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Copyright 2006 Julie Shepherd Knapp
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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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homeschool basics