If you are still struggling to find reliable online resources and curriculum for home schooling your child, you should take a look at our list of the best homeschool curriculum and online resources for Asperger’s and high function autism where you will definitely find an answer. Many parents of children with Asperger’s or high-functioning autism have concluded that homeschooling is the best option for their child. Asperger’s syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological disorder on the higher-functioning end of autism spectrum sharing many characteristics with other autism spectrum disorders including the high-functioning autism (HFA). Some of the main characteristics of AS and HFA are: extreme difficulty in developing peer relationships and social skills, difficulty comprehending implied meanings, impairment in the use of eye gaze, facial expressions and gestures to regulate social interactions, lack of attention and auditory processing, etc.
Because of these characteristics that accompany AS and HFA, your child might find school to be a very frustrating environment. A study done by Karen Hurlbutt explains that many children with autism spectrum disorder are very capable but cannot achieve their full potential by attending mainstream schools. the reason for this is that in classrooms with a lot of students all that stimulation can be overwhelming for them. With homeschooling these distractions that cause a lot of stress for children with AS and HFA are reduced to a minimum and a child can dedicate their full attention to the learning process. With the strong need to have everything scheduled, your child can benefit from homeschooling because he/she will be prepared for studying and knowing what to expect will offer much more comfort than regular school. You can also download educational apps which in a fun way help children with autism spectrum disorder to acquire new skills. If you need ideas which educational apps are good, take a look at our list of Best Educational Apps for Children with Autism.
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The traditional curriculum can also overwhelm a child with AS or HFA especially because a lot of them are lagging behind their peers when it comes to language skills and auditory skills. Typical oral instructions in school will probably not help your child. Computer-based curriculum, on the other hand, offers structure and predictability which proved to be successful in the learning process for children with AS or HFA as well as focusing on visual skills rather than auditory. Since you create the schedule you can organize the lessons according to your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Also, some children are more nervous in the evening and some in the morning which means that you can schedule the classes during the day when your child is most alert and open to learning. It is a good idea to include Unit studies which examine a topic in depth. Once your child acquires skills from one unit you can move on to the next one. Unit studies work particularly well for children with AS or HFA because they usually resist learning anything that is not in their area of interest. You can start with his/her area of interest and then slowly branch it to other topics. A smooth transition will work wonders and in no time your child could also be expanding his/her interests.
Compiling this list of the best homeschool curriculum and online resources for Asperger’s and high function autism was a bit harder than expected. I’ve visited a lot of parenting forums and blogs where parents of children with AS and HFA share their experiences. Some of these include Homeschooling Autism, Bright Hub Education, Circle of Moms, Well Trained Mind, a2z Homeschooling and website Home School Legal Defense Association which offers details about homeschooling and laws in different states. I focused on the section in regards to homeschooling children with AS. Despite visiting these and many other websites dealing with homeschooling of children with AS and HFA, it was hard to find specific programs since the majority of parents explained that they personally create programs and curriculum for their child. However, I successfully singled out 6 best homeschool curriculum and online resources for Asperger’s and high-functioning autism and you can finally see them in one list. Time 4 Learning is a program that was recommended on almost every website which is why it takes the top spot on our list. Other curricula and online resources are ranked randomly. Some programs might indicate that they are designed for Asperger’s but the same curriculum can work well for both Asperger’s and high-functioning autism.
6. TeachTown
We are starting our list of the best homeschool curriculum and online resources for Asperger’s and high function autism with TeachTown that is software designed for children with autism spectrum disorders. With research-based practices, this software uses methodologies from ABA (Applied behavioral analysis) which is recommended therapy for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, including high-functioning autism and Asperger’s. It offers two different programs: TeachTown Basics and TeachTown Social Skills. Teach Town Basic is a combination of computer-based and teacher-led (in your case parent-led) instruction focusing on vocabulary, language skills, academics and cognitive skills. TeachTown Basic Primary program is designed for students 2-7 and TeachTown Basic Secondary program is announced which will extend the age group to 12-year-old children as well. TeachTown Social Skills is an online social skills curriculum intended for two age groups: Elementary and Middle School. It consists of four relatable animated characters and their adventures through which children learn how to read social cues, engage in social interactions, recognize emotions, etc. You can take a look at their official website and activate the 30-day free trial to see if their curriculum will meet the needs of your child.
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5. Gemm Learning
Gemm Learning, the next on the list of best homeschool curriculum and online resources for Asperger’s and high function autism offers separate curricula for Asperger’s and autism but children with high-functioning autism can benefit as much as those with Asperger’s from the same learning program. This is basically Online Learning Software with remote support which provides individual programs for each child focusing on language skills such as reading and writing. The first step is to go through online behavioral assessment (done by parents) and reading assessment (done by the child). This is followed by creating a customized curriculum for every child. These online programs are intended for children 5 years and older as well as adolescents and adults. Most students need 4-6 months to fulfill their goals and parents receive weekly updates on the progress of their child. A unique characteristic of Gemm Learning is live support from educators available 7 days a week for any questions and suggestions you might have. More information on Gemm Learning is available on their official website. You can also check out the testimonials of parents whose children started with this program.
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4. ACE® ( The Autism Curriculum Encyclopedia)
We are continuing our list of best homeschool curriculum and online resources for Asperger’s and high function autism with the ACE that is a complete autism education package designed to provide educators with an ABA-based program. They offer a customizable curriculum with lessons covering everything from the basic skills such as matching and identifying pictures to more complex ones like solving equations and editing paragraphs. Their software contains the most comprehensive curriculum database from which you can choose the perfect curriculum for your child. The main strength of this program (besides a number of teaching materials) is that it focuses on the strengths of persons with autism spectrum disorder. You can find more information on their official website.
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3. TEACCH Autism Program
We are continuing our list of best homeschool curriculum and online resources for Asperger’s and high function autism with TEACCH Autism Program that is a clinical, research, and training program based at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. They have developed a teaching approach called “Structured TEACCHing” based on learning characteristic of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Rather than calling it curriculum, TEACCH Autism Program presents a framework that helps achieve educational and therapeutic goals. Their website is a great online resource for learning materials for homeschooling your child. In addition to teaching materials they give guidelines on proper assessment which might come in handy. Their teaching materials can also serve as a guideline for creating your own plan and program like many parents do, making it one of the best homeschool curriculum and online resources for Asperger’s and high function autism.
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2. Wilo Star 3D
Wilo Star 3D, that ranks 2nd on our list of best homeschool curriculum and online resources for Asperger’s and high function autism is an interactive online homeschooling program that features pioneering the use of 3D virtual world for 3-12 education and has accredited High School diploma program. What differentiates Wilo Star 3D Program from other online resources is the fact that it literally creates virtual classrooms where students can “attend” classes in the virtual world. This will suit the needs of children with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s since they are basically alone while studying and at the same time they interact with colleagues and teachers in the virtual classroom. Yes, this type of homeschooling exists and it is definitely breathtaking. Children learn through Power Point presentations, white-boards, audio and video messaging, etc. Every student has his/her Knowledge Tower where they complete various tasks, assignments and organize new assignments. Many assignments involve interaction between students suitable for children with Asperger’s and high-functioning autism who avoid social interactions. Depending on the age group, Wilo Star 3D curriculum focuses on different areas of study including English, History, Math, etc. For more information, take a look at their official website.
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1. Time 4 Learning
The first place on our list of best homeschool curriculum and online resources for Asperger’s and high function autism goes to the Time 4 Learning that is computer-based online interactive curriculum intended for children with Asperger’s syndrome. It is also applicable for children with high-functioning autism. This is a very thorough curriculum which allows children to move through the lessons according to their own pace. Time 4 Learning is an automated program and children can get quality education without the immediate help from their parents. Lessons are designed in such a way to mimic real-life social interactions and after some time children begin to internalize standard interactions between people. For example, math lessons are designed as conversations between two cartoon characters where one character asks and the other one answers the questions. In this way the child improves his/her academic skills and at the same time learns how to relate to others and engage in social interactions. The best thing about Time for Learning is that it has different curricula for different age groups from Preschool to High School. Also, they offer Afterschool curriculum and Summer Learning curriculum. You can read more about Time 4 Learning on their official website where you can also find parent’s reviews. We hope that you found your perfect program from our list of the best homeschool curriculum and online resources for Asperger’s and high function autism and that you are already starting with first lessons. Good luck and don’t forget to have fun as well.
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