Yes!! You absolutely can do this! You are absolutely capable to homeschool a special needs child.
I am passionate about homeschooling and want to encourage and equip others on this journey. I started homeschooling well before we were aware my sweet twin girls would have learning and behavioral challenges. They are eleven now, and while I would love to say that my girls having special needs always encouraged me to continue homeschooling, but that would be a lie. Some days are so very difficult and I want to throw in the towel. Somedays there is no “book learning”, it is simply monitoring behaviors and making sure simple self care is happening. It is second guessing yourself all the time, because all the professionals tell you they should be in school. But, it is worth it!
Those hard days are producing fruit in me and all my children, I just may not see it yet. We are learning how to be a family, through good times and bad. We are seeing that doing hard things are valuable and a worthwhile use of our time. My mindset of homeschooling children with special needs was revolutionized by this book,
Cheryl Swope also has twins with various special needs and homeschooled them all the way through. Her writing reminds you that these children are the image bearers of God and should be given a beautiful education and these children are not the sum of the test scores, they are so frequently given. She gives practical advice on how to find the best resources for our children with special needs. She also created curriculum for children with special needs, https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/special-needs/
I love this quote from Martin Cothran, in Simply Classical.
If a child cannot accommodate the amount or depth of knowledge of most children, it is not less, but more important that what he learns be of the highest quality.
This quote helped me give life back to our homeschool four years ago. Regardless of the method of homeschooling you choose, always choose a beautiful education for all of your children. Expose them to beautiful art, music and literature. Teach them through modeling, reading, drawing, writing, and painting. One of the best parts of homeschooling is redeeming your own education on the way.
Homeschooling children with special needs allows for accommodating for your child’s needs. I remember leaving many doctor appointments with a list of accommodations for my children and thinking, we are already do these things. I don’t need to fight for them at an IEP meeting. I can provide one on one teaching time, give breaks, have snacks, headphones, whatever they need!
Homeschooling a special needs child is not easy, but it is so very worth it! There are so many days that I feel I am learning more from them than they are from me. If you choose this course, there will be many highs and lows, but just stay the course. You can do this! Homeschooling is growing at a very rapid rate and there are so many resources available to us. I would love to walk alongside you on this journey you have been called to do.
