Archive for May, 2010

Parents of disabled students often say that one of the things that bothers them the most is that even though their child’s issues are physical and do not in any way hinder their academic abilities, their academics do suffer becuase of their physical condition.

Serious medical issues such as cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, cancer, or seizure disorders make it nearly impossible for the child to learn in a regular classroom. Part of it is the child’s own safety, part of it is social issues, and the underlying issue is that a traditional school generally cannot accommodate seriously ill children.

But the children who are facing these issues are often extremely bright and talented. As their parent, you want them to live life to the fullest despite medical setbacks, and this includes learning and developing and growing academically.

For these children, special needs homeschooling is an ideal solution. It gives the children and their parents the flexibility they need to learn at their own pace, when they are able to. The children are safe, and they can socialize in a supervised, appropriate setting rather than in a harsh classroom environment.

But a 3D virtual homeschooling system, such as the system offered by Wilostar3D, does even more than that. It frees the child from their physical limitations, not just in the sense that they don’t have to deal with going to a physical school, but also in the sense that they can immerse themselves in a wonderful, educational 3D world where they can create an avatar for themselves that is free of illness. Most disabled children find the ability to represent themselves as healthy incredibly liberating and inspiring.

Homeschooling is the perfect solution for any student who has a hard time adjusting to traditional schooling. It’s important to understand that not being able to adjust to traditional schooling is not something to be ashamed of. Traditional schooling is very rigid and limited. It is very suitable for a specific type of student – students who are reflective and verbal do extremely well in a traditional school. But students who are creative and visual often have a hard time, even though they are often just as talented, if not more so, than “traditional” students.

When it comes to special needs students, homeschooling is often not just the best solution, but the only solution. Traditional schools simply lack the resources and the knowledge needed to make sure that special needs students get the attention they need to do well academically.

Special needs homeschooling works, becuase it can be easily adapted to each student’s special needs. Regardless of what the special need is – Aspergers, ADD, OCD or chronic illnesses, the one thing common to all special needs students is that they require a lot of flexibility, understanding and learning at their own pace while being removed from social pressures and stigma. A traditional school simply cannot give them that, and so we see students that are very bright and capable suffering academically and not reaching their full potential.

Special needs homeschooling in a fully accredited homeschooling program enables these bright, talented children to receive the best education, specifically tailored to their special needs and learning preferences. For many special needs students, a visual, creative, technology-based homeschooling program is perfect. We’ll discuss this in a future post.