Tips for Homeschooling Neurodivergent Learners
Deciding to homeschool my neurodivergent child was the number one reason I decided to homeschool. Traditional brick and mortar school was not for him and he struggled to learn the same exact way as his peers. The reality is that many neurodivergent and non neurodivergent students struggle to learn the same way and unfortunately classrooms tend to be 'one size fits all'. Therefore, I wanted to share some tips with other parents who've decided that homeschooling their neurodivergent child(ren) is a better way to support their child's educational success.
Neurodivergent learners are typically those who are ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) or other learning differences that may require individual strategies and/or accommodations. That said, the first tip I'd recommend is:
Identify your child's learning style and needs: Homeschooling should not be cookie cutter and you are encouraged to customize your child's learning plan based on how they best learn new information. Determine their areas of strengths and challenges and get creative in how you present lessons to them.
Be flexible and foster an individualized learning pace: Homeschooling allows students to learn at their own pace. This is beneficial for neurodivergent students as they may require extra time or special accommodations to help them better understand what they are learning. Some neurodivergent students may require multisensory aids, which is tip #3.
Use curriculums or learning approaches that include multisensory items, such as visuals aids, audio aids, manipulatives etc. Using multisensory items can make learning lessons like reading and math more engaging because they are also interactive.
Create a routine: Create a set schedule, implementing frequent breaks in between each task. Also, consider making lessons short. However, if a particular subject matter requires more time to instruct, take breaks between each segment of the lesson. Lastly, consider using a visual schedule to help children move task to task throughout their day.
Promote Self-Advocacy: Encourage your student to seek help when they need it. This will benefit them both with getting help with challenging curriculum areas and also teaches them to recognize when they are struggling, express their need for help and independently advocate for themselves. Self advocacy is a skill that children will need in their adult years.
These are only a few tips for homeschooling neurodivergent students but be empowered to find personalized and supportive ways to teach your neurodivergent child. Every child is unique in how they learn and process information. Remember to understand their individual needs, embrace flexibility with their learning pace, use supplementary materials like multisensory items and manipulatives, establish a routine that’s easy for them understand and do, and encourage them to self advocate for themselves.
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