It might be difficult for parents with neurodiverse children to leap into homeschooling.
Many U.S. public schools aren’t equipped to handle children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which can lead to victimization, emotional distress, and academic failure.
However, homeschooling has many downsides, including social isolation. The question then becomes how families decide between homeschooling and institutional education.
You May Also Like
Schools Are Not Equipped To Teach Kids With ADHD
Users in the community, including special education support workers with children who have autism and ADHD, agree that most schools are not equipped to teach children with the disorder.
With absolute certainty, many people agree that our educational system is not set up to provide these kids with the help, information, and socializing they require.
Bullying Is A Big Problem In Schools
Some older adults reflect on their own school days and are shocked to recall the extent to which students who were different from them were victimized by bullies. “I recall how other students handled youngsters like him while I was in school. That crushes my heart to think of it happening to my son,” says one anxious parent.
You May Also Like
RELATED: The Do’s And Don’ts Of Disciplining A Child With ADHD
When Kids Need Extra Help, They’re Left Behind In Schools
One person who was homeschooled from fifth grade through graduation from high school said that it was beneficial to their development.
They say things like, “When I was in a regular school, I was either really excellent at a topic or horrible at it,” and that this led to them being left behind in subjects they didn’t care for.
They explain, “That was a problem for me, but homeschooling helped since I was able to move at my own speed.”
Homeschooling Helps Kids With ADHD Go At Their Own Pace
Traditional schools are quite organized, requiring students to shift from topic to subject at the school’s speed rather than the child’s.
A sixth-grader whose parents decided to homeschool them shares their experience here. “I could choose my own schedule and speed,” she said. She went on to explain how her instructors at conventional schools mistook her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for being “lazy and too busy thinking.”
Schools Punish Kids Instead Of Helping Them
One angry dad revealed his experience sending their ADHD son to first grade, and the school treated him terribly. Their youngster was “punished” by having to eat alone at lunch and losing recess because the instructor was a bully.
They were always punishing him for stuff he couldn’t help. At age fourteen, he finally confesses that the scars from his first two years of school are still present.
Homeschooling Isn’t Just School At Home
When deciding to homeschool your child, it might be helpful to use methods that are different from those used in a conventional classroom. Do not confuse homeschooling with “school at home.” Don’t try to push them into your idea of what a school should be like.
That includes letting kids play with LEGOs during story time, giving them plenty of pauses, and changing tactics if they are having trouble grasping the material.
RELATED: ADHD: Treating Your Child Without Medication
Some Neurodivergent Kids Love Going To School
However, not all children with ADHD benefit from homeschooling more than they would from attending a conventional school.
A parent, for instance, may say something like, “My son has ASD and ADHD. We homeschooled throughout the epidemic, and he despised it,” recalls one parent. The school was slow to make adjustments for him, but we persisted until we succeeded.
Because they spend less time interacting with other children and instructors, homeschooled children may find it more difficult to develop friendships and refine their social skills than their counterparts who attend conventional schools.
ADHD Kids Benefit From Intertest-Based Learning
One person with ADHD says, “I improved considerably during the year I was homeschooled.” They elaborated that their parents arranged for part of it to be interest-based learning and that they were given some choice in the matter.
Homeschooling Offers More Schedule Flexibility
Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may find it difficult to concentrate during the school day’s hour-long blocks of instruction.
One student of homeschooling notes, “something that I found tough in school since the time between tasks was shorter.” This allows for more frequent breaks throughout the day and smoother transitions between activities.
RELATED: 10 Black Parenting Perspectives on ADHD
Homeschooling Prioritizes The Kiddo’s Needs
If you, as a parent, decide to homeschool your kid, you have significantly more influence over the curriculum and organization of your kids’ training than you would if they attended a standard school.
One homeschooling parent argues that their children do better academically when they are allowed to feel comfortable and valued in their surroundings.
Stress and exhaustion at school are exacerbated by efforts to manage these “behaviors” and “masks.” All these subjects don’t have to be taught by March to satisfy state curriculum standards, so we don’t have to hurry students as they do in regular schools.
