Homeschooling with a Disability
If you feel that your child suffers from a disability that seriously hampers his ability to stick to a routine, then homeschooling is your best choice. The child will be constantly under your supervision. But he will be gaining a lot of quality education, in spite of his disability. This is rather surprising, considering how children with disabilities are stigmatized in public schools.
Statistically, it has been shown that when parents decide to home school their child with a learning disability, the child's learning ability in excelled more than in a school setting. This is said to be accredited to the one on one learning technique and the ability for the child to move at their own pace while not feeling pressured from classmates.
When homeschooling children with a learning disabilities, it is important to have an assessment. If it has been awhile since your child has had an assessment, then you would need to have an assessment done before you write your home school plan to determine what your child knows and at what grade level. For children with learning dis- abilities they will have different grade levels for different subjects.
There are several assessments and academic skills tests available on-line. If your child's assessment is up to date then you can begin writing your home school plan. Start by writing down what areas you plan to work on. These areas are referred to as benchmarks, the standard point of interest. For example, reading, writing, and math are all benchmarks.
Goal setting is an important part of homeschooling a child with disability. Set the number of working hours per week for the child. A child with a disability may have his bad days.
Structure the learning hours according to the needs and interests of the child. Use the computer. This way, he will have all the necessary
Join on-line home schooling e-groups, and forums. In your home town area, look for home schooling support groups. It is good to be involved in social gathering with other parents that are home schooling their children that have learning disabilities. These groups should meet at least once a month to discuss home schooling issues.
These groups are great places to find the most current lesson plans that are being used and how well they work. You can also find out the prices of these plans. Take advantage of networking, you may find someone close to you that can give you a lot of advice.
Field trips and other educational activities are just as important. Get help from your support group. Visit places of interest and interact with other children in the group. Take your child out for some activities, so that he can socialize. Let him set his own pace with making friends. This will help in strengthening his self-esteem.
How can you make sure your child has the best chance to reach his or her full potential? If you slow down for a moment, you may realize that while academic success is important, what you really want for your child is a happy and fulfilling life. As a parent your influence on your child outweighs that of any teacher, tutor, therapist or counselor.
If your child has a learning disability, your love, encouragement, and support can make all the difference, helping him or her emerge with a strong sense of self-confidence and the determination to succeed.
Above all, remember that homeschooling is just the same, even when your child suffers from a disability. You will just need to look for the right opportunities and the easiest alternatives to achieve the goal.