Homeschooling an autistic child requires a flexible approach. It means managing a schedule, a curriculum, and a lifestyle that allows an autistic child to thrive.
The question that I receive the most from people is “How can I homeschool my child when they're autistic…I’m not a special education teacher!”
It’s a fair question. That’s why it’s important to understand the different aspects of autism and the way it affects every child with autism differently.
I believe it is important to establish some routines in homeschooling, but it’s equally as important to allow children to explore new things without having to force them into a rigid routine.
When it comes to helping families homeschool autistic children, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, but there are some general guidelines that may be helpful. If you follow these tips, you’ll find that homeschooling your autistic child becomes much easier…and it may even be easier than sending them to public or private school!
What is homeschooling?
Whatever you want it to be! I firmly believe that homeschooling my two kids is one of the reasons why they are doing so well. For us, homeschooling is just an extension of living our lives (and learning some pretty cool stuff along the way).
The first thing you need to determine is what your state's rules and regulations are (this is a handy link to find that information out..also you may find some pretty sweet homeschooling classes there, but this is not an affiliate link). Once you know the guidelines your state requires, you can make a plan for what homeschooling could look like for your family.
For my family, we focus on reading, math, social studies, and science. We also incorporated private and at-home therapies into our routine when they were younger. Now, we make time to attend weekly park meetups with other homeschooled kids, go on monthly group field trips, and do a lot of experiential and hands-on learning...plus life skills (aka chores...the kids love 'em, #sarcasm).
How is homeschooling different from public schooling?
The biggest difference is that you can give your children a personalized educational experience that caters to their needs and interests. It also takes a heck of a lot less time. Rather than needing 6 hours a day to cover the material, my kids wrap up their schoolwork in a fraction of that time...think about all the transitions a child has to make during the day at a public school and all of the classroom management teachers and paras have to do with a group of 25+ students. That's all eliminated with homeschooling!
With the time we save, my kids can sleep until their bodies naturally wake up, spend time reading the books they love, and yes, indulge in video games a lot more than their public school friends do. They also have the chance to meet their physical and sensory needs in a way that makes sense for them…
Want to do math while hanging upside down off the back of the couch? Sounds great, I’ll grab the clipboard and a pencil!
Depending on your state's regulations, you may be required to follow a set curriculum or participate in school testing. We find those to be helpful benchmarks for our kids in tracking their progress and making sure they are staying on the same educational track as their peers.
It also helps them practice their frustration tolerance and understand that sometimes, we all have to do things we aren't crazy about...it can't all be frog dissection, budgeting to re-do their bedroom, and making YouTube videos (but a lot of homeschooling can be)!
The benefits of routine?
You may have noticed that your autistic child likes routine...or not. From my experience, they either love it or hate it, but either way, you can adapt your homeschool flow to meet their needs.
The concept of flexibility and routine is a good reminder for parents who are homeschooling their children. While it is beneficial for some children to have structure and routine in their lives, others will thrive with more flexibility and spontaneity.
As parents, you want to ensure that you’re being flexible with your child, yet providing some structure for them. At the same time, there needs to be room for your child to have fun and be spontaneous as they learn.
Rabbit trails are fun to go down when you have the time to chase them. Interest-led learning is a favorite amongst many autistic kids (and almost all the twice-exceptional learners I know). Homeschooling gives you the chance to foster those interests in a meaningful way.
Conclusion
Our family is homeschooling because we believe that is what works best for our children. We have flexible hours that allow us to work around their needs. We follow a loose schedule with set bedtimes and meal times. The kids have a daily checklist of tasks they need to accomplish. Within that framework, they can create their own schedule.
This allows for flexibility and independence, while also allowing them to learn at their own pace. Every year gives us the chance to reevaluate and see what we need to change as the kids get older. As their needs and interests change and develop, we work together to keep their education interesting and applicable to their needs.
I’ve dedicated an entire series of articles about the US educational system and how it relates to autistic children. The last article in the series will be published on June 11, 2023…check back then to get all the information you need to make the best education decisions for your autistic child.
In the meantime, drop a comment below and let me know…are you homeschooling your autistic child(ren)? Have you thought about doing it? Let me know in the comments below!
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