Homeschooling is a progressive movement around the country and the world in which parents opt to educate their children at home instead of sending them to a traditional public or private school. More families are now choosing to homeschool for various reasons, including different religious or educational philosophies, dissatisfaction with the educational options available, and the belief that children are not advancing within the traditional school structure.
An advantage of homeschooling is that students can progress according to their own temperament and timetable. In a study done by the National Home Education Research Institute, homeschoolers had an average standardized test score in the 87th percentile, compared to the average score in the 50th percentile by children in public schools. They could, though, be several grades ahead in certain subjects but behind in others. But can this non-traditional method be an option for a child with special needs?
The following are things to evaluate when considering homeschooling a child with special needs:
- If you have not already, learn all you can about your child’s diagnosis while recognizing that your child is more than a particular diagnosis or label. By learning about your child’s diagnosis and different abilities, you can grow in understanding of how to better support them.
- Learn more about the homeschooling movement and what's involved when parents educate their kids at home. Better understand the commitment, pros, and cons of this educational choice.
- Connect with parents of special needs children who are already homeschooling.
Talking with parents can provide a realistic understanding and direction while helping you figure out what’s needed if you want to get started. They can also offer resources to enrich your homeschooling experience if that is the route you choose to take.
- Understand your state’s homeschool laws. Every state has different laws that regulate homeschooling practices. Some are less rigorous, while others require check-ins and testing on par with what kids in the public school experience.
- Make istikharah. Ask Allah to guide you in making the best decisions for your child.
Anticipating Necessary Resources
The matter of resources needed and who will be paying for them deserves special attention. Does/will your child require one or more evaluations or services like occupational therapy, speech/language therapy, vision therapy, or physical therapy? Keep in mind that, some kids with special needs, may also need personalized therapy, and private therapies might be the only option if homeschooling.
Therapies are resources that can provide essential support for children with special needs. These therapies can work to address the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional needs of each unique child. If your child is in special education, he/she may be eligible to receive therapy services through the school district. (Therapies that students receive in schools are considered “related services” under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). “Related services” include a wide variety of developmental, corrective, and other supportive services provided as needed to enable a child to benefit from special education.) When considering homeschooling your special needs child, be sure to research and understand that, depending on where you live you, you may be opting out of these essential services through your school district leaving you to pay out of pocket through private providers.
These services include, but are not limited to:
- Occupational Therapy is essential to help children develop and strengthen everyday skills, aid school performance, and even boost confidence and self-esteem. In particular, occupational therapy is used to develop fine motor skills, so children can better perform tasks like writing, computing, grasping and releasing toys, tying their shoes, and using utensils. It can also help improve eye-hand coordination, which leaves children better able to play and participate in activities (by batting a ball or copying information down from a whiteboard, for example).
Occupational therapy can also have emotional benefits, as it allows children to practice how they manage feelings of frustration and anger and learn positive coping mechanisms. It’s also an effective way of helping children gain basic life skills, such as dressing themselves, bathing, brushing their teeth, and feeding themselves. A school occupational therapist can help identify and resolve problems specific to the classroom. Writing aids, weighted items, and special seating, for example, can be provided to prevent children from getting distracted and fidgeting and to strengthen their concentration and focus.
- Speech Therapy is performed with the help of a speech-language therapist and addresses common challenges with verbal, nonverbal, and social language and communication. The specific challenges experienced by each child can vary greatly; some children aren’t able to speak at all, while others are very talkative but struggle to converse properly with others or to understand body language and facial cues during the conversation. Speech therapy aims to help children strengthen their spoken communication skills, learn nonverbal skills (like body gestures or signs), or learn to communicate via other methods like technology or pictures. It can also help children strengthen their mouth, jaw, and neck muscles, speak more clearly, respond to questions better, and modulate their tone of voice.
Articulation Therapy, a part of speech therapy, involves the therapist performing correct sounds and syllables, typically during play sessions. The child is shown how to make specific sounds (like the “r” sound) and the speech therapist may also demonstrate how the tongue should be moved and shaped to form these sounds. Alternatively, language intervention activities involve the speech therapist talking and playing with the child with the help of toys, books, or pictures to boost language development. The therapist may show the child how to use correct vocabulary, and grammar and repetition exercises may be used to improve communication skills.
Finally, Oral-Motor Therapy (or feeding and swallowing therapy) involves strengthening the muscles in the mouth used for swallowing, eating, and drinking. A number of oral exercises are performed, including jaw, tongue, and lip exercises and facial massage. The child may also be encouraged to try various different food textures and temperatures to increase their oral awareness as they chew and swallow.
- Physical Therapy is primarily focused is on the rehabilitation and treatment of physical disorders that affect functional ability, general mobility, and potential movement, all of which can improve the quality of life for your child with special needs. The therapy may include activities with actions such as exercise, controlled motor functions, or strength training to help overcome obstacles to physical wellness.
- Play Therapy, an alternative to traditional talk therapy, can help children with special education needs to develop important skills like language, social communication, self-control, and body awareness. During a play session, a therapist oversees the child’s exploration of the play environment as they work through their feelings, ultimately making them seem more manageable and less scary and overwhelming. The therapist may only intervene when the child encounters a problem they need help solving.
In particular, Sand Tray Therapy is a popular activity, which involves the children using certain play materials as a way to discover new things about themselves. While some children may progress quickly with play therapy, other children may require a longer period of time to become comfortable in the environment and release their inner thoughts and worries through play.
- Music Therapy is a way to boost cognitive function and conceptual understanding, or as a way to improve motor or behavioral skills. Using music, a therapist works with a child to achieve non-musical treatment goals using certain behaviors and repetition. Music is used as an educational stimulus to help a child with special needs work toward specific goals. Research has shown us that music is processed in a part of the brain that is separate from language and speech, which explains why some children can more easily absorb information and communicate better through music or song. When a child with special needs is having a hard time communicating, music therapy can offer them an outlet for their frustration, and the ability to knock down barriers and help them overcome their learning obstacles.
- Art Therapy is an alternative method to help a child with special needs work through issues that are troubling to their development and to facilitate positive changes in a child’s behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. It can be accomplished in a number of ways. Primarily, art therapy relies on how art impacts the neurological system, so the artistic materials being used during therapy are seen as an intervention of some sort. It can present its own set of unique stressors and challenges as a child with special needs learns material manipulation, focus, and how to nurture tangible relationships. This is incredibly beneficial because it helps the child “unlearn” behavior that has previously been associated with a negative emotion or situation, and replaces it with positive change and behaviors.
Acknowledging the unique needs of each child and then finding the best ways to meet your child’s individual needs and preparing them to succeed should be the main priority when deciding what is best. As your child’s parent and first teacher, you know your child better than anyone else.
Our Personal Story
My son Noah is on the spectrum and is a high-support student. I wasn’t confident he’d get the help or engagement he needed if I homeschooled him. After receiving Early Intervention services from Easter Seals I enrolled him in our local school districts Early Childhood Education program. My husband and I had very briefly considered private schools, but unfortunately, the Islamic schools in our areas are not equipped to provide proper education with the required services and resources that my son needs. We were also navigating the world of therapy and I knew that we were not financially capable of ensuring he would receive all the therapies that he could and would benefit from if we had to pay out of pocket.
I also realized I was not emotionally or mentally capable of taking on the overwhelming task of providing regular instruction for him.. I recognized I was already overwhelmed but also knew I wanted the best possible opportunities for my son and for my family.
Another factor that played a role in my decision was that a school environment would allow Noah to learn and practice social skills on an everyday basis and hopefully strengthen his confidence in group situations. (He has learned turn-taking, sharing, waiting patiently, and so much more with the help of his school socialworker!)
When enrolling him into public school I willingly took on the role of advocate, meaning I had to educate myself on his rights as a student, my rights as a parent, and the schools rights, too. This helped me attain knowledge and gain the confidence I needed to be an equal partner in formulating an educational plan that met my son’s special needs.
The past six years have been quite a journey and each year I learn more and more about what Noah needs and how my husband and I, in collobooration with his teachers, teacher’s aids, therapists inside of school and outside, can do to support and empower him to reach behavioral, academic, life skills, and the social goals that will, inshaAllah, God-willing, help him be able to live the most successful and independent life that he possibly can.
Below are a few links that might benefit you in making an informed decisions:
- https://ncadmin.nc.gov/public/home-school-information/home-school-requirements-recommendations
- https://www.nasbe.org/
- https://sites.ed.gov/idea/
Miriam Mohamed is a mother to seven children and a granny to two cats! She loves trying new things and learning cool facts. She has taught in an Islamic school setting, has experience assisting children with special needs, and enjoys volunteering and being a part of the community. Miriam lives in Chicago with her beautiful flowering cherry tree and big family.
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