Homeschooling Autism
for Success

I don't have experience homeschooling autism, but I worked for 3 years in a public school as an aid for children who were either autistic or had asperger's syndrome.

My first step was to go to the internet to see what parents used to teach their children. I came to the conclusion that there is not a curriculum for children with autism. This is because each child is an individual. Each child has different strengths and weakness. Also each child is different in their likes and dislikes.

Homeschooling Autism

When I was teaching in a classroom for children with autism we used a lot of folder games. Folder games are file folders that have information that is matched.

An example of a math folder would be facts on a spoon. The answers would be on a bowl of soup.

Folder games are easy and inexpensive to make. All you need is a file folder, some cute simple pictures, and Velcro. It is nice if you can laminate the folder and pieces that go into the folder.

Unit studies are also helpful for homeschooling children with autism. Make or buy a unit on an area that your child is interested in. I know parents that have developed lessons around what their children were interested in and the child excelled. A unit study looks at topic from different angles and used different teaching methods.

The Benefits

When you are homeschooling autism there are benefits. You can control your child's environment. Lighting can be controlled. If your child is sensitive to fluorescent lights, you do not have to use them. The noise level of the home is usually a lot quieter than a classroom.

You can also control your child's social interactions. Most children that have autism or aspersers benefit from interacting with one person at a time. Autistic children also like to interact with people who share their interests.

The home is also the best place to set routines. In school you will have assemblies, delayed starts, and changes to the way the classroom looks.

When homeschooling autism you will be able to provide the best individualized educational program (IEP) because you know your child best. You can teach what interests your child. You will also be able to teach your child a Christian world view.