Homeschooling the autistic child
HOMESCHOOLING any child in the middle of a global crisis is daunting, but it can get even more tricky if your child has special needs. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially, might have a bit of a difficulty adjusting to the disruption in their educational routine, but homeschooling provides you with a great opportunity to tailor a curriculum based on your child’s specific needs.
Don’t know where to start? No worries. Special educator, autism consultant and founder of iCann HELP Learning Centre Rachael Cann understands exactly how challenging it can be.
“We have to be simultaneously working from home and homeschooling our kids,” she said in her iCann Help podcast, a tool that she uses to reach parents of children with special needs while remaining socially distant. Cann recommends personalising and using this schedule to help you make the best of homeschooling your autistic child.
Start learning at breakfast
“Start the day roughly at 8:30 am and together you and your child can make breakfast,” she suggests. “Having a fun, interactive, naturally rewarding activity like making breakfast together is a win, and it sets a good pace for the rest of the day. Kids learn functional math in addition to life skills, plus you get some help in the kitchen.”
Reinforce safe hygiene practices
Cann highlights the importance of ensuring that your child washes his/her hands and keeps surroundings clean, especially with a contagious virus spreading. She also recommends that you help your child stay up to date with current affairs by using resources geared specifically for them.
“A great app that you can use is News-2-You [n2y.com],” she says. “It not only gives you access to the article of the day, but also its previous articles. The articles come with games and comprehension questions for students with autism and other unique learning needs.”
Check in with friends
“One of the most threatening things about being at home is the social interaction our kids miss from school. This is especially important for children with special needs who have to work extra hard at communication skills and conversations,” Cann points out. “Video call classmates or friends so they can practise communicating.”
Reading
Cann notes that reading is a must on the learning schedule, as it is the foundation for all other core subjects. “With a few key apps, this will be no problem,” she says in an upbeat tone. “Apps such as Bitsboard let your kids practise word recognition through flashcards and interactive games. You place the words you want on it, so you can match it with your child’s reading level,” she says. “Another app, Epic, gives you access to books that you can read to your child, as well as audiobooks. It also keeps track of how many books your child has read,” she adds.
Mathematics
There are endless maths websites that you can use to help your child with numeracy, Cann points out. She recommends SplashLearn, which is free to use. “And if printing is an option for you at home, there are excellent free worksheet websites that you can check out,” she adds.
Writing
While writing is an important aspect of educational development, Cann recommends that you don’t dwell on it too much, as autistic children may become frustrated if they don’t perform well at it. “You shouldn’t be doing more than 15 minutes of writing — maximum 30 minutes,” she cautions. “An excellent resource that you can try is Handwriting Without Tears [lwtears.com], which is now being offered free for 90 days.”
Exploring outdoors
With the activities above taking up all morning, Cann says after lunch you should allow your autistic scholar to learn in non-academic ways. “For the rest of the day your child can go exploring or take a nap — whether it’s through outdoor exploring, a dance party, or exercise,” she says gently. “You know your child best.”
