Latest / The Christy-Faith Show / Ep. 79 - Homeschooling: The Miracle Solution of Families of Kids With Special Needs

Transcript

Ep. 79 - Homeschooling: The Miracle Solution of Families of Kids With Special Needs · The Christy-Faith Show

• 0:00
  Christy-Faith: Unpopular opinion here, and I'm gonna try to stay calm. I think pediatricians who tell mothers of children with special needs that their child needs to be in a school that knows how to handle kids with their diagnosis, implying that she's not capable of homeschooling her own child should lose their license. Oh, snap. I said what I said. Yeah.
• 0:21
  I said that in a post on social media, and I meant it. And I was not expecting the flood of comments and DMs that followed. Hundreds of parents, hundreds were sharing their stories of being dismissed, of being doubted, told they were too emotional or not qualified to educate their own child. When in reality, they were the only ones who were actually paying attention. So today's episode is for every parent who's been made to feel small in an IEP meeting, who's been told they should leave it to the professionals when those same professionals sometimes barely even show up to the meetings.
• 1:01
  True story from many parents, by the way. Who's had to fight just to access their own child's curriculum while navigating a school system that feels more chaotic than ever. I have some strong words for the institutions that deserve it, but parents, here's what I want you to know. I see you and you're not failing. The system is.
• 1:22
  And maybe you're that parent right now who said, oh, I would never homeschool or homeschooling is just for weirdos. But now, you're here with a child and you see that their sparkle is dimming and that the system is failing them. Maybe their sparkle is already gone. Maybe they hate school and they hate learning and they hate going there every day. And it's breaking your heart and you just don't know what to do.
• 1:48
  Now, today's episode isn't to talk you into homeschooling your kid. Look. Not everyone can homeschool. Not everyone should homeschool. And if it's something that's meant for you, your heart will tug at you to do it.
• 2:01
  But what I can do today as an experienced educator who has read thousands of IEPs and worked with countless children at my learning center who struggled through the system that homeschooling, which is gonna be the topic of today's show, can be your family's rescue plan. Now, I don't know if homeschooling's for you, but you hit play today for some reason. So I'm gonna show you today that it's not just possible for you to homeschool your child with special needs, but it's better. Because I know how cool your child is, and I think it's pretty amazing how their brain works, and the school system was not built for them. But homeschooling, we can build a homeschool that suits them perfectly, that gives them what they need now, and prepares them for a bright future.
• 2:48
  Because that IEP and that five zero four and all those accommodations, that's literally what homeschooling is. Individualized, focused, flexible, and designed for your kid and your family. Okay. So let's get real for a moment. Let's talk about why I believe that you, yes, you, even without a formal educational background are actually the most qualified person on the planet to guide your child's education, whether you have a child with special needs or not.
• 3:21
  And by the way, I don't love that label, but we gotta use it today. I do think it's a social construct. I have a whole talk that I give on it. We're not gonna get in that today. Maybe put it in the show notes if you want an entire show on that.
• 3:32
  I'd be happy to do it in the future. But today, I also wanna address why the people telling you otherwise that you are not qualified are misinformed, and dare I say this, and I mean it with all kindness, they're ignorant. And I really hope that they have the best intentions, but you know what? They're defending a system that is failing millions of kids. So I just came in really strong.
• 3:56
  Let's get to the show. Alright. I am so excited about today's show. If you don't know me already, I am Christy Faith, author of the book Homeschool Rising, speaker, podcaster, and founder of Thrive Homeschool Community. I'm an educational expert.
• 4:22
  I have worked with thousands of kids over the years. We had a learning center and consulting firm in Los Angeles where we taught the kids of a listers and billionaires. I was on the phone every day with specialists reading reports, reading those IEPs, and let me tell you, there is not a single diagnosis that not only have I not read and am familiar with, but actually was intimately involved in executing that individualized plan privately at our center because why? Because the schools were failing. I think homeschooling is a great fit for all kids, particularly kids with special needs, and I also don't think that you need to do it by trial and error.
• 5:03
  In fact, you shouldn't be. If you are in that phase right now where you are homeschooling by doom scrolling, please, I need you to snap out of it. I built Thrive Homeschool Community so that you can get on a plan quickly that does right by your kids. I want you to have a successful homeschool, and let me tell you, homeschooling by trial and error is not a solid educational plan. I fumbled through my first years of homeschooling even as an educator myself, and so I built the membership that I wish I had when I was starting.
• 5:35
  We make sure you're making a fantastic homeschool for your kids that gives your kids what they need now and prepares them for a bright future no matter what their learning profile is. We have experts in there. We have live Zooms. You can DM with the mentors. Thrive Homeschool Community is the place where you can finally stop ruminating at night and wondering if you're doing enough and if you're doing the right things.
• 5:57
  If that sounds good to you, you can click the link in the show notes to see if Thrive Homeschool Community is open. If not, go ahead and get on that wait list because we have special things for you in store. Okay. Back to that post I was talking about earlier that made the Internet really mad. You know what stood out to me most from those comments on that post and in my DMs?
• 6:17
  It wasn't just the number of parents who responded. It was how many of them said they didn't even realize they were allowed to question the system. They didn't realize that they had the option to say, no, thank you to a room full of so called experts, that they didn't actually need a degree to be an expert on their own child. One mom told me that she sat through an IEP meeting after months and months of delays only for the school's lead specialist to not even show up. Another said that she was told that her son wasn't trying hard enough when she had literal medical documentation of his processing disorder in her hand.
• 6:56
  And there are so many stories of kids being denied services because they were doing well enough. And others where kids were placed in overcrowded classrooms and the school was claiming that this supported individualized learning. And it drives me up the wall that some of these parents had considered homeschooling, but were made to feel like it would be selfish, reckless, or too difficult to even try. Now let me say this plainly. The problem is not that parents aren't capable.
• 7:26
  It's that our institutions are built on the assumption that they aren't. Mama, you are capable. You are already doing what no classroom can replicate. Paying attention, adapting on the fly, and advocating for your child with every ounce of energy you have and probably banging your head against the wall. So let's talk about what's actually possible with homeschooling.
• 7:49
  You can get off this IEP hamster wheel. I wanna share with you what homeschooling can really look like for a child with special needs and why it's not just a backup plan. It can be the plan, the main plan, and the best plan. And we'll get into that right after a word from our sponsors. As a homeschool mom who values a family together approach and leans towards the classical and Charlotte Mason styles, I often struggle to bring my educational vision to life with my kids' diverse ages and learning needs.
• 8:18
  With all our interests and super packed schedule, bridging that gap between the dreamy homeschool I want and reality, I gotta be honest. It's a challenge. Now, yes, I know perfection isn't the goal. But if you're listening and you could use a little easing of your mental load in your day to day, I found a resource that has become the quiet hero of our routine, and it could be a really great option for you too. BJU Press homeschool curriculum.
• 8:41
  Now many think that BJU Press homeschool is solely an all in one option, and though it does excel in that role, did you know you can also opt for specific courses and tailor them to fit your family's needs just as I have? BJU Press homeschool provides the perfect balance of structure and flexibility and easily complements my family's mixed age family together on the couch learning style. They are second to none in integrating a biblical worldview, stimulating critical thinking, and offering tons of hands on activities in the lessons. To find out how BJU Press Homeschool can come alongside you in your homeschooling goals too, visit bjupresshomeschool.com or click the link in the show notes. Is your child struggling with attention, memory, reading, writing, or math?
• 9:23
  If you're experiencing this, you know how heart wrenching it is to watch them face these hurdles. You've poured love, time, and attention into their education, yet the struggle persists, leaving you feeling stuck and desperately searching for answers. You guys, I want you to know about LearningRx, a proven program designed to help your child's cognitive skills, enabling them to think faster, learn more easily, and perform at their best. I'm talking getting real long term help here with things like ADHD and dyslexia. LearningRx is backed by thirty five years of research, and their results are transformative.
• 9:56
  Use code HOME 50 for $50 off your cognitive skills assessment. Go to learningrx.com or click the link in the show notes. Okay. Welcome back. First, let's talk about the myth of professional and why your intuition might be the most powerful educational tool in the room.
• 10:13
  In our culture today, we have been conditioned to believe that the only people who are qualified to teach a child with learning differences are the ones with certifications, degrees, and laminated charts. And listen, I'm not knocking experience or training. I am one of those experts for crying out loud. There are some incredible professionals out there who deeply care and make a huge difference. This episode is not about them.
• 10:38
  In fact, I'm thankful that those people who truly care are in the system. But can we be honest for a second here too? Just because you have a title and a certification doesn't mean you're competent. A degree doesn't guarantee someone will see your child as a whole person, and a clipboard doesn't mean that they care. You can have an entire team of specialists, but if they only see your child for twenty minutes a week and never ask you what's actually working at home, who's the real expert?
• 11:05
  It's you. You're the one who knows how your child responds when they're tired, overwhelmed, or overstimulated. You are the one who knows what motivates them. And I know you. You've read the books.
• 11:16
  You've stayed up late researching all of the options. You've cried in your car after school meetings. You've adjusted the routines. You've changed diets. You've rearranged your life because that's what parents do when something's not working.
• 11:30
  So no. You're not just a mom who's not qualified. You're the one holding the entire system together while that very system is the one telling you that you're not enough, and that is where homeschooling flips the script. At its very core, homeschooling is an IEP, an individualized education plan. You're literally tailoring the curriculum, the pace, the format, the schedule, the environment, everything to your child's needs.
• 11:59
  You're doing the very thing that IEP meetings claim to do, but often don't have the time, the resources, or the flexibility to actually deliver. Okay. So let me break it down for you. In a homeschool setting, your child can work at their own pace. That means slowing down when something is hard and speeding up when it finally clicks.
• 12:17
  You can choose the curriculum that makes the most sense for how your child learns, not the one that's been bulk ordered by the district. And by the way, we help you choose that curriculum in Thrive Homeschool Community with our experts in there. We get you on the right path. You can incorporate therapy, breaks, movement, sensory tools, visuals, music, fidgets, whatever works for your child instead of asking for permission to make adjustments. And you're not trying to fit your child into a system.
• 12:46
  They're growing up in a space that was designed around them from the beginning, and it honors who they are. That's not just homeschooling. This is gold standard support. It breaks my heart that parents can spend years fighting for their child and just hitting dead ends year after year. And if you homeschool, you can literally start doing it now today.
• 13:07
  Even if you're listening to this episode right now in the middle of the school year. Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, and you can pull your child out legally midyear. And if you're listening to this right now and you're pretty serious, you can check your state homeschooling laws, and you can do it. So, yeah, you might need to do a little bit of work and a little bit of research to figure it out, but it's nothing even close to sitting through one of those IEP meetings for yet another time. So if the only thing stopping you is the belief that you're not qualified, I'm here to tell you, you are and you always have been.
• 13:40
  And here's the part that no one says out loud, and if you're a school teacher turned homeschooling parent like me, I want you to drop a comment. Your child doesn't need to take every subject at the same time on someone else's timeline using methods that don't work for them. I want your child to love learning. If your child struggles with language processing or focus or emotional regulation, why are we forcing them through six or seven subjects a day in a noisy overstimulating environment? Make it make sense.
• 14:08
  Alright. We gotta take a break, but stick around because I've saved the best for last. Before we continue, I wanna share with you a program that's been a game changer for our homeschool. At our center, we instructed and helped kids through pretty much every math program on the market and know firsthand just how important a solid math foundation is for our kids' futures. As a career educator with high standards, finding the right program that checked all the boxes felt like too tall of an order until one day I tried CTC Math.
• 14:34
  CTC Math is an online math curriculum for k to 12 students with motivating interactive lessons that allow kids to learn at their own pace. It does all the teaching and grading so you don't have to and their adaptive lessons adjust so your child is progressing confidently. With CTC Math, your child is getting a top notch education, and you just made your homeschool life easier. Visit CTC Math dot com to start your free trial today or click the link in the show notes. I've got some news.
• 15:00
  There's a new reading curriculum that ditches workbooks and drills for fun and games. If you're thinking fun and games sounds a little too good to be true, it's not. Ninety eight percent of children improved their reading test scores in just six weeks with the reading skill set by Love Every. It's a phonics based program that follows a science of reading, but makes learning to read fun, motivating, and confidence boosting because it happens by playing games and then practicing with just right skill level books. Kids love it and parent educators love it, and it works.
• 15:33
  Visit lovevery.com/christyfaith today and use code christy 10 to get 10% off your purchase of the reading skill set by love every. That's lovevery.com/christyfaith. Alright. Let's talk about the homeschooling win. Okay?
• 15:51
  So for some kids, the win isn't a full transcript of every subject under the sun. The win is a strong foundation in reading, writing, and math paired with life skills, emotional resilience, and learning how to learn. Look, we already know that the system is currently preparing kids for a world that no longer exists, and we have the opportunity to see how our children are gifted and to look at the skills they're gonna need in the future and start building a beautiful program for them now. If your child can read beautifully, write clearly, and do math, they can access almost anything they want down the line. And if they're not quite there yet, that needs to become your focus and that's the plan.
• 16:32
  And there are ways to do that and resources to access. You can build a program around their interests. But the beautiful part is no one's being left behind in your homeschool just because they learn differently. Now I gotta mention something else super important, and it's free to all homeschoolers. If you worry about homeschooling because of what your pediatrician or speech therapist might think, you're not wrong to wonder.
• 16:57
  Did you know that I created a directory of homeschool friendly service providers? It's called Christie Faith's list. I'll put a link in the show notes. And what this list is is it's a directory of service providers who have promised to support you in your educational choice for homeschooling. I don't want you going anywhere and getting a hard time or worse feeling threatened because that does happen.
• 17:21
  It's completely free to homeschool families, so make sure to look people up in your area on that list so you are supporting the people who are supporting you. Again, I'll link everything for you in the show notes. And here's what I want you to hear. You don't need more pressure. You need a plan that actually honors your child and your family, and you are not behind and you are not unqualified.
• 17:43
  And when those meetings frustrate you and you feel like your child is not getting what he or she needs, you're not overreacting. You're not being dramatic. You're not naive for thinking that your child deserves more than what the system is offering because you are the expert on your child, and no one loves your child like you do. And if you've been told that homeschooling a child with special needs is irresponsible or too much for you, you're not gonna be able to do that, or somehow that will break your child or your sanity, I just wanna gently push back on that because I've spent my entire career in education. I have helped thousands of kids who don't learn in this educational traditional school system box, and what I see over and over again is the exact opposite.
• 18:28
  I see parents stepping out of the broken system and finally watching their child thrive, being able to see them breathe. I see kids going from shutting down to softening, reengaging. Their sparkles are coming back. I see families learning how to live and learn together without feeling like they're constantly swimming upstream. And no, this isn't the easiest choice.
• 18:52
  Don't get me wrong. Sometimes that public school down the street looks like an all inclusive resort, but hard doesn't mean that it's bad. Hard doesn't mean that something's wrong, and unfamiliar doesn't mean that something's impossible. So there's no magic formula, but there is a path, and you don't have to walk it alone. Whether you join Thrive Homeschool Community membership and have us help you or not, I'm glad you listened to this episode today.
• 19:17
  And I want you to know, I'm rooting for you deeply. This is possible, and it could be the redemption story that you've been looking for for years. So if you were just waiting for permission to trust your gut, this is it. And your child, they're worth every scary, brave, and beautiful step you take to fight for their future. Your child with special needs is extraordinary, brilliant, unique, and full of potential.
• 19:44
  And I know you see it, and I see it too. But I want you to know this, the system, they'll never see it. You don't need their approval to give your child the education they deserve. You can just walk away. You can break free.
• 19:59
  And when you do, know this. I'm standing here cheering you on every step of the way. If you were screaming, say it louder for those in the back throughout this episode and think others might benefit from hearing this message, would you do one quick thing really fast before you leave today? And it's pretty magical, and it's completely free to you. Would you engage with this episode somehow, whether hit that like, subscribe, make a comment.
• 20:26
  If you're on social media, write something out that will encourage a mom who's really struggling right now. If you haven't already hit that like and subscribe, those actions tell those tiny little robots behind the screen that my show resonates and deserves more ears and more eyeballs. I'm always uncomfortable asking favors because I just wanna be here and help you guys, but the reality is your little button clicking is what helps me help more people. So thank you so much for doing that on this episode today, and I really appreciate it. Now go crush your homeschooling, and I'll see you next week.