Over 10% of families homeschool at least one child, and during the pandemic, the homeschool enrollment rate increased by 30%.[1] For families who have an autistic child or other special needs, that percentage is even higher: 38% of homeschooled children have special needs. If you are thinking about joining their ranks, choosing the best homeschool curriculum for your autistic child is the first step in putting together a homeschooling plan to be successful.
This article explores the benefits of choosing homeschooling for your autistic child. It then provides descriptions of the 7 best homeschool curricula based on ease of use, personalization, and strength of the research that the curriculum is based on.
Why Homeschool Your Autistic Child?
If you are a parent or guardian of an autistic child, you may be thinking about homeschooling as a good option. Homeschooling has the advantage of allowing an autistic child to have their specific needs addressed and can also avoid many challenges that they may encounter in a traditional classroom.
One of the primary benefits of homeschooling for autistic children is that it allows you to choose a customizable curriculum that will best meet your child’s needs and skill level. A good homeschool curriculum will allow you to tailor your lesson plans to precisely meet your child’s unique needs. Traditional school settings are not always equipped to provide the individualized attention and support that your child needs to thrive academically and socially.
Another benefit of homeschooling is the flexibility it provides. Autism can present its own set of unique challenges, including sensory issues, communication difficulties, sleep difficulties, and repetitive behaviors. By homeschooling, you can work with your child's individual needs and preferences to create a comfortable and productive learning environment.
Finally, homeschooling provides the opportunity for more personalized socialization. Many autistic children struggle with social interactions, so it's important to find ways to introduce them to social situations that are comfortable, fun, and authentically engaging for them. Homeschooling allows you to work with your child on social skills in a way that caters to their needs and preferences.
Choosing the Best Homeschool Curriculum for Your Autistic Child
When it comes to choosing a homeschool curriculum for your autistic child, there are many options to consider. Ultimately, the best curriculum for your child will depend on their individual strengths and weaknesses. Whatever you choose, remember that homeschooling can be an incredibly rewarding and effective choice for autistic students. By providing a comfortable and supportive learning environment, you can help your child reach their academic and social potential.
1. The ARIS® Academic Readiness Intervention System Curriculum
The ARIS Curriculum is a parent-friendly, easy-to-use curriculum. ARIS has become the top choice by many schools in the US because it is grounded in easy-to-use research-based practices that have been proven effective for autistic children. All the learning materials that are needed are included in the curriculum kit, such as flashcards, interactive manipulatives, and hundreds of reproducible activity sheets. Each lesson comes in a portable folder design perfect for homeschooling parents. ARIS has the advantage of being a print-based curriculum with online resources available to support parents and teachers.
The teaching procedures outlined on each lesson folder in ARIS explicitly walk you through how to introduce and teach concepts such as early reading and math, social skills, and daily living skills. Prompting procedures are suggested in an easy-to-follow style. This curriculum guides educators and parents through teaching concrete foundational skills and provides suggestions for ways to generalize these skills in social settings through fun whole-child lesson activities.
ARIS uses research-based practices used by professionals but makes sure these strategies are easy to use even for a parent who has no experience in autism education. ARIS also comes with assessment and data sheets that make it easy to monitor progress and adjust teaching, as needed. This curriculum is aligned with many common educational assessments and state standards, so you can feel confident in knowing that your child is learning the skills that will help them remain on the right track.
2. Playing Preschool - Homeschool Curriculum by Busy Toddler
While not specifically designed for autistic children, the Playing Preschool Homeschool Curriculum can be used for children at the developmental age of 2.5 to 5 years. Children learn through their natural desire to play and this curriculum provides a framework to guide your child’s learning experiences by capitalizing on their natural interests.
The lesson plans in Playing Preschool are sequenced to build skills in the areas of reading, math, science, and art. A startup guide is included to inspire you to jumpstart your homeschool journey. A whole year of lesson plans, including bi-weekly lists of recommended materials and book lists, will guide you as you fuel your child’s passion for learning. Playing Preschool can be purchased online and arrives in a printable PDF file. It is important to note that resources needed to follow the curriculum must be purchased or located separately, it is not all-inclusive.
3. Homeschool +
The Homeschool + curriculum is designed for students in Pre-K to 2nd grade (ages 4 - 8). This game-based online curriculum supports parent home educators in customizing a learning environment that fits the needs of their child. This program starts by assessing your child’s current skill level and helps you to create a personalized learning path to scaffold learning. One downside of Homeschool+ is it is not designed specifically for autistic children, but for children motivated by online games, it can augment other curriculums.
Homeschool+ has an adaptive math and reading program, as well as online courses that incorporate art, science, and social studies. Parents can add, remove, or adjust the lesson plans to fit the unique needs of their child. The lesson plans provide opportunities for generalization to the real world, so the learning process can continue outside of the home classroom.
4. Gemm Learning
The Gemm Learning curriculum is an online digital compilation of lesson plans that was created to support students of different abilities, including autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. While more of a collection of materials than a curriculum, this program boasts that it supports parents in the homeschooling process by creating the learning schedule automatically. Parents only need to help guide their children and encourage them to complete their lessons. Lessons are designed to be implemented once per day for 30 minutes.
The online program automatically adjusts to the needs of each student. When a child can correctly answer questions, the program moves them forward a bit more quickly through complex tasks. However, when they have difficulty with particular activities, the program will slow down and review the information. It is important to note that Gemm focuses on learning issues that autistic students have that are similar to children with ADHD, dyslexia, and other special needs; it is not specifically designed for autistic children.
Fast ForWord is a supplemental reading and literacy program that is based on the principles of neuroscience and helps students rapidly gain reading and comprehension skills. Learning professionals through Gemm Learning monitor each student's progress and communicate with parents to discuss how to best support their child.
5. WiloStar 3-D Academy
WiloStart 3-D Academy is a virtual curriculum that allows students to create their own avatar that participates in different activities as they attend school. Students build, design, and code their own virtual levels. This unique interface provides students with the opportunity to engage in some school interactions as if they are actually at a physical school.
This program is designed for middle and high school students; it does not serve the needs of early learners. Students who are organized and self-motivated may benefit from this type of program. Regular attendance is required; students must log in for a study hall for 4 days per week for 2.5 hours each day. Their website describes that autistic students may benefit from the ability to engage in social interactions with peers through the use of the virtual platform, which may be less intimidating for students with social anxiety and social communication differences. When students complete their academic path through WiloStart 3-D Academy, they will graduate with an accredited diploma. Academic, career, and college planning counseling services are available for students to help them reach their goals.
6. Timberdoodle
Timberdoodle is a family-owned company that provides curriculum kits for homeschool families. The website provides a variety of assessments to use to determine which curriculum kit is most appropriate for your child’s skill level. A curriculum guide comes along with each larger curriculum kit.
Parents also have the option to purchase curriculum materials a la carte and build their own set. These materials are designed for children of different ages and abilities. The Timberdoodle approach would be best suited for parents who are confident in their abilities to facilitate engaging activities to use when homeschooling their children and may be looking for materials to supplement their curriculum.
7. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a web-based curriculum that is tailored to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Activities focus on teaching basic academic skills such as math, language arts, and reading. Life skills such as money management, home ownership, and more are included for advanced learners.
College-bound students have additional opportunities for standardized test preparation. Instructional videos and a personalized dashboard are included for parents to use to monitor their child’s progress and view a summary of performance. This curriculum is best suited for students who can be independent in completing their schoolwork. Parents who choose this curriculum would best support their children on their homeschooling journey by providing supplemental social activities.
Funding Your Homeschooling Curriculum
Many states provide funding for homeschooling, including the purchase of curriculum. Nine states have education savings accounts (ESAs) to provide families who homeschool access to public per-pupil funds to pay for homeschooling supplies and curriculum materials. The following states have ESAs: Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. Other states provide funding in other ways, especially for children with special needs.
Homeschooling is an educational and life commitment that can be rewarding and challenging. With the information that is included in this article, parents can custom-build a comprehensive curriculum approach that is tailored to the needs of their child.
Parents: remember to also prioritize your own mental and physical health, as homeschooling requires a great deal of time and planning. With strong time management and creative implementation of learning activities, homeschooling can be a wonderful option to help autistic students reach their full potential.
We hope you enjoyed the information in this article. STAGES® Learning also offers free downloadable resources to support teaching and learning with autistic individuals. Start with our free Picture Noun Cards and see our collection of other downloadable resources here!
[1] https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/Where%20the%20Kids%20Went-%20Nonpublic%20Schooling%20and%20Demographic%20Change%20during%20the%20Pandemic%20Exodus%20from%20Public%20Schools_0.pdf
