Homeschooling Children with Disabilities: Balancing Freedom and Responsibility

Main Article Content

Merope Pavlides

Keywords

Homeschooling, home instruction, disability, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Abstract

Increasing numbers of children with disabilities in the United States are being home educated.  Many parents of children with special needs have elected to homeschool their children out of frustration with the public school system, while educators express concern about the quality of education homeschooled children receive.  This article discusses the need for regulation which assures that these children are receiving services consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.  As an example, proposed changes to Home Instruction regulations in the State of Maryland are included.

 

Abstract 887 | PDF Downloads 391 Word Downloads 104 Text Downloads 133

References

COMAR 13A 10.01, Home Instruction.

Cook, S. (1999, March 25). Report card on homeschooling in the U.S. Christian Science Monitor. [Online]. Available: http://www.csmonitor.com/durable/1999/03/25/p3sl.html.

Council for Exceptional Children. (2000). Home schooling-A viable alternative for students with special needs. Today, 7(1), 1, 5, 15.

DuVall, S. F., Ward, D. L., Delquardri, J. C., & Greenwood, C. R. (1997). An exploratory study of home school instructional environments and their effects on basic skills of students with learning disabilities. Education and treatment of children, 20(2), 150-172. [Home School Legal Defense Association (1997, September 4). Press release. (Online). Available: http://www.hslda.org/media/releases/docs.09-04-97.html].

Erickson, R. (1998). Accountability, standards and assessment. Special education in an era of reform. Washington, DC: Federal Resource Center.

Franzosa, S. D. (1991). The best and wisest parent: A critique of John Holt's philosophy of education. In J. Van Galen & M. A. Pitman (Eds.), Homeschooling: Political, historical, and pedagogical perspectives (pp. 121-135). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Home School Legal Defense Association. (1997, May/June). Across the states. Home school court report, 13(3), 11-19.

Kaseman, L., & Kaseman, S. (1993, November/December). Why are not for screening. Home education magazine. [Online]. Available: http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/INF/SPCL/spcl_screen.html.

Kirschner, J. (1991). The shifting roles of family and school as educator: A historical perspective. In J. Van Galen & M. A. Pitman (Eds.), Homeschooling: Political, historical, and pedagogical perspectives (pp. 137-157). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Leppert, M., & Leppert, M. (1999). Homeschooling almanac: 2000-2001. Rocklin, CA: Prima.

Lines, P. (1991). Home instructions: The size and growth of the movement. In J. Van Galen & M. A. Pitman (Eds.), Homeschooling: Political, historical, and pedagogical perspectives (pp. 9-41). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Mayberry, M., Knowles, J., Ray, B., & Marlow, S. (1995). Homeschooling: Parents as educators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

National Association of State Directors of Special Education. (1998, April). Home schooling and students with disabilities. Quick turn around project forum. (ERIC Document Resources Service No. ED 418 544).

National Education Association. (1999). B-67. Home schooling. NEA 1999-2000 resolutions. [Online]. Available: http://www.nea.org/resolutions/99/99b-67.html.

Ray, B. (1997). Strengths of their own. Salem, OR: National Home Education Research Instititute.

Ray, B., & Wartes, J. (1991). The academic achievement and affective development of home-schooled children. In J. Van Galen & M. A. Pitman (Eds.), Homeschooling: Political, historical, and pedagogical perspectives. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Rudner, L. M. (1999). Scholastic achievement and demographic characteristics of home school students in 1998. Educational policy analysis archives, 7(8), 1-34. [Online serial]. Available: http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v7n8/.

Stevens, S. (1996). Homeschooling LD/ADD children: Great idea or big mistake? Reprinted from The LD child and the ADHD child: Ways parents and professionals can help. [Online]. Available: http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/parenting/homeschooling.html.

Turnbull & Turnbull. (2000). Free appropriate public education: The law and children with disabilities. Denver, CO: Love.