Original URL: http://school.familyeducation.com/learning-disabilities/treatments/37778.html

Homeschooling Your Child with Special Needs

by Isabel Shaw

For families who have kids with special needs, the decision to homeschool is usually a desperate move. Parents are often frustrated by the inability of schools to provide the services their child needs. Others are discouraged by the way their child is treated by his classmates or even his teachers. Motivated by an intense desire to overcome labels or individual challenges to their child, parents are deciding to take on the role of "teacher" with increasing frequency. But can ordinary parents help their children succeed when teams of experts are unable to do so? Isn't a school environment the best place for kids to learn? And what about socialization? The answers to these questions may surprise you.

Thomas Armstrong's book, The Myth of the A.D.D. Child, explores the idea that the traditional classroom actually contributes to kids' learning difficulties. Armstrong states, "Kids who are labeled ADD are those who can't or won't put up with the (school) situation. And that may not be such a bad thing, because they're telling us this isn't working. They're harbingers of whatever we need to reform in our schools." In other words, the conservative model of the teacher at the front of the room lecturing and giving instructions with students sitting at desks isn't effective for these kids. Usually very bright, often artistic and dramatic, they simply fall apart when faced with worksheets and meaningless busywork. Armstrong's solution? "It seems to me that homeschooling would be tailor-made for the child who is having trouble in that worksheet wasteland and getting slapped with the ADD label."

Parents of kids with special needs are often advised to medicate their children. They spend hours with counselors and school psychologists, developing coping strategies to get through each school day. Jeffrey Freed and Laurie Parsons, authors of Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World: Unlocking the Potential of Your ADD Child believe we have to rethink our whole approach to working with kids. Freed writes, "What these children need is not a prescription for pills, but a prescription for a different learning method." For many families, homeschooling is that different learning method.

How does homeschooling help kids who have had a difficult time in school? By providing a quiet, safe, non-competitive environment, free of distractions and meaningless busywork. An individualized education plan can be tailor-made to fit the child's abilities and needs. Also, homeschooling allows a child to learn at his own pace and pursue subjects that are of special interest. Hobbies and talents develop and grow. Parents can experiment with different teaching methods, eliminating those that don't work and focusing on those that do. Situations that lead to frustration can be carefully monitored, greatly reducing outbursts and temper tantrums. As one boy who recently started homeschooling told his father, "I didn't know learning could be so much fun!"

Without fail, those who cite concerns about homeschooled children lacking socialization skills know very little about homeschooling. Rather than having experiential knowledge, these critics project a limited idea of what they think homeschooling is about. Homeschool support and resource groups can be found within a reasonable distance of just about every city and most towns. Homeschooled kids get together regularly and enjoy a wide array of activities, from weekly park days to ski trips and campouts. They also participate in Girl/Boy Scouts, 4-H, sports teams, choirs, orchestras, church groups, dance classes, and volunteer activities.

What is missing from the homeschool agenda are encounters with the class bully and being the brunt of hurtful jokes. Also missing is the painful experience of being excluded or shunned by classmates -- an experience common to kids who learn differently. Parents of kids who leave the school system tell me that there is a remarkable change in their children after only a few weeks of homeschooling. Stress and anxiety levels plummet, and kids are often able to eliminate behavior-modifying medication. But the real changes occur after the second year of homeschooling. One mom observed, "My daughter is like a different child."

Obviously, every parent isn't qualified to teach. But for parents who are committed to helping their children learn and willing to work with them on a daily basis, the answer is "yes." As with any major commitment, preparation is essential. Reading, researching, and speaking with experienced parents who homeschool are all necessary steps to building the foundation for a successful homeschooling adventure. Because each child's educational needs are so diverse, it would be impossible to give specific advice or recommendations in this brief article. However, the following resources should get you off to a good start.

Books:

• Home Schooling Children with Special Needs by Sharon Hensley. This is a good reference for parents who are new to homeschooling.
• Think Fast! The ADD Experience edited by Janie Bowman and Thom Hartman with Susan Burgess. You'll find practical advice and true stories from Bowman's work with an ADD/ADHD support group. Bowman homeschools her child, who has ADD.
• Learning in Spite of Labels by Joyce Herzog. This is a gentle guide geared to the Christian homeschooling parent. A veteran teacher (and homeschool mom), Herzog draws on her years of experience to inspire parents with her positive "can-do" attitude.
• How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and on to Learning by Carol Barnier. Yes, Barnier's very active son likes to climb on the refrigerator! A funny book with serious suggestions for helping your child.
• Talking Back to Ritalin by Peter R. Breggin, M.D. Here you'll find documentation and discussion about the dangers of Ritalin and related drugs.
• Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., and John J. Ratey, M.D. This is a fascinating perspective from two psychiatrists who have ADD.
• The Homeschooling Book of Answers - The 88 Most Important Questions Answered by Homeschooling's Most Respected Voices by Linda Dobson. Your best bet for a solid introduction to homeschooling.

Homeschooling is not for everyone. It takes commitment, patience, perseverance, and the unwavering belief that your child can and will succeed on his educational path. Suzanne Stevens, writing in The LD Child and ADHD Child: Ways Parents and Professionals Can Help discusses the homeschooling option with candor: "In the hands of the right family, homeschooling can prevent many painful and destructive situations from developing and can bring healing to children who have been all but crushed by the system. When I ask families if such a radical commitment (homeschooling) was worth it, these parents beam with delight as they say, 'We've got our child back.'" And that, dear parent, says it all.