Special Needs Support

Coming alongside Exceptional Learners

Are you homeschooling a child with special needs?

Does your student:

Are you questioned and challenged about your decisions?

We’re here to walk alongside you. We don’t have all the answers, but here are some of the ways we can serve you:

Every child has different strengths and weaknesses.

Every homeschooler desires to teach to their child’s needs with sensitivity.

Nutrition, sleep, mental health, emotions, and learning to relate to our children in a gracious manner enhance our homeschooling.

We all are beginners at some point. We can learn something new every day – parenting, teaching, correcting – especially from an unexpected source.

Haven’t we all looked at our child’s frustrating tendencies and wished we knew what to do to fine-tune and help?

Twenty-four talks to equip, encourage, and teach in many areas of unique learners. Downloadable MP3 format.

Talks include:

Why Homeschooling a Child with Unique Needs is a Great Choice! by Diane Geerlinks
Reading Difficulties: Dyslexia, Eye Tracking and Letter Recognition by Matthew Turton
Inside the Brain of a Hyperactive Homeschooler by Israel Wayne
Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner by Barbara Postma (HSLDA)

(This list is not exclusive. We welcome your suggestions sent to webmaster@ochec.org!)

Inclusion on this list does not imply OCHEC endorsement.

Dr. Russell Barkley – YouTube
ADHD? Carol Barnier’s website has great ideas and resources + Top Ten Teaching Tips for Highly Distractible Kids
Trix Bradley – NILD – Edison Learning Centre (Waterloo)
Suzanne Day (Barrie) – www.neuroclinicbarrie.com
Diane Geerlinks – GeerLINKS Educational Therapy and Consulting – assessments, therapies, parent courses.
Dr. Edward (Ned) Hallowell YouTube – amazing talents in autism
Dr. Victor A Kuraitis (St. Catharines) O.D. vision therapy 905-935-1440
Ben Loveday (London) – psychiatrist 226-374-6545
Dr. Coralee Mueller (Oshawa) – Vision therapy
Matthew Turton (Kitchener) – Breakthroughs in Learning
Barbara Arrowsmith Young (Toronto, Peterborough) – Arrowsmith School
Karen Uschold (Hamilton) – Vianney Academy of Learning, Inc – mom with experience.
Temple Grandin website – Temple offers a unique perspective as she is autistic. FAQ, articles and a place you can ask a personal question. Not focused on homeschooling, but a great resource for parents.
Learning Abled Kids – Recommended by a Mom whose son has complex learning abilities and disabilities.
Gifted Kids – a plethora of articles, ideas and tips for parents and educators of gifted children.

Many Special Needs organizations and support groups connect through Facebook and have their own websites – a good place to start your search.

CRA – RDSP – savings plan to help parents and others save for the long term financial security of a person who is eligible for the disability tax credit, contributions are not tax-deductible, withdrawals not treated as income.
CRA – Disability Tax Credit to reduce caregiver’s taxable income– need physician signed form
Home School Legal Defense – HSLDA – members only site – has many links for many diagnosis in members-only pages.
Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario – webinars, workshops, self-advocacy, etc.
LHIN – Local Health Initiatives Network (previously CACC) – every town – this is the Ministry of Health
Closing the Gap program, very important for serious challenges for therapy acquisition
McMaster Medical Centre – (Hamilton) autistic program, get your paperwork in order first
National Institute for Learning Development – NILD – therapist, parent training
YouTube videos on ‘how to’ for many therapies – be discerning but these can be helpful.

When the Brain Can’t Hear: Unraveling the Mystery of Auditory Processing Disorder by Teri James Bellis

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge
Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential by Peg Dawson & Richard Guare
The Myth of Laziness by Mel Levine
Different Learners: Identifying, Preventing, and Treating Your Child’s Learning Problems by Jane Healy