Does anyone know anything about or have they home schooled their Down Syndrome Child?

Question

I have a six year old sister (there is 22 years between us) who is getting ready to start kindergarten. We are wondering how she will fair in school and if home schooling may be a better option. She has been in pre-school, but has not often been able to attend due to ill health.

Answer 1

I have a friend who had a trisomy 21 child born five mo before my first child was born.  She was a very young woman of 22 at his birth, so it was very unusual.  Her son did learn some basic numbers, basic conversation skills, self-care skills, a few money skills, etc.  He works at a grocery store now carrying out customer's groceries as much as his health allows. He has done this since he was 18 or 19.  

The main thing with any disabled child, especially a severe disability such as a trisomyism that causes retardation is to help the child learn self care skills.  They will never do algebra, but they can learn to recognize stop signs, buy groceries, recognize addresses, care for their own hygienic needs, etc. They even have the ability to live in a group home as an adult.  The may never live alone, but they will be able to live semi-independently. And that is important should the child outlive the parents.  They need to be as independent as they can be.

If you are that much older than your sibling then I do have a suggestion, actually two suggestions.  

1.  Think about who and how this child will be cared for after your parents are no longer able to do it.  Will she outlive them?  She needs to be able to do basic self care, learn to ask for help if she is in need, and learn to recognize danger. If they are elderly, then eventually a group educational setting would be in her best interest just so she can develop the ability to socialize easier when they are no longer alive.

2. Be sure to join HSLDA if you do decide to homeschool, even for a short while. They will protect you from social service workers and schools who may want to butt into your situation.  It is a wonderful organization, and for a child with severe disabilities the safety factor of membership is paramount.

hslda.org

Whether or not you homeschool for the entire life of the child is your decision.  But I would highly suggest it until your sibling is old enough to need to think about permanent placement due to the health of the parents. I know my friend's son did very well homeschooling, and even learned to sight read a bit. I don't know how far he would have advanced or how hurt he would have been in a mainstreamed classroom.  When he was about 17-18, she put him in some developmental programs that helped him get a job and learn more independent skills.  He even lived in a group home for a very short period of time in his early 20s.  He is nearing the end of his life now, over 30yo, and his health is greatly diminished even with repeated cardiac surgeries. His breathing is sometimes labored. But I know she wouldn't change the decisions she made in homeschooling. Way back in the beginning doctors suggested she institutionalize this baby boy.  They said he would never walk, never be potty-trained, etc.  But he has lived semi-independently and holds down a job. That's a testament to God's grace, a mother's love, and the time she spend educating him.

Answer 2

I do not have a child with Down Syndrome and don't know anybody homeschooling a child with DS, but I have read things online of people doing so. Here are some websites you could check out:

http://www.altonweb.com/cs/downsyndrome/...

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/lifewit...

http://barbaramfrank.blogspot.com/2008/0...

Answer 3

I'd search yahoo groups. I know The Well Trained Mind forum (not a yahoo group) has a board for people homeschooling kids with interesting needs. A classical education probably isn't the right thing for a Downs kid, but that suggests there must be more out there.

Answer 4

In addition to the links Glurpy posted, here's a great site for HS'ing special needs children:

http://www.nathhan.com/

I homeschool my son who's neurotypical, but his developmentally delayed (and other diagnoses) sister attends public school.  There is no way I can afford the curriculum adaptations that the school has.  Instead I "afterschool" her.