About Special Connection Homeschool

We decided to homeschool our daughter before she was born but when we found out she had Down syndrome we weren't so sure if we would still be able to do that.  However, by the time Gess was ready for school we not only knew that we were capable of homeschooling, we were convinced it was the best choice for us.

The hardest part of homeschooling a child with special needs was finding resources to use.  I was constantly on the internet searching for information and ideas about how to teach Gess.  There was one time I found a great resource on teaching children with Down syndrome to read.  A few months later I lost the link.  I went back to search for it but and after hours and hours with no results I finally gave up. That's when I decided I not only needed to organize my information better, I needed to share it with others. I figured if I had this much trouble finding information, maybe others did too. Special Connection Homeschool was sparked from that idea. 

The name came from how I chose to label my friends on a social media website.  I placed all my online friends who had a child with special needs as "that special connection."  I decided that was as good as a name as any for my blog and so here it is.

Now that Special Connection Homeschool has been up and running for a few years and is growing in readership I am trying to make it easier to find the information.  I randomly post about whatever neat activity we have been working on to help with various academics or therapy.  Now that there are so many posts I am trying to organize them so that you can see and find what is available. 

Some of my posts are reviews for products from The Schoolhouse Review Crew.  While I do receive these products for free so that I may review them be assured that my opinions are totally honest and totally my own.  I also always try to mention whether or not I felt that product was special needs friendly so it is a great tool if you are looking for curriculum for your child.

Many of my other posts are just about our every day life because I think it is very important that people see what persons who have Down syndrome can do.  You need to know that they can go to camp, play sports, be on stage, play an instrument or whatever it is the person does.  Of course part of that is the mom in me who wants to share the cute things her child does, but I really do feel it makes a difference when people see the potential of persons who have Down syndrome.

Over the last several years I have noticed that information for homeschooling children with special needs is on the rise. That is a great thing.  While I am only one of those resources I do hope that you find something valuable here to use.  Whether you homeschool or are just trying to find supplements to help your child I want Special Connection Homeschool to be a resource you can count on.

Comments

Unknown said…
Lori, How can I get in touch with you? I cannot locate an email address.
November 8, 2013 at 5:17 PM
Lori said…
I don't publish it publicly but if you follow me on Facebook I check my private messages often and can give it to you there if you would like.
November 8, 2013 at 5:29 PM
Melissa said…
Hi Lori! I'm so glad I found your site. We are homeschooling a couple of special needs kiddos and its great to see other folks to connect with. Thank you for all of the links you provide. Your site is an abundance of information.
February 20, 2014 at 1:35 PM
Unknown said…
I just wanted to say that I think you're doing a beautiful thing with your site here. What a great "go-to" site for parents of children with special needs.
February 23, 2014 at 8:54 PM
Anonymous said…
Thank you so much for sharing all these ideas. I want to home school my special needs little one but was always afraid to get started and your blog has given me lots of encouragement.
April 15, 2014 at 4:06 PM
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