Special Needs Homeschooling

Today we have a guest post.

photo courtesy of agastecheg

  Homeschooling is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to take back time with our family.  Our world has become so busy and the time spent as a family unit has declined rapidly over the past 50 years.  I am a mother of 6 amazing and unique children.  I currently have the opportunity to homeschool 3 of my children and I do it specifically because they have special needs.  My daughter Grace is my youngest child and she was born with Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome), my son Ryan has a sensory disorder and my youngest boy Colin has a auditory sensory problem.  My experience homeschooling has been hard but so rewarding.

I received the diagnosis of Down Syndrome when I was 6 months pregnant with my daughter I was not sure what the future would hold for my daughter or my family.  I had no idea how I would handle therapy schedules and special ed programs, my head was spinning and I was scared.  It was not until I came across some literature supporting the homeschooling of special needs children that I ever even thought about it.  I then connected myself with other homeschooling groups specifically focused on special needs children and at that point I knew we were in the right place.

My goal for my children was not only to learn what was age appropriate for them.  I wanted to find a therapy program to help them progress and become the best they can be.  Through my research I was able to find a a therapy program through NACD - National Association for Child Development to provide me with a program to assist me with both of my goals.  Administering the homeschooling and therapy program myself with the guidance of NACD has been so beneficial to all 3 of my children.  My son who is at kindergarden age is reading at a 2nd grade level and doing math at the end of 3rd grade level.  My daughter is talking, can recognize over 100 picture cards and follows 2 step commands at 2 years old.  My son Colin has just started the program and already improved his speech and listening abilities.

Homeschooling gives you the opportunity to be the expert on how your child learns whether they learn typically or have a learning disability.  When you are aware of what is causing your child difficulty you can organize your plan to teach in a way they can retain and learn.  To be honest when planning the future for my family homeschooling was not a thought in my mind.  Since I have been participating in a homeschooling program for the past 2 years I am sold.  I truly enjoy the process of watching my children develop and learn.  I love being a part of their success and I would not change it for the world!

Katie Driscoll is a mom of 6 children and you can learn more about her family at 5boysand1girlmake6.com.