For many children with special needs, homeschooling provides just the right environment for these kids to reach their potential. Homeschools are often significantly more consistent, there are less distractions, and homeschoolers with special needs have the best teachers of all: parents who are intensely interested in seeing their child succeed.
However, if your child has been in the special education system, homeschooling legally can be more difficult than for other families. Here are some pointers from HSLDA to protect your legal rights to homeschool your special needs child:
Arrange for regular Evaluations and Document Your Child’s Progress
Regardless of your state’s legal statutes (some states, by the way, have specific statutes for legally homeschooling a child with special needs–most, however, do not.) and what is or is not required, YOU need to keep excellent records of what you’re doing with your child.
You have numerous options for having your child evaluated regularly, including your child’s own pediatrician. However, how you have your child evaluated will largely depend on what your child’s special needs are. In any case, having your child evaluated by someone that is “qualified” to note the same progress that you’re seeing at home, is the first step to take in protecting your right to home school your special needs child.
Get Help!
Obtain professional assistance for your child’s special needs. The following is a list that comes from the HSLDA website. If any of these things are true of your child, they recommend that you obtain professional help in meeting all of your child’s special needs:
*your child has received special education services in this current school year,
*your child has been enrolled in special education services for the coming school year
*your child has been evaluated and diagnosed as having a special learning need,
*your child is functioning substantially below grade level,
*your child has a physical disability that significantly hinders his or her ability to learn, or
*your child has significant educational difficulties that have been observed but not professionally diagnosed
What type of services you need is obviously dependent upon what type of disabilities your child has. Services could include anything from one tutor, to a host of therapists. You are generally able to obtain therapy through your health insurance, although this obviously differs from state to state and plan to plan. It is not advised that you obtain services through your public school, although that is one option. I personally have known families who have gotten bogged down in a legal battle over home schooling one of their special needs children. As I was researching this article I found that HSLDA says almost the exact same thing. In either case, it is important to remember that you are capable of home schooling your special needs child and it is legal to do so.
Resources:
HSLDA
Related Articles:
Resources for Homeschooling Children with Special Needs
Why I Homeschool My Son with Asperger’s Syndrome