For those of you searching for the best ways to meet your child's educational needs, you find useful information here to consider as you make your decision. Homeschooling is a choice for thoughtful consideration, but not necessarily the best option for all families. As a whole, the family unit must be considered when making a decision of such magnitude.
The benefits for the home educated child with special needs are numerous.
1. They receive the one-on-one teaching that will enable them to grow academically. This can’t be matched in the public school setting.
2. The program designed for them by the person who knows their needs intimately. Home program will best suit their individual needs. Create a balanced program that does not sacrifice academic skills for life skills.
3. The child can learn at his/her own pace to allow their needs to be met properly. Ideas can be taught with the repetition necessary for mastery using a wide variety of materials ensuring success appropriate to the child's needs and developmental age.
4. Your child will have the opportunity for successful learning experiences that will motivate them to develop persistence in learning difficult concepts.
5. The child learns academic and functional life skills in the best of all venues-real life.
6. The child with special needs can learn where they are safe from peer ridicule, and children with Down syndrome often make unintentional mistakes because of processing difficulties. Your child is able to make mistakes where it is safe to do so-their own home.
7. You can pick and choose whom your child socializes with. Homeschooled kids are not restricted to socializing with only their peers. They tend to socialize with children and adults of all ages for a wide variety of experiences. These children are less affected by peer pressure.
8. Character development and behavior issues can be dealt with by providing an environment where limits and consequences are consistently enforced. Most children with Down syndrome lack the inner self-talk of their "typical" peers and need to learn to make proper choices. Homeschooling offers atmosphere where the choices and consequences are articulated as necessary to make the best choice available and wrong choices can be discussed and dealt with consistently.
9. The spiritual needs of children with Down syndrome can be met best in our own homes where they will be exposed to the love and word of God. For most people, children with Down syndrome are seen as "disposable" and somehow less worthy, they need to know that God has a plan for them and loves them unconditionally.
10. The health benefits are tremendous. Children exposing to Early Intervention in group settings and the public school system is constantly exposed to every viral/bacterial illness present in the community. Children with special needs that are homeschooled can avoid many of these common illnesses which are always present until they are older and better able to tolerate them. There is enough time in our children's lives to build immunity.
Though mainly a nuisance to typically developing children without Down Syndrome, these common bacterial/viral illnesses are a major concern for our children with Down syndrome. They are susceptible to frequent upper respiratory infections with recurrent ear infections due to structural abnormalities which can undermine speech and language production. These common upper respiratory infections are not conducive to a productive learning environment. Even trivial illnesses affect our children's ability to learn and process information.
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