Important Tips for Home-Schooling a Child with Asperger’s Syndrome

Many parents choose to home-school a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, and that can be a very beneficial move if it’s one that you have the freedom to make. Of course, you’ll also want to make sure you do it right, so here are a few important tips to follow.

Use the Right Resources

Children with Asperger’s Syndrome often learn more effectively when you teach them using special resources. They may, for example, tend to prefer learning visually. If you’re going to home-school a child with Asperger’s, it only makes sense to provide them with plenty of resources. For inspiration, look at the selection available from Teachit Primary.

Don’t Seclude Them

Children with Asperger’s Syndrome often lack social skills and find interacting with new people stressful, which is one reason why home-schooling is usually beneficial. However, you still need to build those social skills, so think about finding youth clubs, sports teams, and other such afterschool activities for your child.

Hire a Tutor

You don’t have to hire a tutor full-time or even to come in every single day. However, it’s a good idea to bring one in now and then. For starters, it helps with socialisation. Perhaps more importantly, it will give you a break. Teaching a child with Asperger’s Syndrome can be rewarding, but it can also be extremely challenging, and it’s important to be able to take the occasional break.

Incorporate Interests

Children with Asperger’s Syndrome typically develop strong interests in certain areas, and this is something that you should use to your advantage. For example, your child might develop a strong interest in trucks. If so, you can incorporate trucks into mathematical problems or look for stories than include trucks. Your child will be drawn in by their interest, and they’ll learn in the process.

Connect with Other Parents

There are plenty of online resources covering the teaching of children with Asperger’s Syndrome. They can be a real godsend, but you should also use the internet to connect with other parents in the same position. By joining online forums and discussion groups, you can find support and assistance from people who have faced the challenges you’re currently facing.