I am in the first year of homeschooling my 6 year old son who has extensive delays due to drug/ alcohol exposure in the womb and early infancy and a traumatic brain injury due to abuse as a toddler. He came to us at almost 4 years of age and functioned as an infant. Currently, we are working at a Pre-k, early k level, though his language is at about 36 months and he has a very short attention span. Is there any curriculum that is designed to help children with special needs with math, handwriting and phonics. We purchased both Math U See primer (he just isnt getting it) and Handwriting without tears (trust me, there are tears, tantrums, and more) and today we are starting with our get ready for the code workbook. He knows all his uppercase letters, still learning lowercase, can write all letters with straight lines but curves throw him off. He can count to 10 consistently and can add with objects but if you give him numbers rather than objects, he doesnt get it. He also loves music. Plays the piano everyday, but cant find him a teacher. Any suggestions on how to teach and encourage a love for learning in a way that will foster a positive self image, as this is another thing he struggles with. Also, how do you maintain sanity when you are with a high needs child 24/7? Right now, I am feeling stressed and unsure I can do this for the long haul. He is just so intense all the time. I love this little boy with all my heart and want to help him grow into the person he was meant to be. I am just very overwhelmed with the responsibilty of it all.
Here is a list of vendors from my local homeschool book fair that handle special needs homeschooling: http://homeschoolbookfair.com/exhibitors/special-needs.html You might find some resources there to help you. Honestly, it sounds like he's really doing very well and being on track. I personally have and hate Handwriting Without Tears; it was recommended to me, but it does NOT work with my daughter who has fine motor skill problems. You might try letting him use the worksheets that have the traceable letters to do his handwriting. You can also download the traceable fonts and make up your own things for him to trace for handwriting. I will say, though, that I don't make a big deal about handwriting. If you think about it, very little is done with handwriting anymore. Virtually everything is typed. I personally just go for legible and leave it at that. My daughter has always struggled hugely with math. After 3 curricula, we found that Bob Jones has worked best for her. It's very colorful and has a cute story that ties it all together [first grade is the story of a clown and his seal who are looking for work; each chapter is about them trying out a new kind of job]. They have lots of pictures there for the kids to use to count on. It has been a good fit for us because she just doesn't get numbers at all; she IS very good with geometric stuff, though.
