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How to Home School a Child With Down Syndrome

There are many benefits to home schooling a child with Down syndrome; one of them being that you are able to connect with the child on a one-to-one basis and give him the attention that he requires. Another benefit is the patience that can be put into the learning that allows the child to progress at his own pace. Most importantly, the child feels safest at home and can learn in a more relaxed setting.For the parent, there is the ease of knowing exactly what type of education and attention your child is receiving. There is also the fact that you are able to fully control your child’s interaction. There is a major health benefit also; with children with Down syndrome, there is a concern for the viral and bacterial illnesses that goes around in a public school setting. Home schooling prevents this.

Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare yourself for the challenge. You will need to educate yourself on the requirements from the Board of Education in your area. Also, you need to know what all is involved with home schooling; especially home schooling for special needs children. There are many books and websites out there to help you with this take. “The Way They Learn” is a great book by Cynthia Tobias to start you on this journey.

    • 2

      Learn about Down syndrome and how to relate to Down syndrome children. You will need to know how their brain develops and the way they learn. Home schooling children with Down syndrome is very different from trying to teach other children. They require unique learning strategies.

    • 3

      Learn about individualized educational plans (IEPs). This is a good tool to help you assess your child’s learning level and progress. It is not required but is very helpful because it will aid you on what topics you need to go over with the child. It follows the lesson plans used in public schools.

    • 4

      Buy a developmental scale such as Brigance. This will help to develop the IEP for your child by testing their developmental skills. The Brigance also provides objectives of performance.

    • 5

      Develop long-term objectives. This is easy to do because it is based on your IEP. You know what you want the child to learn. It is a good idea to keep track with a timeline. Be realistic; children with Down syndrome learn slower than average children. Don’t push yourself or the children to meet goals that they aren’t physically and mentally ready to meet.

    • 6

      Develop short-term objectives. Short-term objectives are a great way to make little roadmaps to help you meet the long-term objectives.

    • 7

      Find and purchase the materials for learning. Decide on the method that is best for you and the child. When purchasing the materials, keep the IEP and developmental scale in mind.

    • 8

      Set up a time every day for when you will be homeschooling. It is important to keep the child on a daily schedule. So schedule the time for schooling and center your day on it.

    • 9

      Get out your first lesson plan and materials. Start homeschooling.

Special Education Homeschooling
Special Education Homeschooling
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