Homeschooling as an option

Homeschooling is increasingly considered by families of autistic children who seek a more individualized, supportive, and flexible approach to education. For some families, homeschooling is not a last resort, but a thoughtful, empowering choice. However, the decision to homeschool brings up important questions, apprehensions, and practical considerations. Common Apprehensions and Challenges include:

• Socialization: One of the major concerns could be that homeschooled children may have fewer opportunities to interact with peers, potentially impacting their social skills. This requires parents to be proactive in seeking out social opportunities through groups, clubs, or community events

• Parental Commitment: Homeschooling demands significant time, energy, and organizational skills from parents. Not all families have the flexibility or resources to dedicate themselves to full-time teaching and therapy integration

• Need for Expertise: Parents may feel unprepared to teach certain subjects or address specific learning needs. Accessing professional guidance, training, and support networks is crucial to overcome this challenge

• Potential for Isolation: Both the child and the parent can experience isolation if not connected with broader homeschooling or autism support communities.

What is homeschooling and why might it be the better option?

Homeschooling is not just replicating the structure of traditional school at home. Instead, it is an educational approach that can be highly personalized to a child’s strengths, interests, and needs. For autistic children, this often means adapting the pace, content, and environment to reduce stressors and maximize engagement. It can involve creative, real-world learning, integration of therapies, and flexibility in daily routines, rather than rigid adherence to a standard curriculum. It can be a better option because:

• Tailored Learning: Homeschooling allows parents to customize academic goals, lessons, teaching methods, and schedules to fit the child’s unique learning style and pace. This can be especially valuable for autistic children, whose needs may not be completely met in a mainstream classroom

• Reduced Sensory Overload: The environment can be better controlled to minimize sensory triggers, such as noise and bright lights, which are common in traditional schools and can be distressing for autistic children

• Integrated Therapies: Parents can seamlessly incorporate speech, occupational, or behavioral therapies into the daily routine, ensuring that therapeutic goals are consistently addressed alongside academic learning

• Safety and Comfort: Homeschooling provides a relatively safe space free from bullying, exclusion, or misunderstanding, allowing children to learn and express themselves without fear of judgement

• Flexible Socialization: While socialization is different from school, families can arrange playdates, group activities, and community outings that are positive and manageable for them and their child, rather than overwhelming.

However, there are some prerequisites to be fulfilled for effective homeschooling:

• Time and Commitment: At least one adult should have the ability to dedicate consistent time to planning, teaching, and supporting the child’s learning and development

• Willingness to Learn: Parents must be open to learning about autism, teaching strategies, and curriculum adaptation, and to seeking help when needed

• Access to Resources: This includes curriculum materials, therapy providers, online learning platforms, and local homeschooling groups for support and guidance

• Structured, Supportive Environment: The home should offer a calm, organized space with routines that help the child feel secure and ready to learn.

Getting Help from Outside

For families considering or undertaking homeschooling, connecting with supportive communities and specialized programs can make a world of difference. There are spaces from where a family with an autistic child can seek help wherein they can receive professional support from experts - therapists, educators who can provide interventions and specialized instruction or therapy sessions; build a network with fellow families and form a community and share resources. Here are two examples of organizations we run, that offer structured, community-based support for neurodivergent children and their families:

At Subodha, we are a close-knit community of parents, therapists, and educators working together to empower families. We believe in supporting parents to become active partners in their child’s learning and development. Family Training Program (FTP): We run an intensive three-month program where parents and children come together daily for half-day sessions. This immersive experience strengthens the parent-child bond and equips families with practical skills to support their child’s growth and learning at home. It also helps families decide if they want to continue with Subodha’s community-based programs.

• Homeschool Groups: For families who want to homeschool but seek guidance and structure, we facilitate small groups of parents and children. Our senior therapists and educators collaborate with parents to design individualized learning plans tailored to each child’s needs. We provide ongoing support for day-to-day teaching, creating a flexible yet structured environment that blends the best of home and school.

• Afterschool and Intensive Support: We offer after-school sessions focusing on academics, social skills, and daily living, as well as half-day intensive programs for children needing one-on-one support. These options can complement homeschooling or support children attending mainstream schools.

At Farmhill learning community, we are a neurodiverse, close-to-nature learning community where autistic and neurotypical children learn side by side, supported and respected for who they are.

• Inclusive Philosophy: We believe education should adapt to the child, not the other way around. Our approach honors neurodiversity and focuses on building understanding, confidence, and joy in learning.

• Community and Continuity: Farm Hill is not just a school; it’s a community where families, teachers, therapists, and children live and learn together. This continuity allows us to provide consistent, holistic support that integrates education, therapy, and family life.

• Rooted in Experience: Our founders, Venu and Chitra, started this journey after their own experiences navigating autism and education. Their vision guides us to create spaces where children are not forced to fit a mold but are empowered to grow authentically.

Support for Homeschooling famlies at Subodha and Farmhill

• We provide professional guidance through our team of therapists and educators who help parents craft and adapt individualized learning plans.

• We foster a community connection, so families don’t feel isolated but instead share experiences, resources, and encouragement.

• We offer flexible support options—from full-time homeschooling groups to afterschool enrichment and therapy—that can be tailored to each family’s needs and schedules.

• By working closely with families, we help create learning journeys that are meaningful, sustainable, and centered on the child’s unique strengths and challenges.