One of the most challenging parts of raising an autistic child is figuring out how they will be educated, and working (fighting?!) with your local school district to get them the support and resources they need...
Parents of autistic children want to get the most out of the education system but can be overwhelmed by all the often confusing requirements. That's why I created a series of articles focusing on Autism and Education in the United States.
While the goal of my business is to get you the self-care support you need to thrive as an austim parent, I believe part of what you need is to have the information to make informed and educated decisions for your child, your family, and yourself.
Discover the resources you need to make the best educational choices for your autistic child below!
School Choice
This is a hot-button topic for many parents and lawmakers. This article reveals the reasons school choice is an important option for autistic children and their families. Autistic children deserve the best education possible. To achieve success in school and life, they need access to high-quality schools and programs, and that’s what school choice gives them and their families.
Twice Exceptional (2E) Learners
If you’re raising a 2E, autistic kiddo, I know you have your hands full because I’m right there with you! This unique combination of gifted-level IQ and learning differences presents unique challenges to parents and educators alike. Here’s a breakdown of what’s worked for my family. You’ll also discover tips and tricks to help your twice-exceptional learner succeed in any educational setting.
Special Education Resources in the Public School Setting
One of the most complicated challenges many autism parents will face, especially in their kids’ early years, is getting them the appropriate level of support and resources through the public school system. Whether it’s knowing when and how to start developmental preschool, or getting an IEP or 504 plan in place, getting the right support from your local school district can be an uphill battle.
You’ll also find yourself dealing with yearly planning meetings, and the sometimes stressful outcome of those meetings…why are evaluations and meetings about your autistic kids so stressful?! Oh, I know!!! It’s because it really sucks to have to go over all the ways your child struggles in order to hopefully get them the tools and support they need. But we do it because we must!
Another stressful thing many autism parents deal with is knowing whether they should prioritize school or private therapies. Many school districts faced with dwindling budgets are forced to offer minimal individual therapeutic intervention for our children, forcing us as parents to have to do the struggle juggle of fitting private therapies into our school days…
For all these reasons and more, some autism parents decide to turn to homeschooling as an answer to their questions…
Homeschooling Resources for Autism Parents
Full disclosure, I’ve been homeschooling both of my kids since they were in preschool, and they’ve never attended a brick-and-mortar school. Homeschooling is the right choice for our family at this time, and we evaluate it each year to see if the kids’ needs have changed, and if they are currently thriving in our homeschool setting.
A few years ago, we enrolled them in an online charter school that gives us funding for educational resources. They are technically considered public school students. This new educational option has given me the opportunity to learn all about the wild and wonderful world of special education at the public school level…let’s just say it makes me happy that we live in Idaho and can return to “traditional homeschooling” at any time, with no restrictions.
All that being said, you know I’ve got all the juicy details you need to know about how homeschooling works in our family! In the early years, we focussed on a mix of private therapies and took on an unschooling approach to home education, and that worked really well for us! I truly believe this was one of the best decisions we ever made for the kids as it gave them time to develop into the awesome humans they are with as little interference as possible (and it gave them time to catch up on the lagging skills they needed to become good students).
One of the main things you’ll need to practice as a homeschooling autism parent (besides self-care) is your flexibility! While some kids need an iron-clad routine, most others require a bit of flexibility. It’s your job to find that balance for them, but don’t worry, it’s easier than you may think!
Lastly, here are my top 10 tips for happily homeschooling an autistic child (or two). It's great advice for any child, but especially the neurospicy. It’ll help you no matter what type of kids you’re homeschooling.
Conclusion
While choosing the right educational approach for your autistic child(ren) may be a challenge, it is one of the most important things you will do as an autism parent. I hope this article helped you discover the information you need to become an Empowered and Engaged Autism Parent.
If you need support on your journey and are struggling with making decisions related to your autistic child's educational journey, contact me here to set up an educational coaching session. In just 60 minutes, I can help you pinpoint the problems you're facing and help get your child pointed on the right path to educational success.
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