I am pleased as I can be to offer the first update to my education resources page in a while. This is something I have been remiss to include before now.

While researching The Substitute, I witnessed the way children on the autism spectrum are (mis)treated by some of the public schools. In brief, these children are largely compartmentalized like so many of their peers and shuffled along through the system. The results of the institutional efforts vary, of course, but much of it is maddening and heartbreaking. I suppose it never occurred to me, specifically, that these children would likely benefit from learning at home. Fortunately, others are not so blind. I owe a debt of gratitude to homeschooling educator Allison Williams and, especially, the young, talented, and insightful Miss Samantha for sending me the following article at ABA Masters Programs. Thank you, ladies.

Anna Harris, M.Ed. offers wonderful advice, a toolkit, for homeschooling children with autism: The Ultimate Homeschool Toolkit for Kids on the Spectrum: Strategies, Schedules & Support.

You might be wondering if you are qualified to teach your autistic child. However, most parents are capable of doing so, according to Autism Parenting Magazine. Your state’s guidelines are a great place to start. The HSLDA offers information on homeschooling by state.

Homeschooling any child requires tailoring the experience to their needs. This is even more true for children on the spectrum. Becoming familiar with the needs of your child and the best way they learn is a good first step. Some other good ways to help your child learn include:

Use a flexible schedule. This can be helpful to allow taking breaks whenever needed, make time for appointments, learning in any environment, and more.

Focus on the child’s strengths. The parent or caregiver who is providing the homeschooling has the opportunity to promote the child’s strengths through one-on-one learning. This can include affirmations of the child’s strengths and providing them with opportunities to succeed by giving them tasks that are related to what they are best at. Understanding a child’s strengths can also help create a curriculum that is less frustrating for the child than a traditional curriculum might be.

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Please read the whole thing. This may well be what you or someone you care about is looking for.

In other news, tomorrow I’ll have a review of the forthcoming next episode of BTTA by mi amigo Chris Orcutt!