How does homeschooling work for students with “special needs”?
Many home schooled children also receive simultaneous services from their home public school to supplement their educational experiences. Public schools have the resources, experienced personnel and support services available for special needs students. Home schooled children with special needs often benefit from a combination of both public and home school educational support. An example of this would be a student who qualified for either speech or occupational therapy which would be provided via the public school.
Although (again) no comprehensive research exists, homeschool advocates contend that the customized, individual attention made possible in the homeschooling context can be of particular benefit to students with special needs. Eleven percent of homeschool parents in the 2007 NCES survey pointed to their child’s “physical or mental health problem” as a reason they chose to homeschool, and 21% of parents said their child had other kinds of “special needs” that schools didn’t address to their satisfaction. In terms of special education, services, parents don’t necessarily need to forgo them if they choose to homeschool their children. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires school districts to locate and evaluate both public school and private school children in the district who may have special education needs. Whether homeschoolers are considered private school students—and thus eligible for special education services—varies from state to state.
