Families who choose to homeschool special needs children often do so because they want more—more growth, more connection, and more dignity in the learning process. Many parents of children with special needs find themselves searching for alternatives that will truly nurture their child’s potential while creating a sense of genuine belonging.
For Jody, a Classical Conversations mom of four, the decision to homeschool her daughter Eden, who has Down syndrome, came with prayer and persistence. As a homeschooling mom who has navigated this path for a decade, she witnessed firsthand how children with special needs can thrive in the right homeschool environment.
If you’re exploring how to homeschool special needs children, Jody’s story offers a glimpse of what’s possible: real learning, real belonging, and a supportive path forward.
Homeschool with Special Needs: Our Journey Begins
In 2013, the Lord gave me a solution to a problem I didn’t even know I would have. He introduced me to Classical Conversations through what appeared to be a divine accident, an outreach event held at a coffee shop that my friend invited me to attend for moral support. Moral support for my friend turned personal as I soon realized CC would be the right fit for my family as well. As my eldest started school, I embarked on our family’s homeschooling journey. I didn’t know then what I am convinced of now.
When Your Child Has Special Needs: Finding Hope in Scripture
In 2014, my daughter Eden was born with Down syndrome. Throughout her early years, I quickly realized that there wasn’t an authority or expert for special needs learning, especially not for those with Down syndrome. I explored school options, but they all felt empty, void of learning, and more focused on therapies and life skills. Through this search, I was reminded of two things by the Holy Spirit:
- “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” —Jeremiah 33:3. When Eden was born, I clung to this verse. Wrapping my head around a special needs child seemed daunting. But this was the verse He gave me, and those words still bring me back to Him when I feel overwhelmed.
- In 2013, when I began homeschooling with Classical Conversations, I had already encountered the solution to the problem of customizing Eden’s education. That small voice told me to stop shopping for a school option for her. Why was she any different in her learning style than my other children? So, I enrolled her in Classical Conversations and continued our homeschool journey.
Read more inspiring testimonies from CC parents with special needs students.
What I’ve Learned About How Children with Special Needs Learn
Fast forward to today, ten years later. Eden is now nine and learning alongside her peers. Though I’m far from a special needs learning expert, I have discovered that, despite any label she may have, her brain progresses the same as everyone else’s.
Eden is soaking up the art of grammar stage and officially transitioning to the art of dialectic. Statements are met with “why” and “how.” We all have varying degrees of unpacking a “why,” but Classical Conversations and the trivium have reinforced that we all have a brain that progresses through learning in the same stages, despite learning needs.
A CC Community that Supports Special Needs Families
Classical Conversations has taught my family how to learn, how to love learning, and how to embrace that school is more than just a desk, a worksheet, or an aptitude test. By attending community each week, Eden is learning so much more than just the weekly memory work.
Preparing for presentations and the art of public speaking is Eden’s favorite part of the week. Though her speech is limited, she prepares and practices her presentation and is proud each week. The wonderful part of this partnership on community day is her peers coming alongside her during presentation time. Someone always volunteers to be her translator during the presentations. It is a beautiful reflection of learning on all sides.
The Gift of Time and Independence in a Homeschool with Special Needs
The beauty of Classical Conversations for our family is that I can spend extra time with her singing our memory work, taking a nature walk, and finding the wonder in creation. I have this time because my older children are independently taking the initiative to learn. In the Challenge years, my oldest is increasingly taking responsibility for his own studies. The trivium is a cornerstone of our family’s school days, moving each child closer to the rhetoric stage.
We Are All Special Needs Learners
Knowing that I can partner with Classical Conversations to educate my special needs daughter is a freedom I wasn’t sure I would have when she was born. But today, I stand confident, knowing she is learning. Her life skills are being refined on community days. She is more than a label.
If anything, she has taught us that we are all special needs learners, as each person’s degree of need changes. Indeed, the partnership between Classical Conversations and a special needs family is one in which I see the most accurate reflection of what it is “to know God and to make Him known.”
If you are interested in learning more about homeschooling your special needs child, check out these encouraging resources:
- Can You Homeschool Your Child with Special Needs? (Yes!)
- How to Homeschool a Child with Special Needs
Find out more about Jody and Eden in this video:
