While homeschooling a child with autism, you should keep in mind that some of his or her learning needs are different from those of typical children. For example, a child with autism might have trouble sitting still for long periods of time. As a result, you should be flexible with the learning content and break up the lesson plans when possible.
Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Lessons
One of the most effective beginning reading programs used in schools is the SRA’s DISTAR. This method helps kids outperform their peers in reading at an early age. It was originally created for schools, but was recently adapted for use at home.
Four Little Corners
For parents who want to homeschool their high functioning autistic child, there are resources available online. Using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs or Time4Learning, you can find the best curriculum options for your child. Choose a program that is right for your child’s needs, and make sure to use hands-on experiences when possible. Children with autism often do best with a well-defined schedule and a variety of methods, including multiple-sensory learning and repetition.
Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin is a college professor, animal behavior expert, and advocate for autism and homeschooling. She was born with autism and experienced profound social stigma when she was young. Despite this, she continued to pursue her education and achieved her Ph.D. in Animal Science and designed livestock handling facilities that are used around the world. She has written several books and hundreds of scientific articles and travels extensively as a guest professor. You can follow her on Twitter and check out her website for more information.
Keeping a routine
Keeping a routine is an important part of homeschooling a high functioning autist, because routines are important for children with autism. For example, a child with autism needs a consistent schedule in the morning. It can help to create a visual schedule and include positive reinforcement. Routines are all about communication. Parents should talk with their children about the tasks they need to complete and refer to the schedule throughout the day.
Variety
One of the best ways to homeschool a high functioning autistic child is to use varied subject matter. This way, you can make learning fun and exciting for your child and keep him or her engaged. Children with autism often have different strengths and may be good at drawing, computer programming, or playing music. Some may even respond better to hearing sentences spoken than to listening to written ones. It is helpful to use a variety of mediums to educate your child, including music, books, movies, and games.
Closed captioning
One of the best ways to educate a child with autism is to watch television with closed captions. These captions can help autistic children learn to read by matching printed texts with spoken speech. You can also record favorite television programs with captions, and play them over again. It can be helpful to tape paper arrows to the mouse so the child can easily follow the directions.