Just Starting Out?

What is a Special Need?

A special need is anything from struggles in academics to a learning disability, ADHD, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Tourette Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and everything in between.


Things to Remember

Your child was created by God, and is precious to Him.  Your child is a gift to you from the Lord.  The Bible calls your child a reward!

Pray, pray, pray.  Pray about the little things as well as the big ones.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!  For example, if you encounter a doctor/therapist hostile to your desire to homeschool, find another doctor.  If one way of potty training doesn't work, try a different approach.  If your child throws fits with one curriculum, use a different one or put it aside, give it some time, and try again later.

Network.  I can't tell you how important it is to network with others who are homeschooling special needs children!  You may find someone who can recommend a therapist, or a great curriculum that works for your child, or someone with whom you can share struggles and be encouraged.  Most importantly, you will find friends!


Things that Have Worked for us

Love.  Love your child as much as he will let you!  Hug him, wrestle with him, sing to him, tickle him.  Tell him how much you love him, how much Jesus loves him--it's okay to smother him with love!  He is God's precious gift to you!

Research.  Find out everything you can about your child's special challenge(s).  Visit your local library, explore the Internet, ask questions of knowledgeable people (your doctor, therapist, veteran homeschool mom, etc.).  Become your child's expert, because no one else will!

Read.  Read, as much as you can, as often as you can, to your child.  I read to my son whenever my baby was nursing.  My son learned to sight read, just by knowing by heart the words on each page.  Reading will improve his listening skills and attention skills, and also provide snuggle time!

Involve.  Involve the rest of the family, when possible.  Teach your other children how to love your special child, and how to help him.  Teach them that not only are they previous, but their brother/sister is also precious to you and to the Lord.  Involve your other children with any therapy or other work; help them to understand that the family works as a team, and sometimes one team member needs more attention/help than the others.

Yourself.  Take time for yourself.  This is not selfish advice!  First, you need to have time with just you and the Lord, to receive His refreshment and strength for the job He has given you.  Second, you need time just to yourself, even if it's 15 minutes snatched her or there.  I like to retreat to my bedroom right after lunch and work a crossword puzzle or read a book for a little bit.  Then, I'm ready to hit the trail running, with energy for the rest of the day.

Others.  The first others is family members.  Take time with other members in your family--especially your spouse, and then other children.  If possible, find a babysitter and take a walk or go for coffee with your spouse.  Your marriage and family will be strengthened.  The second others is your support team--friends, extended family, families in your homeschool support group.  Help these people understand your situation; involve them when you can.

Help.  Please don't be afraid to ask for help!  This is so hard for Christians, but it shouldn't be.  It is okay to feel overwhelmed!!  The Lord tells us to minister to our brothers and sisters, but so many times we can't because we don't know when they have a need.  How will they know your need unless you share it?


Finally, rest in the Lord, and know that He has your path laid out.  He will not forsake you; He will guide you and carry you, and give you blessings beyond measure!

2012 ICHE State Convention

Thursday-Saturday, June 7-9, 2012

Calvary Church, Naperville

Featured Special/Struggling Learners Speaker

ICHE is featuring Melinda Boring as their special needs speaker.  Not only does she have experience as a speech and language pathologist and author, she and her husband have successfully homeschooled (and graduated!) their children, including two with various challenges. Melinda’s workshops address many issues pertinent to families homeschooling special and struggling learners, including socialization, language skills, adapting curriculum, distractibility, and more. Melinda and her husband, Scott, will also present a workshop focusing on distractible adults!

Melinda's website is Heads Up Now.  From her website:

Heads Up! is a company designed to provide expert information and products for special needs children.  Our goal is to provide materials and information for homeschooling families, occupational therapists, speech therapists, teachers, and specialists who work with children who have developmental delays, learning disabilities, or other special needs.

About Melinda:

Melinda Boring is a speech/language pathologist, homeschooling mother, and author. She and her husband Scott created Heads Up!, a company designed to provide expert information and products for special needs children. Melinda’s experience with distractible and hyperactive children stems from both her professional and personal life. Melinda and Scott (diagnosed with ADHD as an adult) have three children, two of whom have been diagnosed with ADHD, sensory processing and auditory processing difficulties. After 18 years of homeschooling, Scott and Melinda graduated their youngest child from high school in May 2011.


More Workshops Packed with Encouragement and Help!

ICHE also has a few extra special workshops being presented this year! Adrianne Elbe comes to us with a wealth of knowledge to share regarding the use of technology with struggling learners. Also, Fernando and Christine Soto (ICHE Coordinator for Struggling and Special Learners) will share their story of navigating the high school years with their own special student, with solid advice about the teenage years, academics, and graduation requirements.


About Adrianne:
Adrianne and her husband, Jeff, have homeschooled their three children since 2000. She no longer works as a licensed clinical social worker; she now enjoys encouraging and educating parents about autism spectrum disorder. Adrianne shares a wealth of knowledge as she assists with ICHE’s Special Needs Committee. F


About Christine:
One of Christine’s greatest passions is to encourage and help families who are homeschooling their special and struggling students. She and Fernando have been married for 24 years, and have been homeschooling for 17 years. Together, they have successfully graduated three of their four sons from homeschool high school, including their oldest son who is on the autism spectrum. Christine has assisted with ICHE’s Special Needs Committee for several years, and has served as ICHE’s Coordinator for Special and Struggling Learners since 2009.


Convention Workshop Descriptions

Thursday Workshops

When Socialization IS an Issue – Melinda Boring
Does your child have difficulty when trying to join an activity? Does your child fail to make eye contact, or respond inconsistently to others’ interaction attempts? Perhaps your child tends to monopolize conversations or has a limited number of subjects he prefers to discuss. Children with special needs such as learning disabilities, autism, or attention deficit disorder frequently need extra practice and specific instructions to develop important social skills. Learn how to identify specific aspects of social skills and ways to gently teach them through daily activities and games.

Developing Receptive and Expressive Language Skills – Melinda Boring
Speech therapist Melinda Boring will share tips and methods used by professionals to help children develop their receptive (what is understood) and expressive (what is conveyed) language skills. Learn practical strategies to help your children increase their comprehension and express themselves effectively as they interact with others throughout daily activities.

Adapting Curriculum for Struggling Learners – Melinda Boring
You’ve planned a great lesson, you’re enthusiastic, and then before you even begin, your child asks, “How long is this going to take?” Or maybe you like to go with the flow but your child persists in wanting to know a schedule for the day. Take the next step beyond identifying basic learning styles to recognizing ways teachers and students may differ in their approaches to processing information and completing assignments. Learn proven teaching strategies and techniques for adapting and modifying curriculum to maximize your time and effort.


Friday Workshops

Helping the Distractible Child, Part One – Melinda Boring (Through Primary Grades)
Does your child fidget, seem to be in constant motion, or frequently go off on tangents? Maybe your child can sit still just fine but seems to be in his own little world rather than attending to the task at hand. Does a 20-minute assignment take two hours at your house? Come and learn the best teaching tips for working with distractible children, as well as ways to tweak the learning environment and develop your child’s awareness of time passing.

Helping the Distractible Child, Part Two – Melinda Boring (Late Elementary Onward)
Have you ever considered recording your voice so you wouldn’t have to keep saying the same things over and over? If you feel as though you are constantly redirecting your distractible child, it may b time to teach some strategies to promote self-monitoring and greater independence. Find out how using a menu can help identify areas of distractibility, encourage your child to take responsibility for using strategies, and learn ways to tackle projects and get them done on time.

The Wonderful World of Technology for Struggling Learners – Adrianne Elbe
Kindles and iPads and Smartphones, oh my! Technology is exploding and can be overwhelming. But technology may also be helpful to struggling learners. This workshop will take you on a whirlwind tour of the latest devices and how they may be used in the homeschool. If you are teaching a struggling learner, or if you are just wondering if the latest gizmos might be helpful to you and your child, come with your questions and concerns and take a stroll down Technology Lane!

Helping the Distractible Adult – Scott and Melinda Boring
Melinda and Scott, married for 25 years, team up for this lively presentation about distractibility issues for adults. Melinda loves organizational aids, structure, and planning in advance. Scott—diagnosed with ADHD as an adult—loves spontaneity, creativity, and procrastinating. How did these two every get together? Find out how this couple found strategies that work. Includes question and answer time!


Saturday Workshops

Sensory Integration – Melinda Boring
Is your child an extremely picky eater, hypersensitive to sounds and smells, or irritated by clothing tags or sock seams? Or does your child seek out stimulation and sensory experiences? Is she a messy eater, or does he seem extremely clumsy? Do they love to be hugged tightly, or hate to be touched in any way? These are just a few of the common issues when a child is experiencing difficulties with sensory processing. Come and learn how to identify sensory issues and how to find strategies and resources to help deal with their impact on your child and family.

Speech Articulation Skills – Melinda Boring
Is your child’s speech unclear? Do you find yourself interpreting what your child says because others couldn’t understand it? Maybe your child has difficulty with specific sounds, but you don’t know if you should be concerned about it or just wait and see. Experienced speech therapist Melinda Boring will explain different types of speech sound errors, which sounds tend to be the last and hardest to develop, and simple strategies to help your child have better speech intelligibility.

Special/Struggling Students and the High School Years – Fernando and Christine Soto
After a few years of homeschooling, things seem to get into a groove. Then, the high school years hit! You’re faced with changing hormones, up-and-down emotions, tougher academics, and a looming date called Graduation—all of which can be twice as overwhelming when your student is struggling. Fernando and Christine traveled that road, wondering if their son could graduate if he never wrote an essay or mastered algebra. Come hear their encouraging story and gain practical information regarding the high school years, and what the word graduation encompasses for your special students.

Help for the Dyslexic Child

Following is some information that was offered to me regarding dyslexia.  May it encourage you and offer you insight on teaching your own dyslexic students.


I have found there to be several important points to teaching my dyslexic sons:

Don't let their limitations in reading and spelling limit the level of their learning.  To accomplish this use accommodations (the website listed below has a list of these.)

Make sure they are tutored using an Orton-Gillingham method (I used and am currently using the Barton Reading and Spelling System to tutor my sons).  I can't say enough good things about it.

Every dyslexic is also gifted.  Expose them to sports and the arts.  Many dyslexics are gifted in these areas.  My oldest son (he tested right on the line between moderately and severely dyslexic) just started at the local junior college.  I've homeschooled him all the way through.  I had to do a lot of research and learning to find things that would work for my son.   In all the years, and of all the sources I went through, the best clearinghouse for information on dyslexia and teaching dyslexics I ever ran across was Bright Solutions.  There are even several free video casts.

Math -- As far as math curriculum goes, I would recommend Math-U-See or Teaching Textbooks.

Writing -- After appropriate tutoring, I recommend IEW writing.

Science/History -- As far as Science and History go whatever the family already uses will be fine.   The texts will need to be read aloud (or many audio textbooks including those from Christian publishers can be rented for a year at a time from Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic) and answers dictated.  Personally, I love Apologia (I have a science degree and I find the content not only interestingly presented but outstanding).

Reading -- I use Sonlight History and readers with my youngest son.  This is not a choice all parents of dyslexics would be comfortable with.  I wanted my son to love books even if they seem at times to be his enemy.  I thought I had a better chance reaching this goal with Sonlight.  Currently I read all of them aloud to him.  In 2-3 months I anticipate that he will be reading between a fifth-grade reading level and we will start "modeled reading," i.e., he will read a paragraph, I will read a paragraph.  This will eventually increase to a page each and then him two pages, me one until he is reading whole chapters on his own.

During the first several years of teaching a dyslexic child, it can seem as if you aren't getting anywhere.  It is definitely a "drop in the bucket" but eventually it adds up.  You have to be patient and persistent. Eventually you do get from here to there.


Back in 2008, when asked about her experiences homeschooling two dyslexic sons, Debra Jackson offered the above advice.

Three Things Common to Parents of Special Needs Children

I want to give you some encouragement as you began another school year.

I have discovered that there are three things that are common to parents, especially moms, of special needs children.  They are grief, a sense of inadequacy, and guilt.

We grieve over our loss and that of our child and family.  Grief comes and goes.  It is not experienced and put behind us. For, at the most unexpected moment, even after years of acceptance, you may experience it anew.  It is o.k.!  Embrace it then let it go as you once again move on with life.

The sense of inadequacy that we experience is not a sign of the truth, but rather a symptom of the condition we find ourselves in.  I have found as I encourage moms of special kids that it matters not the education or training a mother has.  Even the mom with a degree in special education struggles with a sense of inadequacy when it comes to teaching her own child.  Learning this has helped me to understand that the Lord is the only true source for our sense of adequacy.

We experience guilt over many things.  We feel guilt because we think “surely someone else could help my special child progress more quickly.”  Then there is the guilt over not having “enough” time for our other children, and the list goes on.  Before we embrace this guilt we must look to the Word.  Proverbs 20:24 says, “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?”  And in Romans 8:28a we read, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”  So let us be at peace knowing that God is working good for each member of our family as we learn to be content and see the blessings that God has provided for us right where we are.


Jane and her husband, married in 1969, began homeschooling in 1982 and now have three adult children.  Jud and Jane are the legal guardians of their youngest daughter who has cerebral palsy and is deaf.  Jane was one of the original founders of ICHE and has been involved in ICHE’s ministry to families with struggling and special needs learners from 1999 until her "retirement" in 2009.  She continues to act as consultant with ICHE in the area of special needs.

Victory for New York Homeschooling Family!

HSLDA – March 20, 2007

On February 28, 2007, the federal court in New York vindicated Home School Legal Defense Association’s long-held position that public schools may not force homeschooling parents to submit their children to special education testing.

Case: D Family v. Livonia Central School District
Filed: October 8, 2004

Mr. and Mrs. D homeschooled their special needs son and had him privately evaluated at their own expense, choosing to waive any right for a FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) for their son. In September 2004, however, the school district insisted that it must evaluate the child, whether Mr. and Mrs. D consented to it or not, and it initiated a due process hearing under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA).

HSLDA argued to the local hearing officer that the parents should not have to submit to an unwanted, unnecessary evaluation for services which everyone agreed that they would never accept, but in May 2005, the hearing officer ruled for the school district.  An appeal to the State Review Office followed, with the same result a year later.

On June 12, 2006, HSLDA filed an appeal in federal court.  Eight months later, the court issued its decision, fully agreeing that the parents could not be forced into an evaluation.

The judge’s decision stated, “I find that the IDEA does not permit a school district to compel the evaluation of a student … where the student’s parent has objected to such an evaluation and has refused to accept publicly-funded special-education services.’  The court reiterated the Eighth Circuit’s decision in Fitzgerald, the federal appellate court decision HSLDA won in 2006, which stated that such a compelled evaluation “would have no purpose” and be “pointless.”

“It is ludicrous under a plain understanding of the IDEA as it applies to homeschooled or privately-schooled students that any school district should have the ability to force parents to consent to an evaluation that is not even necessary under the IDEA.  This case drives the final nail in the coffin of the argument that public schools have the right to force this kind of evaluation over parents’ objections,” said HSLDA Deputy General Counsel James R. Mason, III.  “With these two federal cases and the new federal regulations, every school is on notice that these forced evaluations are illegal.”

School Districts May Not Evaluate without Parental Consent

HSLDA -- October 23, 2006

Federal Regulation: School Districts May Not Evaluate Homeschoolers without Parental Consent

On October 13, 2006, the United States Department of Education placed regulations into effect that explicitly deny school districts any ability under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) to override a parent’s refusal to have their homeschooled child evaluated for disabilities.

Over the last several years, Home School Legal Defense Association has seen an increase in such cases where the homeschooling parent denies consent for an evaluation and the school district files a due process procedure against the family.

The new regulations are in part a result of HSLDA’s victory in the case Fitzgerald v. Camdenton R-III School District (2006), in which the court ruled that a school district did not have the right to override a parent’s consent. “Where a home-schooled child’s parents refuse consent [for an evaluation], privately educate the child, and expressly waive all benefits under the IDEA, an evaluation would have no purpose. . . . [A] district may not force an evaluation in this case.”

After the Fitzgerald decision, HSLDA members all over the country attended meetings and sent in comments regarding the Department of Education’s proposed regulations while HSLDA lobbied the Department directly for change. The Fitzgerald case, in conjunction with the comments of HSLDA and our members, has resulted in an expansion of the language that was already in the comments on the proposed IDEA regulations. Now, a completely new section in the IDEA regulations provides protection for parents who homeschool. The new regulations state that if a homeschooling parent does not provide consent for any initial evaluation or reevaluation of their child, the school district cannot even initiate a due process procedure to override that consent.

“Our hard-won victory in Fitzgerald brought this matter to the attention of the Department of Education,” said HSLDA Litigation Attorney Jim Mason. “Even the DOE acknowledged that this has always been the intent of the law. Now they say it clearly.”

IL Homeschool Registration and IDEA

Taken from Peoria APACHE homeschooling newsletter November 2006

Voluntary Homeschool Registration and Changes in the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act

Earlier this year (2006) the Illinois Board of Education began a campaign to register homeschooling families. Local education authorities began to notify known homeschooling families of optional registration as it relates to changes in availability of special education services for children with special needs. Additionally, notices were posted in local newspapers notifying families of children in private school placements of informational meetings regarding the changes in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as it relates to children with special needs in private schools also known as non-public attendance in each school district.

IDEA was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to make sure that children with disabilities had the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education, just like other children with services provided to meet their special needs. In past years, home educated students with special needs in Illinois have received services under IDEA from the public school system if the parents requested services and registered their children. IDEA was recently reauthorized with many new changes. Families who choose to register their children must know local school districts are no longer obligated to provide special education services to children with special needs in private settings. Registration does not guarantee children with special needs will be served. Registration guarantees that the local school district will identify and evaluate the child. Funding for special education services is quite limited for the child in the private (home) setting and the total cost of the evaluation alone will consume the monies set aside for the non-public or privately placed child. The United States Department of Education states:

"Children with disabilities enrolled in private schools by their parents have no individual entitlement to receive some or all of the special education and related services they would receive if enrolled in a public school other than Child Find (identification of all children with special needs), including evaluations."

The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) advises against registering our homeschools. They are considered private schools in Illinois. Registration is voluntary and not required by Illinois law. HSLDA recommends accessing the private sector for special education services. They offer needs-based grants for those of home educating children with special needs to access private therapy, equipment, testing and specialized materials through the Home School Foundation.

For more information:

• Home School Legal Defense Association
•  Home School Foundation 
• IDEA
• Department of Education website FAQ on services for students in private/homeschools
• Illinois State Board of Education campaign to register homeschools 
• Funding for IDEA, non-public or private/homeschools
• Special Needs, Unique Challenges is an email support group for families homeschooling children with special needs incentral Illinois. Please join us to share information, resources, support and fellowship.