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Special Needs Parenting: The Pros and Cons of Homeschooling a Child with Disabilities

Updated on March 11, 2024

Guest Post by Jackie Nunes


Jackie Nunes is a blogger at WonderMoms.org. She is a former pediatric nurse and now a full-time homeschool educator. She and her husband have three children. Their middle child suffered a traumatic brain injury when she was 4. Now 11 years old, she is hearing impaired and uses a wheelchair. Jackie and two other moms created Wonder Moms as a project to share real talk, helpful information, and practical advice with parents of kids who have intellectual disabilities, Down syndrome, autism, language and speech delays, deafness, chronic illness, and traumatic brain injury.


You’re in the pickup line at school, silently willing the six cars in front of you to go a little faster. It’s not just that you’re going to be late for work, you’ve got a ticking bomb in the car. Your eyes dart constantly to check on your child with special needs. On a good day, he sits there quietly, and then there are the other days, days you wish you could just skip the whole ordeal. If you’ve had more days like this than you care to remember, maybe it’s time to consider homeschooling.


Homeschooling is a big commitment, but no one can give your child the time and attention he needs like you can. It sounds cliché, but it’s still true. Luckily, there are a lot of great resources out there to help you. You may not have science labs, sports fields, reading specialists, or a full-time school nurse available in your home, but you also don’t have to worry about kids bullying or teasing your child daily. Let’s look at some of the other pros and cons.



Why Home May Be the Ideal Environment


All children have the right to know they are loved. For kids with special needs, this is even more crucial. If you have the time and temperament to homeschool, you can give your child the most caring and committed teacher he will ever have. You get to decide what, when, where, and how to teach. If your child needs frequent breaks, you can take them. If your child has a particular interest or passion, you can work it into your lessons. Homeschooling parents can influence their kids in ways traditional educators only dream of.


Having a disability is something your child must deal with every day. Homeschooling lets you help your child embrace and accept his differences, and not see them as an unbearable weakness. When you homeschool, you can spend a lot of time teaching your child he was created by design and that anyone who says anything different is just wrong.


Tips to Create a Nurturing Classroom


You can create a rich environment at home that stimulates your child without overwhelming them. The physical environment impacts how the brain processes data. Here are some things to incorporate as you start outfitting and equipping your homeschooling space.




Other Advantages


Besides being able to give your child attention and create a calm and inspiring learning environment, there are other advantages to homeschooling:



A Few Drawbacks (and Ways to Compensate)


Like all things in life, there are a few drawbacks to consider before pulling your child out of school. It’s important to understand what you’re giving up:



Final Thoughts


Homeschooling can be a good solution if your child isn’t getting enough attention or support in a traditional school setting, but it’s not a step to take lightly. Every situation is different. It’s important to identify resources and know what you’d be giving up as well as getting. Whatever you choose, you’ll feel better if you’ve done research and made an informed decision.


About the author


Jackie Nunes is a former pediatric nurse who is now a full-time homeschool educator and co-founder of Wondermoms.org. She and her husband have three children, all of whom are taught at home. Their middle child, an 11-year-old daughter, is hearing impaired, developmentally disabled, and uses a wheelchair.


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