Kids with autism face learning challenges that many other children just don’t experience. Especially in these trying times of home-based learning, it is essential to ensure that autistic children are being provided with learning opportunities tailored to their particular needs. One of the important ways to do this is to use the right homeschool curricula that are designed to help kids with autism to get the most out of their education.
This article looks at the best homeschool curriculum for autistic kindergartener and explores the following questions:
What Are the Benefits of Homeschooling Autistic Children?
What Type of Homeschooling Is Best for Autistic Students?
What Are the Five Types of Special Education Curriculum Topics?
What Are the Four Levels of Special Education Curriculum?
What Is the Montessori Method for Autistic Students?
How Can You Structure the Homeschooling Day for Autistic Students?
What Are the Best Math Curricula for Autistic Students?
How Do You Effectively Teach Reading to Autistic Students?
What Are the Best Apps for Teaching Social Skills to Autistic Students?
What Are the Best Apps for Teaching Language Skills to Autistic Students?
What Are the Different Purposes for Homeschooling Autistic Students?
What Are the Benefits of Including Arts, Music, and Drama in a Homeschool Curriculum for Autistic Students?
What Are the Best Socialization Opportunities for Autistic Students during Homeschooling?
What Resources Are Available to Help Autistic Students With Their Homeschooling?
What Are the Benefits of Homeschooling Autistic Children?
Homeschooling autistic children can offer many advantages over traditional school settings, including the ability for parents to customize the learning environment for their child. Homeschooling allows for the instructional approach to be tailored to the child’s individual needs—it can be modified to focus on areas that need more attention, accommodate for sensory issues and provide more appropriate social interactions.
Additionally, homeschooling provides more freedom for children’s unique learning styles to shine, allowing parents to experiment with various teaching methods to find the approach that’s most successful. Homeschooling also provides more flexibility, enabling parents to work with their children at their own pace, utilizing materials and activities their children find interesting and engaging. Another benefit of homeschooling autistic children is the close and intimate relationship children can develop with their parents.
This can be especially beneficial for kids with autism, who thrive in close ties with a loving family and can face difficulties in making close connections with peers in a traditional school environment. Parents can also monitor their child’s progress more closely and tailor their curriculum as needed to ensure academic success.
Lastly, by homeschooling, kids with autism are not subject to the same pressures and distractions typical to a school environment, enabling them to focus on learning without any external stimuli.
What Type of Homeschooling Is Best for Autistic Students?
The type of homeschool curricula best for autistic students depends on their individual needs and strengths. Some types of homeschool programs that work well for autistic children include unschooling, Montessori, and unit studies. Unschooling is an individualized type of homeschooling that focuses on the child’s interests, allowing for organic learning.
This type of program allows for explicit teaching as well as providing opportunities for unstructured, self-directed learning. Montessori is an inquiry-based approach to learning that fosters problem-solving, exploration and discovery.
Unit studies are another type of homeschooling best suited to autistic students. This approach combines multiple disciplines together, with one central theme or idea, allowing for more in-depth knowledge in fewer topics rather than scattered studies across various topics.
Other highly successful educational arrangements for autistic students include virtual homeschooling and blended homeschooling. Virtual homeschooling is when the teacher and student interact via computer, and blended homeschooling is a combination of in-person and online instruction. Despite the overall educational focus or type of curriculum, it is essential to ensure that whatever approach is chosen closely follows the goals and objectives of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) to provide the most effective learning environment.
What Are the Five Types of Special Education Curriculum Topics?
Special education curriculum topics can be broadly classified into the following five categories: basic skills, life skills, vocational skills, communication skills, and social skills. Basic skills involve educating students in the traditional core topics of math, science, reading, writing, and language. Life skills involve teaching students essential daily living and independence skills such as personal hygiene, time management, and money management.
Vocational skills involve teaching students job-related skills such as acquiring work experience through internships and job shadowing. Communication skills involve teaching students to communicate effectively via verbal, non-verbal, and written methods.
Social skills involve teaching students to interact respectfully and appropriately with peers and adults in diverse settings.
What Are the Four Levels of Special Education Curriculum?
When it comes to designing special education curricula, there are four main levels of support to consider: individualized intervention and instruction, differentiated instruction, augmentative and alternative communication, and transition planning. Individualized intervention and instruction involve designing instruction specifically designed to meet the individualized needs of students with disabilities.
This type of instruction targets the needs of students with disabilities as outlined in their Individualized Education Program (IEP). Differentiated instruction focuses on adapting instruction to the student’s learning needs. This can involve providing students with materials at their level of understanding or instruction that is specifically designed to target the student’s learning deficits.
Augmentative and alternative communication involves providing alternative methods of communication, such as picture boards and communication devices, for students with difficulty using verbal language. Lastly, transition planning involves designing instruction and activities to facilitate the transition from school to home, from child life to adult life, and from institutional care to independent living.
What Is the Montessori Method for Autistic Students?
The Montessori method is a child-centered, holistic approach to teaching and learning tailored for children in the 0-6 age range. This method is based on allowing children to learn through play, exploration, and discovery. The philosophy of the Montessori method is to provide a more open-ended and unstructured environment, with mostly non-directed activities, and factors that allow personal growth by increasing self-initiative.
The goal of the Montessori method is to discover, interpret, and understand a child’s learning style, and to provide a learning environment that is tailored to meet the particular needs of the child. In recent years, the Montessori method has been adopted to teach students with autism.
This approach to education has proven to be successful because of its focus on individualized learning and its use of physical materials and environments that promote independent learning and exploration. Research has also shown that the use of the Montessori method with autistic children leads to an increase in receptive language, imitation skills, and social-communication.
How Can You Structure the Homeschooling Day for Autistic Students?
Structuring a homeschool day for autistic students should take into consideration the student’s unique learning needs, and pay close attention to the areas of difficulty the student is experiencing. It is important to create a predictable routine, having a set start and end times for homeschooling and a plan for the entire day.
The environment should be comfortable for the student and as distraction-free as possible. It is also important to create a schedule that works best for the student and their family. This could include taking frequent breaks, having a visual schedule, planning activities in short segments, and incorporating physical activities and outdoor play.
Additionally, it is important to adjust the student’s curriculum to match the best teaching style and adapting it to the student’s individual needs. Finally, it is essential to ensure the student has a clear idea of what is going to be learned and provide lots of praise, positive reinforcement, and motivation throughout the day.
What Are the Best Math Curricula for Autistic Students?
When selecting math curricula for autistic students, it is essential to choose resources that meet the individual learning needs of a student. Some of the best math curricula for autistic students include IEP Bridge Math, Life Skills Math, Common Core Math for Special Education, and TouchMath. IEP Bridge Math curriculum is an online resource designed to meet the IEP goals of students with special needs.
The curriculum is designed to help autistic students increase their math understanding and problem-solving skills. The Life Skills Math curriculum is designed to help students with special needs acquire basic arithmetic skills through hands-on activities and real-life problem-solving.
Common Core Math for Special Education focuses on real-world problem-solving and using math to explain and understand the world. Finally, TouchMath curriculum uses a multisensory approach to teaching math by using hands-on materials and visualizations.
How Do You Effectively Teach Reading to Autistic Students?
Teaching reading to autistic students requires a tailored approach that is specifically adapted to the individual student’s learning needs. In order to teach reading effectively for autistic students, it is important to select materials and activities that focus on the student’s strengths and to start with areas the student already feels comfortable with. This may include focusing on books with pictures of familiar objects or stories that are short and simple.
It is also important to use a multi-sensory approach to reading by incorporating visuals, books with large print and images, or even adding audio or video components to the stories. Additionally, incorporating physical activities or games into the reading curriculum such as acting out stories or playing word games can be beneficial.
Finally, providing structure and predictability to the reading curriculum by sticking to a routine and using a visual schedule can help greatly in teaching reading to autistic students.
What Are the Best Apps for Teaching Social Skills to Autistic Students?
Some of the best apps for teaching social skills to autistic students include Socially Savvy for Kids, Educreations Interactive Whiteboard, and Visual Skills for Autism. Socially Savvy for Kids is a social skills training program for kids on the autism spectrum. The app focuses on teaching children to understand and use appropriate social behavior in a variety of situations.
Educreations Interactive Whiteboard is an app that allows teachers to create interactive presentations and share them with their students. It can be used to provide visual cues and modeling to teach social and communication skills to autistic students.
Visual Skills for Autism is an app designed to teach children on the autism spectrum how to recognize emotions, facial expressions, and body language.
What Are the Best Apps for Teaching Language Skills to Autistic Students?
Some of the best apps for teaching language skills to autistic students include Proloquo2Go, Tap to Talk, and Snap+Core First. Proloquo2Go is an award-winning app designed to provide a comprehensive communication solution for individuals who cannot speak. It can be used to help teach language skills to autistic students by providing them with visuals, audio, and customizable options that are tailored to a student’s individual needs.
Tap to Talk is an interactive communication app designed to assist individuals with difficulties in speaking. It is ideal for teaching conversation and language skills as it can be personalized and differentiated to meet the student’s individual needs.
Snap+Core First is a personalized app that can help autistic students learn language concepts, core words, and general academic topics.
What Are the Different Purposes for Homeschooling Autistic Students?
The different purposes for homeschooling autistic students include providing an individualized, safe learning environment, providing tailored instruction, and providing home therapies. Homeschooling can provide an individualized and safe learning environment that is free of distractions, fits the student’s individual needs, and is tailored to their level of understanding. It also ensures that the student can be taught in an environment that best suits their psychological and physiological needs and incorporates the strategies outlined in their Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Lastly, homeschooling provides the opportunity to incorporate home-based therapies, such as occupational therapy and speech therapy, into their curriculum.
What Are the Benefits of Including Arts, Music, and Drama in a Homeschool Curriculum for Autistic Students?
Including arts, music, and drama in a homeschool curriculum for autistic students can offer many educational benefits. These activities can present subjects in a more engaging, accessible manner for autistic students who may have trouble with more traditional teaching methods.
Additionally, participation in these activities can serve as a form of creative and cognitive therapy, encouraging self-expression and imagination. Art activities can stimulate creativity and provide important visual learning opportunities. Incorporating music activities can help teach language skills and promote social bonding.
Drama is an excellent way to provide opportunities to practice non-verbal communication skills and to help understand the social rules of conversations, such as recognizing and understanding body language.
What Are the Best Socialization Opportunities for Autistic Students during Homeschooling?
When homeschooling autistic students, it is important to provide regular opportunities for socialization. Many activities can be used to help autistic students socialize, such as participation in a support group, joined with an online learning community, or joining local playgroups.
Additionally, parents can arrange social activities such as visits to the library and museums, outdoor activities, sports, music lessons, and service experiences. Other activities that can help autistic students socialize include volunteering, attending special events and classes, going on field trips, or joining relevant interest or hobby groups. For older students, attending virtual classes or apprenticeships, or engaging in job-shadowing experiences can be beneficial.
What Resources Are Available to Help Autistic Students With Their Homeschooling?
There are numerous resources available to help autistic students with their homeschooling. For parents starting out, several organizations such as the Noodle Education, the Family Education Network, and Home School Legal Defense Association, provide valuable information and guidance.
Several books such as “Homeschooling Your Autistic Child,” “Autism: A Guide for Homeschoolers and Parents,” and “Schooling and Living with Autism,” provide useful information on homeschooling autistic students. Online websites such as Education. com, Autism Homeschool & Family Network, and the Homeschooling Autism Guide, can provide parents with valuable information and resources.
Specialized programs, such as Time4Learning, offer curriculum materials and interactive programs designed to meet the needs of autistic students. Lastly, academic coaches, tutors, and therapists such as occupational therapists and speech pathologists, can also provide specialized support and instruction.
Conclusion
Homeschooling an autistic student can be very beneficial in meeting the individual learning needs of the student. When choosing the best homeschool curriculum for an autistic kindergartener, it is essential to ensure the curriculum is tailored to their needs, is flexible, and follows the goals and objectives outlined in the students’ IEP. It is also important to provide socialization opportunities for autistic students, use multi-sensory approaches to learning, and utilize resources such as programs, books, and coaches to help provide the best possible educational environment for autistic students.