HSLDA

The sight was stunningly magnificent!  We were spending a day sightseeing after attending the first Global Home Education Conference (GHEC) in Berlin, Germany.  Large rooms in the Pergamon Museum displayed various archaeological finds which had been moved there from various places in the Middle East. They included temples of false gods and their worship artifacts, and crumbling stone sculptures depicting armies supposedly protecting them. I could not help but make the obvious contrast in my mind between the false gods worshipped there and the one true eternal God who is the great “I AM.”  The false philosophies were crumbling, were full of cracks, and needed to be propped up by man. The Lord Jesus Christ is the true living Savior, is totally self-sustaining, and protects His own.

Entering one room, I unknowingly had walked through the famous Ishtar Gate. As I turned around and saw the structure which originally stood at the entrance to the ancient city of Babylon, I was amazed at its size! Painstakingly transported and rebuilt brick by brick as it had been constructed centuries ago, the beautiful walls of blue-glazed bricks contained sculptured...

Have you been agonizing over selecting your homeschool curriculum, or is the curricula you have been using not working? We understand. In fact, one of the most frequently asked questions we receive in the Struggling Learner/Special Needs Department is, "What is the best curriculum to use with my child?"

There is no simple answer to this question. In fact, there is no one-size-fits-all curriculum that will be the magic bullet for a child with special needs. Rather, what makes the biggest difference is a loving and diligent parent-teacher coming alongside the child and teaching him at his level of functioning. It is not just the materials that make the difference, but the methods of instruction and how the materials are adapted to best suit your child's specific needs. It is important that you use methods and materials which accommodate your child's learning style and specific learning needs.

There is an abundance of homeschool curricula, supplementary materials, and programs...

The incidence of children with Asperger's Syndrome is increasing, but many parents are finding comfort and success for these challenged youths. In the February 2009 HSLDA Struggling Learner Newsletter titled, "Homeschooling a Child with Asperger's Syndrome", we focused on the biological interventions that parents of Asperger's children have found helpful. Then, in the July issue, we turned our attention toward beneficial educational and social interventions. Today, we will address the topic of frequently recommended and necessary therapies.

Therapies

Should your homeschool program include working with therapists? Many parents surveyed feel comfortable enough to work on most of their child's issues at home. Others feel that much is gained by having their child work with therapists once or twice a week.

1. Occupational Therapy
This type of help has received the most favorable comments from parents. Most helpful is sensory...

The incidence of children with Asperger's Syndrome is increasing. But parents across the country report that homeschooling their Asperger's children offers the breathing room they need. Homeschooling helps parents apply the advice of experts, many of whom encourage three approaches to help Asperger's children overcome the many challenges they face:

1. Biological interventions.
2. Educational interventions.
3. Social interventions and therapies.

In the February 2009 HSLDA Struggling Learner Newsletter titled, Homeschooling a Child with Asperger's Syndrome, we focused on the biological interventions. In this newsletter, we will focus on educational and social interventions. Part 3, the final section due out later this summer, will address recommended supplementary therapies for children with Asperger's Syndrome.

Should You Homeschool Your Asperger's...

In the United States, it is estimated that one family out of 150 has a child who is struggling with Asperger's syndrome , or autism . (CDC report as seen on www.medicalnews.today.com) This represents a 500% increase in the past 10 years. Homeschooling families are not immune to this phenomenon.

Many experts on Asperger's syndrome encourage three approaches to help these children overcome many of the challenges they face: biological interventions, educational interventions, and social interventions.

In this newsletter we will focus on the biological interventions that parents have found to be helpful with their children. In the next newsletter we will deal with educational and social interventions. Before we get to interventions, let's focus on the characteristics and why homeschooling is best in helping a child with Asperger's be successful.

CHARACTERISTICS

What does the...