In response to our recent article in the Washington Post, several people e-mailed us with questions about homeschooling children with AD/HDD and other “special needs”. We suggested Ann Zeise’s page on the subject, but would welcome additional suggestions. If you’re homeschooling a special-needs child, please comment and share your experience. The questions we’ve received have to do with whether homeschooling can be better for these children than the school system. We’d like to post a useful list of resources.
Homeschooling and Special Needs
April 3rd, 2008 · 4 Comments
Tags: Special needs
4 responses so far ↓
1 Debbie Schwarzer // Apr 8, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Special needs, when combined with giftedness, make a combination that responds quite well to homeschooling. These kids are hard for teachers to understand and accommodate on two different levels, and schools are inclined to ignore one or the other aspect while trying to handle the other (addressing the special needs and downplaying the giftedness, or vice versa). See http://www.giftedhomeschoolers.org/2eresources.html for more information about “twice exceptional” children and resources available.
2 Virginia // Apr 15, 2008 at 11:52 pm
When Homeschooling my ADHD, ODD, Cumposlivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder child I find that using a proven program and changing it works for us. We’ve taken Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy lessons and moved the first lessons into modeling clay. making the letters covered and the words out of clay and allowing her to play reading made it fun for her. She lives to play with clay so she didn’t see it as work and by the time we had to move to written versions she already though of reading as play. We have continued to change it up by writing the parts that are meant for her out in colored marker one page per step has kept her seeing everything as play.
3 Miekie // Nov 25, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Homeschooling is the best thing that could have happened to my special needs learner. In one year she progressed from not being able to add 5 + 1 without blocks, to knowing (really knowing) 2-6 times multiplication tables. From being able to read only very, very basic books, to reading Gr 3 + books. From not being able to form a coherent sentence to making a speech about the years work. (I can write a book about her achievements this year).
The beauty of homeschooling is that you can adapt the program according to the child’s needs (interests and abilities), you can give one on one attention and teach tricky skills like typing with correct fingers and sewing with a sewing machine. Her parents feel that all the years in school were wasted. She no longer stutters or cries. There has been excellent progress in all areas of development.
4 Melissa Mae // Aug 16, 2010 at 6:05 am
Yes I agree with Debbie, children with AD/HDD is special, they need one on one program. It will be harder for them and for the teachers,because they should be attended closely. While homeschooling will give you a wide range of program specific for them and their needs.
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