What about my child's special needs?
“Thousands of families are homeschooling children whose special needs range from Attention Deficit Disorder to severe multiple handicaps,” says Betty Statnick. “Parents often find that when they bring these children home to be educated, they come out of the ‘deep freeze’ that has kept them from making significant progress. Gone are the comparisons, labels, social pressures, and distractions that a regular classroom may bring. Parents can offer their children individualized education, flexibility, encouragement, and support. For learning-disabled children who function best with ‘real-life problems’ rather than artificial worksheet tasks, homeschooling may be ideal. For medically sensitive children, learning at home provides the opportunity for careful monitoring. And for attention-deficit children who function best with uniquely structured time and fewer distractions, homeschooling usually proves to be the answer.” - Betty Statnick, HSLDA’s Special Needs Coordinator

ARE YOU SURE I WON’T RUIN MY KIDS?
What about socialization & special interests/enrichment activities?

Research has found that most homeschooled students are involved in a wide variety of outside activities, interact with a broad spectrum of people, and make positive contributions to their communities. Experience has shown that homeschoolers are well socialized and able to make lasting friendships across age and cultural divides. (See Figure 2 at right.)

What about a diploma, graduation, & college?
Homeschool graduates closely parallel their public school counterparts—about two-thirds go on to post-secondary education, and one-third directly into the job market. (Brian Ray, Strengths of Their Own—Home Schoolers Across America, NHERI, 1997.)

Homeschool students who have utilized community colleges for foreign language, lab science, or higher mathematics courses discover as an added bonus that these course credits make it easier to enroll in four-year colleges after high school graduation. (See "Making a transcript" under Useful Tips.)

Copyright 2004 Home School Legal Defense Association
P.O. Box 3000 · Purcellville, VA 20134-9000 · Phone: (540) 338-5600 · Fax: (540) 338-2733 · E-mail: info@hslda.org