Home Schooling Programs for Children with Special Needs
- By Kris Koonar
- Published 11/19/2008
- Homeschooling
-
Rating:
Unrated
Children may require special needs due to their genetic or orthopedic imbalances. They may need special attention because of their neurological and perceptual differences, where their thinking process may be affected or fall short of expressing themselves. Their shortcomings manifested in their speech and language, or learning disability etc., may hamper their growth. Some schools offer such special services and needs, but not all of them may be very effective. But, with home schooling it is possible to make a child learn to move ahead in the real world.
Home schooling kids with special needs include those with handicaps like blindness, cerebral palsy, autism, or any other learning disabilities. These handicaps can make the child face an ordeal right from getting ready for school to understanding and grasping what is being taught. Your child may take too long to get ready for that 7:00 A.M school or you may get everything ready and remove obstacles to allow your child to go to school later at 9:00 in a positive mood. But all these attempts would emotionally drain your child. Hence, in such cases, home schooling would be the best solution to tackle the problem.
Parents can be the best teachers of their special needs children. There is no need of them to be specially certified or qualified to teach their handicapped children at home. Studies have found special needs students who received instructions at home to be more engaged that those who often take them in public schools for special needs students. Parents can create better instructional environments at home for their children to improve their academic skills. Home schooling also helps parents give such children the intimate love which instills in them the confidence to learn and not lose heart due to any of their disabilities.
When home schooling, you have to consider the skills and abilities of the child and plan the curriculum accordingly. If your child is in fourth grade, but his or her skill level is of a second grader, then you will have to choose a curriculum that will reinforce and build the child from the current level. Phonetics is great reading exercise, and if your child has speech impediments or hearing loss, phonetics may not serve your purpose. You may ask a speech therapist to suggest a suitable approach.
Computer enhanced programs can be of great help to practice reading, spelling or math in attractive animated formats. There are different sites, which can also help you with different learning techniques and strategies. You can also use real life and hands on experience to motivate your child and maintain an interest in teaching your child.
Children with special needs need all the care and affection in order to learn well, something which can only be achieved in a relaxed atmosphere. When parents take to home school them, they are the best to understand their strengths and weaknesses and can easily get assistance of experts on any tough matters. It is not necessary that only certified people can home school. However, you should preferably check what the law of the state conveys and decide on home schooling accordingly.
Comments 