortunately,
if you live in a truly remote location, you probably won't find people
to meet with, but you can get lots of help and support from groups on
the Internet. A good place to start is the Learning
Abled Kids Yahoo group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LearningAbledKids/
. As with item #1 above, the group is specific to home schooling children
with Specific Learning Disabilities. You can find other Yahoo Support
Groups by searching Yahoo
Groups for "<your child's disability> and Homeschool
Most parents who begin home schooling a child with Learning Challenges
are concerned about being able to meet their child's specific needs.
You know your child better than anyone on this great planet, so no one
is more qualified than YOU to meet your child's needs. home schooling
isn't for the faint-hearted though, as it is considerable work, but
the rewards are hefty when you see your child leap forward. And you
will see many, many leaps through home schooling.. Many more than you
would see in a traditional classroom setting. I hope I've answered some
of your basic questions about getting started. If you find you need
additional help, stop by Learning
Abled Kids, check out the resources, join our group, and everyone
will help you as best we can!
Best Wishes in getting started,
Sandy
Cook
Sandy Cook has two children with specific learning needs including dyslexia, dysgraphia, attention deficits, and executive dysfunction and is webmaster of Learning Abled Kids. She has completed 56 hours of Orton-Gillingham training, is a trained Special Education Advocate, and will complete her master's degree in Instructional Design in Fall 2006.
Article published October 7, 2005 at:
http://reliableanswers.com/hs/learning_challenged_child.asp