Students with Special Needs
Families with children with special needs who are considering homeschooling have additional issues to evaluate.
Be sure to read the IDOE page below and review the HSLDA pages in detail. Both sites address the special services that are available to families. HSLDA's site specifically addresses the legal concerns involved in home schooling a special needs child.
Special needs children often are gifted in some areas and challenged in others. Below are websites that represent a great wealth of knowledge in this area.
You may need to get testing for your child. That is available to you at your local school corporation. Here is a link to a few other locations you can go to get Psychological Services.
If you are considering having your student take the SAT or ACT for college or having them go on to college, you will want them to have updated tests within 3 years of college (sophomore in high school) so that testing will give them special consideration while taking the SAT/ACT exams and special assistance on the college campus.
HELPFUL WEBSITES
Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
•New pages of information for struggling learners
•Special needs list has an excellent links page to many helpful organizations.
•They suggest steps to take to protect your special needs Home school.
•Also, the site has a Q & A page for families with special needs children.
•(Note: IFHS is a discount group for HSLDA)
Another Path is a comprehensive guide to homeschooling for parents who are considering homeschooling, or who have decided to homeschool, a deaf or hard of hearing child.
Autism Today offers the latest news, resources, and books available to help you be informed about Autism and Asperger's syndrome.
Dyslexia.com explores the 'positive talents' that give rise to dyslexia, and shares knowledge about the best ways for dyslexic people to learn.
Dyslexia Parent Resource provides many articles, resources, and an online magazine about dyslexia.
Eclectic Homeschool Online - A great list of sites for families with special learning needs children.
Homeschooling Special Needs Kidz - An active Yahoo discussion group for the support of families with special needs kids who are homeschooling.
About Special Kids provides information on local, state, and national organizations, peer support, and education - empowering you with knowledge to help your special needs child.They also provide some advocacy and are supportive of homeschooling families. Indianapolis (317) 257-8683. Families outside of the Indianapolis area may call (800) 964-IPIN.
IN*Source Indiana Resource Center for Families with Special Needs offers a newsletter, workshops, weblinks to state and national sites for special needs, and information on current early intervention and special education issues and suggested strategies for enhancing the quality of education and services for infants, toddlers, children and young adults with special needs. They have regional contacts too. They provide advocacy and do work with homeschooling families.
National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network (NATHHAN) -Their focus is equipping parents to raise their children with special needs confidently. They have been laboring for many years to serve homeschooling families.
National Home Education Network (NHEN) - Special needs section has articles, weblinks, e-mail lists, and reference booklist.
HIGHLY GIFTED CHILDREN
GT World - An on-line support community for gifted and talented individuals and those who support and nurture them.
Hollingsworth - A selection of articles and links on gifted children.
Hoagies’ Gifted Education - Find research and experience on parenting and educating gifted children. The site has pages just for your child to explore too.
Indiana Association for Giftedness advocates for gifted children. Their website has many articles, resources, and links for parents and kids.
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