Deciding the best education for you child is always a tough decision for parents. For parents of autistic children, this can be even harder. Trying to figure out the best place where your child can reach their true potential is a big decision. We recently started discussing homeschooling as an option for Bean, but there is so much to consider. Thankfully, our friend Mary from Edu Aid has come up with her top tips for homeschooling your child with autism spectrum disorder to help us out!
5 Tips for Homeschooling Your Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Home schooling can be a viable and productive option if you are a parent of an autistic child. It provides your child with the specialized care, and individual learning attention not typically possible in a public school, without the high financial cost associated with private school.
If you are considering this option, below are 5 tips for homeschooling your child with autism spectrum disorder.
5 Tips for Homeschooling Your Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder
1. Do your research
Before you get started do your homework and complete comprehensive research on the legal requirements and how to remove your child from the register at their current school.
Educate yourself about the different learning approaches out there, and identify the resources available in your local community.
2. Design the right curriculum and learning plan for your child
Spend time structuring the right curriculum approach and building clear learning plans for each lesson, day, week and term with your child. Remember, there are some things that you are required to teach your child by law, ensure they are included in your plan.
3. Build in time for socializing with other parents and children with autism
While autism does impact a child’s desire to socialize, it does not eliminate the need for them to spend time with other children. It is important for your home-schooled child spend time with other children of a similar age and developmental stage.
There are choirs, activity groups and sports teams that your child can join. You should also build a community of other parents who home school their children for yourself.
4. Be mindful and deliberate about how you manage your other children
Homeschooling your autistic child can easily become all-consuming. It can be challenging to balance the needs of your other children together with the added responsibility of homeschooling your child with special needs.
Do be very deliberate and mindful about monitoring how you spend your time, and the impact on your other children, especially if they are still very young and not in school themselves. Do not be afraid to ask for additional help from friends, family or paid in home support staff.
5. Have a long-term plan for your child’s education
Sometimes as a parent you may feel like you have no choice but to home school your child, this can happen if your child is in a public school where they are overstimulated or your financial situation changes.
It is perfectly fine to home school your child for a short period of time, with the intention of having them return to a conventional school eventually. To do this successfully, it is essential that you have a clear education plan for your child, including how intend to eventually transition them back to mainstream schooling.
Even if you do intend to home school your child for the long-term, it is still important to have a well thought out long-term plan for your child’s education. This should include key milestones and outcomes you hope to achieve.
There Ya Go!
Thanks Maria for those great tips for Homeschooling Your Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Do you have some more tips to add to this list? Let us know in the comments below!