Being the parent of an autistic child isn’t easy. You obviously love your child as much as you would love any of your children, but the fact is that there are challenges associated with neurodivergence that simply don’t exist in other children. One of the primary issues that parents face is how they can most efficiently school their children to ensure that they’re able to receive a regular education that caters to their unique needs. Public schools simply don’t have the ability or funding to give preferential treatment, and private schools dedicated to these kinds of children can often be prohibitively expensive for the average person, so what is a parent to do? Homeschooling has come up as a popular strategy for teaching autistic children in a way that is most beneficial to their needs while ensuring that they remain safe and confident by being around those they know and love.
Homeschooling Supports Individualized Learning Approaches
Homeschooling has become increasingly popular in recent years in all aspects of parenthood for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most common, though, is the ability to develop individual approaches that work for your child. When it comes to supportive homeschooling for autistic child, this point becomes even more pertinent. Neurodivergent children require a different approach to learning that meets their unique needs. It allows parents to customize the sorts of things they choose to teach based on their child’s unique learning style, strengths, and interests. This can help them keep their children’s attention as they can focus on the things they enjoy doing while leaving out those that don’t. Another interesting point is that the pace can be adjusted, focusing on the child’s strengths while providing needed support in the areas in which they perhaps need a little more help. Homeschooling can also help to create a controlled environment that can be adapted to accommodate the various things that autistic children may be sensitive to, such as sensory sensitivities, and fostering a sensory-friendly space.
Flexible Schedules Reduce Stress Levels
Traditional schools rely on strict discipline when it comes to a range of things, but most notably, time. In many ways, this is to teach children the importance of being on time and delivering results in a prompt manner that will likely be expected of them in the real world when they’re older. This is perfectly fine if your child isn’t on the spectrum, but for those who are, this can cause all kinds of problems. Not only will those without the requisite timekeeping abilities be forever getting into trouble, but it could also cause consternation among other students and may develop into bullying if they go to a regular school. Obviously, not all autistic children struggle with keeping time, and many do just fine, but being able to set up your own schedule based on when they learn best and are more motivated without impacting other students is a powerful tool for parents who just want their children to be the best they can be.
A Safe Environment Fosters Emotional Well-Being
Because you are setting up the space and monitoring their daily activities, you will be assured that they are well looked after and their needs catered for. This is almost impossible in most situations, and even in schools dedicated to these students, it’s never possible to fully adapt to their requirements. Outside of things like setting up a safe space and schedule flexibility, they will inherently know your home and be more comfortable there rather than somewhere else.
One-On-One Attention Enhances Comprehension Skills
Autistic children typically work best when they’re able to learn at their own pace, and as such, they benefit significantly from one-on-one attention that allows lessons to be adjusted in real time. This personalized approach eliminates the stress of keeping up with a class, which may or may not be possible at times, and therefore fosters the ability to comprehend what you’re teaching them far better. If they face specific challenges, individualized instruction can also help develop targeted teaching methods that lead to support where it is most demanded. For example, it might be that your child responds best to visual learning, and by spending time with them, you see more and more of what they enjoy and don’t; when you understand this, you can create techniques to help get them more involved. Homeschooling is also great if only for the fact that it minimizes distractions often found in traditional classrooms, creating a calm environment that enhances concentration.
Encourages Social Interaction Through Groups (If You Choose To Get Together With Other Parents)
This point might seem out of place in a post about homeschooling, but if you know other parents in the same situation, you can set up dates where you all get together and allow your children to interact if they want to. Because you’re doing this in a space you all know and all the parents will also be present, you can help guide them in such a way that enables them to feel comfortable with this sort of interaction, or if not, they can choose to step away. You can also ask around each parent and find out what their children enjoy. You can then bring in all the different things that provide sensory stimulation and allow them all to interact in a way that they are happy to do so.
Strengthens Family Bonds
Most parents of non-autistic children will come home after work and interact with their children after school, perhaps helping with their homework or eating, etc. However, for parents with autistic kids, this time isn’t usually so structured in that regard, and quality time can be lacking if their children go to schools specializing in autism. By homeschooling, you will be with your child all day and be able to bond in a way that might not be possible if you only had a couple of hours per day to squeeze in everything that comes with this lifestyle.
Homeschooling is possibly the perfect option for parents of neurodivergent who want to spend more time with their children and ensure they are able to receive everything that other kids have access to. By creating a safe space and developing a curriculum that your child is interested in, you will help them grow in ways that may be impossible if you opt for a more conventional route.
