Is your homeschool student neurodivergent, dyslexic, or dealing with an undiagnosed learning struggle — and you’re not sure where to even start looking? In this episode of the Everyday Educator podcast, host Amy Jones sits down with Margaret Walsh, founder of Secret Garden Educational Pathways, and Alaina Gray, Classical Conversations academic advisor for Challenge A/B1 (and homeschool mom of four), to talk through how to recognize, support, and disciple a child with learning differences.
Margaret and Alaina unpack the real difference between a learning disability and an intellectual disability, why auditory processing struggles are so often missed in standard evaluations, and how a “whole person” classical framework — looking at senses, environment, and spiritual formation, not just test scores — leads to better outcomes. Elena also shares her own family’s journey through adoption, diagnosis, and finding the right supports, while Margaret explains the “Secret Garden” metaphor behind her practice and her book, A Catholic Approach to Literacy for Struggling Students.
You don’t need to have it all figured out today. Whether you’re just starting to wonder if something’s going on with your child, or you’re deep in the diagnosis-and-therapy trenches, this episode will remind you that every learner — no matter their struggles — is made in the image of God, with real gifts worth uncovering.
Secret Garden Educational Pathways, the nation’s leading provider of special needs support specifically designed for homeschool families, is working closely with Classical Conversations to make sure that all students have the resources that meet their needs. This is not to alarm you, but rather to comfort you: 1 in 5 students has a diagnosed learning disability, and you’re not alone if you’ve wondered whether your student’s struggles with reading or math are normal.
Do you want to know if your student shows signs of a disability? Do you want to know if specialized classes or intervention are needed, and what resources are available? Get answers now so you can either finally stop worrying, or get them the right help. It’s never too late to intervene, but earlier is always easier.
Click below to sign up for Secret Garden’s free reading screener, which also includes a mini consultation, addresses more than just reading, and provides instructional recommendations: https://www.secretgardenep.com/reading-screener?utm_source=hs_email&ut
Margaret’s book – “A Catholic Approach to Literacy for Struggling Students: Connecting Philosophy and Practice”: https://amzn.to/4ikdUvF