Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp |
Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp. All rights reserved. |
about the book |
"Mountains cannot be surmounted except by winding paths." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "My heart is singing for joy this morning. A miracle has happened! The light of understanding has shone upon my little pupil's mind, and behold, all things are changed." -- Anne Sullivan (1866 – 1936) I can't change my son's peers to make them understand, but I can change to understanding peers for my son. ~Priscilla McCanney |
The Homeschool Diner's Guide to Special Needs Homeschooling by Julie Shepherd Knapp, copyright 2006 Helpful resources for homeschooling children who have learning disabilities and other disorders and differences that impact learning. This is only the beginning of your research if you are homeschooling a child with special needs -- you will need to seek out up-to-date specific information on dealing with your child's particular situation. There will definitely be times when you will need or want professional help or intervention, and it would be very helpful for you to join a support group of other homeschool parents who deal with the same issues so that you are aware of what types of help are available. Other parents can also report their success or failure with various programs and methods, which may help you narrow down your search for the best approaches to try with your child. It is legal to homeschool special needs students in the US and in Canada, but some states and provinces have special requirements for reporting and curriculum approval -- consult your state regulations and check with your state's homeschool organization for more info. After taking a look at the resources I have gathered here do a Google search for "homeschooling" combined with your child's disability or disorder and take a look at what else is out there... you may be pleasantly surprised at all the resources! Getting Started But I Have So Many Questions by Jean Kulczyk -- the ins and outs of special needs homeschooling, including legal considerations and using school services Ten Steps to Successfully Homeschool Children with Special Needs -- by Janie Bowman of Brightworld Homeschooling Special Needs (in 8 easy lessons) by Terrie Bittner Homeschooling Your Child With Special Needs from FamilyEducation.com Learning Disabilities and Homeschool Jitters by Sandy Cook Yesterday's Child by Janie Bowman of Brightworld Homeschooling LD/ADD Children: Great Idea or Big Mistake? by Suzanne H. Stevens and John F. Blair -- a in-depth look at the issues involved with homeschooling your child with LD Life Success for Children with Learning Disabilities -- research and practical strategies for fostering the positive characteristics children will need to overcome and deal with disabilities The SCREAMS Model: The Sweet Sound of Success -- guidelines for providing non-controlling forms of structure and behavior modeling for children with FAS, but the method has good tips for all parents The Optimistic Child: A Proven Program to Safeguard Children Against Depression and Build Lifelong Resilience by Martin Seligman, describes how to help children with the life skills that can "transform helplessness into mastery and bolster self-esteem" Parent Tips -- from LD Online, includes a list of various types of professionals and how they can help Resources for Learning Differences Click on a topic to see specific resources and online support for these particular special needs: Dyslexia and Other Vision Issues Dysgraphia Dyscalcula Executive Function Deficits Auditory Processing Disorder Nonverbal Learning Disorder ADD/ADHD Sensory Integration Disorder Aspergers Tourette's and OCD Bipolar FAS Twice Exceptional (gifted/LD) Visual-Spatial and Creative Learners Perfectionism Resources for Specific Skills Help Social Skills Help Help with Speech and Communication Issues Short Term Memory Help (auditory and visual) Help for Reluctant Writers and Kids Who Hate to Write Classroom teaching strategies for children with LDs Other Helpful Resources General Websites for Information and Resources For more information on many special needs Online Support for a Variety of Other Special Needs support groups for many special situations not listed above Therapy Options and Assistive Products Multi-Sensory Instruction and Learning Styles from Learning Abled Kids -- what are the different types of learners? How do you incorporate multi-sensory teaching techniques in your homeschool? What are physiological learning preferences? This free online tutorial covers it all :-) For Older Students Help for College Students with Disabilities -- resource links for arranging a 504 Plan, from Wright's Law website DO-IT -- streaming video presentations give advice and encouragement to teens with disabilities, various subjects include career planning, internship opportunities, college, assistive technology in the workplace KIB Life and Job Skills -- booklets, units, and workbooks covering various topics, designed for middle school and older kids Related Issues AbleChild.org -- Parents for Label and Drug Free Education General Developmental Milestones Can children have learning disabilities but still be gifted in other areas? Yes! Read more about gifted characteristics and about children who are both gifted and LD (twice exceptional) Does your child have a disorder... or is he or she "gifted"? -- an excerpt from a book by James T. Webb, "Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children" Trying to choose the best curriculum for your child? Browse thru the Homeschool Diner's Guide to Homeschooling Approaches and Curriculum or take the Click-O-Matic Quiz to help you narrow down your choices! |
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