Finding Success In Therapy And Homeschooling For Special Kids

When you know that your little angel has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and other neurological issues, the therapy becomes your main priority. Although there is no cure for such conditions, you want to help the child at least handle the symptoms and triggers on his or her own. You cannot be around the kid 24/7, as ideal as it may be.

Another priority that almost ties with that is giving your child with special needs a taste of normalcy. You put her in school, assuming that being around same-aged kids might be good for daughter. At times, she will get ready without a fuss. Other times, the child throws tantrums all the way to the classroom.

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In reality, if your little boy or girl does not seem to get any better in a school filled with many kids, you can try homeschooling him or her. The lack of strict teaching methods may allow your child to learn better. Furthermore, you can work closely with the therapist. “Many parents of gifted learners are choosing to homeschool their kids in order to ensure a better match between the child’s learning needs and the curriculum being offered,” says Dona Matthews Ph.D.

Here’s what you can do to find success in both homeschooling AND therapy.

Know How To Prioritize

Consider how you want your child’s 24 hours to pass. What subjects will you tackle in the morning? When can a teacher come? When should your kid go to therapy?

The thing is, you cannot reprimand anyone with special needs to follow the timetable you made just because you are the parent. You can create the schedule as a guide, yet you still need to figure out what they want to do at a specific hour. This way, the kid will not retreat in their own world and pay you no mind.

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Understand What Scheme Works Best For The Child

What’s great about homeschooling is that you are free to decide on the times when various subjects should be taught. You will receive a copy of the curriculum and essential learning materials, but it is up to you how you prefer to divide the lessons.

That gives you the freedom to teach several subjects to your child every quarter. It goes in line with the therapist’s belief that children with development disability understand things better once you allow them to do the same stuff for a while.

Think Of Their Behavioral Improvements

“Parents inherently worry about their children and parents of kids with special needs have additional reasons to worry,” said Dan Peters Ph.D. Kids with special needs honestly require more time than any non-disabled child to understand school lessons. Instead of focusing on that, you should consider how much progress your little one makes outside of the educational setting.

For instance, does your constant presence enable the child to respond whenever they hear your voice? Are there fewer meltdowns now? Can he or she play with other kids already? These are the kinds of improvement that can – and should – make you proud as a parent.

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“Research from cognitive psychology provides a wealth of information regarding how to improve learning,” said psychologist Jessica Koehler Ph.D.

Remember

When homeschooling a child who has special needs, your best helpers are not only the SPED teachers but also a therapist. The former may know how to educate your kid, yet the latter can help develop their behavior through therapy. Make no mistake about that.