Children with disabilities might have a hard time in traditional schools. Even with regulations in place to help these children, schools might fail to adequately meet the needs of each individual student; and that doesn’t even take into account social problems that some of these children might also face.
For some families, homeschooling can be the perfect solution to many of the problems that children with disabilities might face at a traditional public or private school. Here are five ways that homeschooling can help children with disabilities succeed in their schooling.
1. Students with Disabilities Can Have Their Individual Needs Met
Traditional schools try to accommodate children with disabilities, but not every school has all of the resources necessary to truly help these students excel in the classroom. Some of these students might have sensory or anxiety disorders that are hard for schools to work around. At home, parents can make sure that there is a safe learning environment that caters to their needs. For example, children with sensory disorders might need a place that is quiet and dimly lit. In schools, teachers can’t turn off lights to make sure one student is comfortable.
Desks might also be uncomfortable for those with physical disabilities. Sitting on the floor or on a yoga ball might make these students feel more comfortable while they complete their schoolwork. Certain color schemes and music choices might also be helpful for students with disabilities, and these needs are more easily met in a one-on-one situation at home.
In a traditional classroom, students with disabilities are often left behind when they don’t grasp a concept at the same rate as their peers. With homeschooling, students can work at their own pace without feeling the anxiety that comes with being behind other students. In the same scope, parents can spend more time teaching concepts that children are struggling with. With Power Homeschool’s online classes, our technology will catch when students are having a hard time understanding specific concepts and then go back to help students understand. Often, children with disabilities aren’t going to get this type of personalized teaching at a traditional school.
2. Parents Can Focus on Their Child’s Strengths
Most schools teach every single student the same lesson, and these lessons are generally taught through lectures, homework, written reports, and standardized tests. Children with disabilities often need to be taught in different ways. If your child learns better with hands-on activities, you can avoid trying to force them to learn through rote memorization or written reports.
To make lessons more interesting, parents can also incorporate some of their child’s favorite things. For example, if your child loves animals, you can use animals in your lesson to keep your child motivated to complete their schoolwork.
3. Homeschooling Can Provide Saftey from Bullying
Unfortunately, students with disabilities are often the target of bullying and teasing from their classmates. Parents of children with disabilities worry that their children will be rejected based solely on their disability. The increased risk of bullying frightens a lot of parents of children with disabilities.
With homeschooling, parents can find peer groups where their children can be accepted and make friends. Playdates can be arranged with other children of the parents’ choosing. Additionally, children with disabilities can be taught what positive social interactions look like, which isn’t always the case when children are away at school for hours every day.
4. Coursework Can Be Done at a Time That Works Best for the Student
Structure and routine are important for all children, and children with disabilities often rely on this type of structure. However, children with disabilities might require more frequent breaks to stay focused and prevent frustration. Disabilities might also lead to bad days, and students aren’t likely to get much accomplished on a really bad day. Instead, parents can rest assured that their child isn’t going to fall behind when they are having a hard time.
It can be a challenge to work doctor’s appointments into a school day at a traditional school. When parents homeschool their children, they have the ability to schedule in doctor’s appointments without worrying about missed class time.
Online homeschooling coursework through Power Homeschool allows students to work at their own pace, so on bad days, there is no need to feel guilty for skipping a day and working when it is best for your child.
5. There Are Fewer Distractions at Home
At school, there are all kinds of different distractions. From other kids to flickering lights, children with disabilities might not be able to stay focused with so many different distractions. Homeschooling allows parents to create an ideal school setting for their child. By creating a quiet, comfortable place without any distractions, you can help your child be more productive in the classroom.
My name is Marlolis Villarreal and I have a son with Autism. Will this program work for him
I would like to know this as well. My daughter is autistic and loves math, but has a hard time with reading and writing. Would this be OK for her?
Hi- my son is Autistic and we tried about 4 other programs and styles of homeschooling first and this was the best fit. Everything is in one place -he signs on and has 7 courses. He does not get confused. He is high functioning , I am not sure where your son falls on the spectrum – but this has been an amazing fit for my son.
I have been homeschooled for(nearly)all my life.
I have a child with learning problems will this work ? Also how does the paperwork go for each quarter do I still have to do that?
I have a child on the Autism spectrum and is in public school in special education with resource and accommodations and modifications in place with an IEP….. is your program suitable for my child?
Once the child is done school (12th grade), how does the child obtain their High School diploma?
Will this program accommodate my sons reading comprehension disabilities?
Can the children start at a different grade level? My son is 14 and in 7th grade but I am pulling him out for online because he is so behind! Currently his studies are between 2-4th grade level! Can I start him at those levels with this program? I am going to try to build a better foundation as the school system didn’t address his issues and help him they just pushed him forward which actually made him regress!
Hi! Pulling your kid out of public school will be the best thing you ever do for your child. The public school system is made to group every kid together and if your child is anything other than what they consider “normal” then they will just push him through to get the funding. My son is 14 and on the spectrum. I pulled him out when the pandemic started and homeschooled using Easy Peasy and Accellus. He is above grade level now! Accellus is great for catching up to grade level and EasyPeasy picks up fun electives like Marine Biology. I filed with the state as a homeschool and never looked back. Take the education into your own hands. You don’t need an IEP, you are his IEP!!!!!!
Are courses available with ASL interpreting for deaf/hard of hearing students?
My son currently has an IEP at his public school. I am withdrawing him within the next 48 hours and wanted to check and see how IEP’s work with you Power Homeschooling Services. Please let me know how I could implement his IEP with your online homeschooling.
You can use IEP with Accellus but if you homeschool, you don’t really need an IEP. That is all from the ridiculous school system we have in place. It means that your kid isn’t like the rest and needs “special” remedies. I ditched all of the that when I started Accellus! You can still use it, but why?
My son had a IEP but I’m homeschooling he has a learning disability would this work for him
I have (3) girls, the youngest will be 13 (autistic with learning disabilities) excellent reader, absolutely no understanding of math, the oldest just turned 17 (a senior with autism, sensory issues, OCD, and learning disabilities) good at spelling, struggles to read, no understanding of math. Both girls have come very far since removing them from public schools with IEPs and special ed, (they couldn’t read anything, write anything, or spell their own names; now they can…but I’m sure they are capable of so much more)
My son is higher functioning autistic and he is in 9th grade now how is the highschool program is it hard for autistic kiddos a little bit behind in studies
Yes they will help your child with autism I have a son that’s on autism and they helped him very well only thing I need him to do is to learn how to write other than that he is smart thank you very much PowerSchool.
My son has autism and refuses to go to school. I am trying to get him a curriculum to follow. He needs to work at his own pace. is this program the right fit for him?