Can a student with special needs be homeschooled? Yes, and special education homeschooling offers many benefits as well. Yet, questions about homeschooling laws, homeschooling a child with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), picking the right curriculum, and figuring out how to afford homeschooling can be daunting.
THE LAW
Your school district is unlikely to provide accurate special education home instruction information, therefore before enrolling your student with special needs in homeschooling research the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, your state’s Department of Education policies, and other relevant laws.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) entitles students enrolled in special education homeschooling to receive many of the same services that they would as public school students. The federal law entitles homeschooled students to evaluations and IEPs from their school district. Parents and guardians need to formally request evaluations and yearly updates. Even if a child has never attended public school, a homeschool special educator can still request an evaluation and IEP.
In many states, homeschoolers are eligible to receive special education services through their school district. Each state’s Department of Education website should have information and resources for homeschoolers.
Depending on the state, homeschooled students may also be eligible to receive speech therapy, occupational therapy, reading intervention, and other IEP-defined, special education services from their school district.
An online search for state homeschool laws will often bring searchers to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) website, a faith-based membership organization. As will be the case with many resources homeschoolers encounter, HSLDA has some good information. Still, that information may not always be the most accurate and counter your values.
Parents and guardians should look at the state laws for themselves and fully explore their state’s Department of Education website. Not every home-based special educator or homeschooler will be adept at understanding the law and should seek advice from a lawyer if they have any uncertainty about interpreting the law.
Understanding the law for yourself can be time-consuming and difficult. Yet, the time and effort can pay off, both in ensuring you are doing everything you are required to do and in ensuring your special education student is receiving all the services to which they are entitled.
CURRICULUM
The programs available to homeschoolers have ballooned since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Some parents or guardians may choose not to homeschool and instead use home-based public school options through their school district.
Every school needs a curriculum, which is the plan for what a student will study each year in each subject area. As a special education homeschooler, you choose the resources to build your curriculum.
While some homeschool-friendly school districts may assist with books, lesson plans, and/or other materials, homeschoolers should not expect it. Yet, there are substantial resources available to meet the needs of any homeschooler.
For those who choose to homeschool, the first question is how much they can afford to invest in terms of both time and money.
The most expensive homeschool options are the full-service academy and correspondence programs, which amount to a private-school education at home. Many of the online programs provided through public and private schools use the same companies that cater to homeschoolers. Examples of companies that cater to institutions and homeschoolers include Acellus and K12. There are several other private online academies, including some that offer correspondence school without an online element. Regardless of the program chosen, special educators should ensure the materials used fit with their values. Many of the available programs are faith-based or lack equitable representation.
The next step down is self-guided online education. Companies that offer full-service academies may also provide a less expensive option that fits in this category. The self-guided programs require more involvement from the homeschool special educator, such as monitoring progress, correcting and grading work, and even choosing which classes a student will take. However, these programs provide all the pieces you need for a full education. Examples of this type of program include Power Homeschool (an Acellus product) and Time 4 Learning.
As a homeschooler, you are essentially your school board. That means you can use almost any resource you want. Some well-established catalogs for homeschool curriculums include Rainbow Resource and Timberdoodle, with reviews and purchasing materials and books options. Susan Wise Bauer, the author of A Well-Trained Mind, maintains a website by the same name, with links to resources and guidance for creating their curriculum.
A homeschool special educator who is not strong in one subject, such as language or math, may choose to use a self-guided program to help in those areas. Additionally, programs that present value conflicts or fail in terms of equitable representation may still be a good resource for narrowly defined areas. You may not want your special education student to learn history the way a particular company presents it, yet still, be able to use their math materials.
Several mobile apps can help in specific subjects, such as Elephant Math and ABC Mouse. Homeschoolers can incorporate educational websites such as Khan Academy and Outschool (notable as a leader in equitable representation) or explore free courses such as Stanford University’s. The Great Courses, Coursera, and even YouTube offer documentaries and fun-yet-educational channels such as Smarter Every Day and Fresberg Cartoon.
And while they are often forgotten, public libraries are still a rich resource, with many now offering materials, such as audiobooks, online and can be an asset to students enrolled in special education homeschooling.
Homeschooling can also be interest-led. A child fascinated with trains can learn language skills, math, and even physics all within the context of trains.
There is no perfect curriculum. The advantage for enrolling a student in special education homeschooling is that anything they don’t like can be changed, rather than having to beg and plead with a school board. You can even tailor your student’s classes to meet them where they are in a subject, rather than having them held back or skipped ahead unprepared.
Bringing together
Between exploring state laws and services and choosing the curriculum approach that fits, homeschool special educators can find a range of options for affording homeschooling.
Some states, such as Florida and Colorado, offer direct funding to assist with homeschooling. Homeschoolers also have a growing number of free options available, though those options require more work and expertise from the homeschooler.
Yet, the most important thing to remember is, even during your most unprepared, chaotic year of homeschooling, even when it is three weeks into the summer and you are still dragging your student across the finish line, you are providing them a valuable, one-on-one education, and showing them how to incorporate the habits of a life-long learner into every aspect of their lives.
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