Homeschooling a special needs child can create an ideal educational environment for many parents seeking an accessible and tailored approach to their child’s learning. While homeschooling can present parents and caregivers with an amazing opportunity for their child’s growth and development, parents may be concerned about the additional costs associated with providing quality learning materials and the right supportive services.
Fortunately, there are numerous resources and funding options available to support homeschooling families with a special needs child.
What Is the Difference Between Special Education and Special Needs?
Special education and special needs often become confused or used interchangeably, however they can have very different implications and cover different aspects of support and service provisions. Special needs commonly refer to any impairment or condition that creates difficulty, or a barrier, for a person in daily life.
On the other hand, special education is a legally defined term pertaining to educational services and organisations specifically designed to support individuals with special needs. In terms of homeschooling for special needs learners, both understandings of the terms may be pertinent, especially if the homeschooling program is tailored to the specific needs of the child, as it is more likely to accommodate more specialised learning support services, such as those related to physical impairment or social and emotional support.
What Homeschooling Support Services Are Available?
When homeschooling a special needs child, there are many services and supports that can be beneficial in order to create an individualised learning program. Depending on a child’s needs, qualified professionals may be able to provide assistance and guidance to assist parents in designing and implementing an effective, accessible, and goal oriented curriculum and program.
Some support services available to homeschooling parents of special needs children include:* Speech therapy – Speech therapy, or speech-language therapy to some, can be used to assist children with communication disorders, and help them effectively use verbal and non-verbal communication, improve their ability to understand and remember language, and develop social communication skills. * Occupational Therapy – Occupational therapy can be helpful for children who have difficulty performing everyday activities with ease or understand how to interact with their surroundings. Occupational therapy can provide support to help children learn how to complete simple tasks and activities as well as supports with daily living, social participation, and physical health.
* Psychological Services – Psychological services can provide support in areas such as managing stress, understanding challenging behaviours, and learning how to better cope with difficult emotions. Highly qualified professionals such as psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers provide individualised supports based on their comprehensive understanding of your child’s needs. * Vision Therapy – Vision therapy is used to help children with vision impairments or visual processing disorders develop and improve physical visual skills and control over non-motor aspects of vision.
Vision therapy may involve specific tasks, activities, and exercises that help children learn to make use of the visual information they receive and better use of the eyes.
What Types of Financial Assistance Are Available for Homeschooling Families?
There are numerous financial resources and benefits available for parents and caregivers homeschooling children with special needs in order to ensure the child is able to receive the necessary learning materials, supports, and services. Some general financial supports available for special needs homeschooling families include: * Government Grants – Various government initiatives provide financial aid to homeschooling families of children with special needs in order to assist in meeting the costs of special education providers and additional resources.
Home tuition grants, educational vouchers and loans, and financial support through educational health care plans are all examples of government grants available to special needs homeschooling families. * Charitable Foundations – Charitable foundations can be a great way to help cover the costs of homeschooling. Grants are available through private individuals, philanthropic trusts, and large corporate entities, and can be used to cover the costs of tuition, tutoring, therapeutic services, and disability accommodations.
There are numerous foundations specifically designed for special needs families, as well as general homeschooling fund programs. * Nonprofit Organizations – Nonprofit organisations are also a great way of covering special needs homeschooling costs. These organisations will often provide support in the form of donations, scholarships, and tuition aid to homeschooling parents of children special needs.
Summary
Homeschooling a child with special needs can be a great way of creating an individualised and accessible learning environment for a child. Thankfully, there are numerous services and financial supports available to assist special needs homeschooling families with providing a tailored curriculum and support program that meets the unique needs of their child.
Government grants, charitable foundations, and nonprofit organizations can all be sources of much needed assistance to cover the additional costs associated with special needs homeschooling, and provide better access to learning materials, and the right supportive services.