Pushing Through Learning Difficulties
Parents might find that teaching special needs children at home can be incredibly beneficial.
By Kristen Kindoll
Parents who are attracted to homeschooling do it for a variety of reasons. It may be that their child has certain physical, social and/or cognitive obstacles that have made traditional schooling difficult, and they might want to try other approaches to learning. At first, this task may seem daunting. Parents may fear that they aren’t equipped to handle the challenges their child may face, but dealing with learning difficulties and other limitations can be done successfully in the homeschool environment.
How Learning at Home Can Help
With children who have difficulty focusing, or transitioning between tasks, like those on the autism spectrum, a home learning environment can be just what they need. The autistic child might feel overwhelmed or excessively stimulated by change, and this in turn can trigger agitation and behavioral problems. While special needs programs in schools have trained individuals capable of handling these situations, the day to day routine of the classroom may still be a challenge. The child could begin to have negative feelings about certain activities. Homeschooling provides a stable environment that can help promote a feeling of safety. Parents can pick and choose how the day goes, and they have control over social engagements as well. This means that parents can be actively involved in helping their child receive the maximum benefit from interpersonal interactions.
Students who homeschool don't have to worry about fitting their special therapies into a certain time slot. They have the whole day to fit in appointments. In addition, students may feel tired after a long day at school, and meeting with a specialist might not be as effective if a child is exhausted or anxious. Parents can arrange the best time for visits with specialists to make therapies most effective.
By watching or being present during therapy sessions, parents can identify the types of techniques used by specialists. This offers parents more detailed insight into how best to work with their child. They can establish their “classroom” with the child’s needs and wants in mind. It can make the learning process go more smoothly.
A More Relaxed Approach to Learning
Special learners, who have certain needs or weaknesses, will find homeschooling a more relaxed and open approach to education. For example, if a child has dyslexia, there can be an emphasis placed on reading. An intensive concentration in a particular discipline can create an atmosphere that helps the child overcome their obstacles. If the student feels reluctant and/or apprehensive, the opposite can occur just as easily. A parent can design a curriculum plan that increases the child’s self-esteem by picking subjects in which he or she excels. By focusing on the subject areas where students are strong, a parent can reduce tantrums or other disruptive behavior. Gradually, the teacher can reintroduce the more challenging subjects in a safe and slow manner.
Identifying Your Child's Learning Style
Many children gravitate toward a certain learning style. Teachers in a school environment do not have the luxury of catering to individuals. They try to accommodate everyone's needs, but the whole group has to be taken into account. The three main types of learning are visual, auditory and kinetic. Each has its own unique advantages, as well as challenges. Parent teachers can design their curriculum to concentrate on a particular learning style. This can reduce frustration and increase learning success. What follows are lesson suggestions to meet the needs of students.
Special Needs Adaptable Lessons:
In this lesson students share their favorite hobbies. A reproducible allows the child to record their strengths and weakness. They can engage further by navigating to a website and sharing with the community.
This lesson has students fosters a positive self-image. The child defines their achievements: from winning a race to cleaning their room. By listing and posting a photograph, the trophy room is created.
In this lesson students practice problem-solving skills. It becomes a facilitated discussion to gather pre-information on possible scenarios. This empowers the child for a later “real world” implementation.
This lesson is a way to demonstrate goal setting and how to achieve short term goals. There are two sheets to help a child brainstorm on how to make a cake. By listing ingredients and steps, the child can then try out their plan.
