Homeschooling 101: Does unschooling work for special needs children?

November 13, 10:41 PMUnschooling ExaminerSara McGrath

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A.D.D./Chris Corwin

What is the goal of unschooling? If it works, can it work for special needs kids? Sandra Dodd, perhaps, puts it best in her new book, Sandra Dodd's Big Book of Unschooling (Lulu, 2009), under the heading of "Special Needs."

"With unschooling, the goal is for a whole person to stay whole, and to move gently toward a greater facility with and understanding of the world around him."

Ms. Dodd's goal of unschooling fits within a larger picture of unschooling as a life approach that works for everyone regardless of "special" needs, diagnoses (ADD/ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder), learning differences, "gifts," etc.

Special Needs
Sandra Dodd points out that "special needs" is a school term, which parents might not need even if their child would have fallen under the definition within the school setting.

In Last Child in the Woods (Algonquin Books, 2005), Richard Louv shared the experiences of ADHD children who function normally when outdoors in natural settings. (See Special Needs at the Unschoolers' Bookstore.)

Labels and Diagnoses
Labels or diagnoses may serve as a starting point to help parents begin to understand a child's perspectives and responses to particular situations. However, in the long term, labels can influence and limit the way people interact with the child.

Children often regard themselves through the eyes of others. Identification with a label given by someone the child trusts might limit the child's potential. The question, then, is whether or not labels or diagnoses help the child move gently toward greater facility with and understanding of the world.

Unschooling can work for special needs children, because it can work for anyone.

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Sandra Dodd's Big Book of Unschooling
What is unschooling?
How do you unschool?