Our special guest this week on SPED Homeschool Conversations was Amanda Holloway, a homeschool mom, and business CEO. Amanda shared with us about her son's difficult journey into homeschooling and why homeschooling was a MUST for their situation. Amanda also shared how she homeschools her son while running a business and how parents can do both if necessitated by their circumstances.

Other topics covered in this conversation are: Why You Should Write An IEP for Special Education Homeschooler, How Homeschooling Can Change Your Special Needs Child, Gracefully Juggling Working, Homeschooling, and Teaching in Your Homeschool, and When You Suspect Abuse in Your Child's Special Education Classroom

#specialed #homeschool #advocacy

Our special guest on SPED Homeschool Conversations was Leilani Melendez, a homeschooler, ex-classroom teacher, down syndrome mom, and YouTuber at Living with Eve. Leilani inspired us with her story on "Why We Chose to Homeschool & How We Got Started"

Other topics covered in this conversation include: What to do if you are on the fence about homeschooling a child with special needs, how to get out into public to keep from getting isolated in your homeschooling efforts, how to build a homeschool team and solid foundation, and allowing your child to lead your curriculum choices.

Our special guest this week on SPED Homeschoool Conversations was Lisa Burginger, Co-Inventor of QubitsToy and Co-Owner of the Qubits Toy Company. Lisa shared on "Hands-On STEM Learning"

Other topics covered in this video are teaching analytical mathematics to help students better grasp the concepts of theoretical math, makers fairs and spaces, teaching biology and gardening using construction toys, hands-on pre-engineering skill building, how toys influence child's later career choices, and using construction toys to build interpersonal and team relationships.

Our special guest this week on SPED Homeschool Conversations was Janine Halloran, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Founder of Encourage Play. Janine shared on "Social and Relational Skill Building Through Playdates "

Specific topics covered in this broadcast were:

Play is the best way for children to learn and communicate.

Playdates offer a natural "teachable moment" environment to work on social skills and interacting with others.

How to set the stage for success when it comes to playdates.

Scaffold and support the playdate.

What to do when a playdate isn't going well.

How to take your child's learned social and relational skills to the next level.

#confidence #childhood #thisability #socialskills #friendship #homeschool #parenting

Our special guest this week on SPED Homeschool Conversations was Steve Donofrio, a motivational speaker specializing in self-protection, personal and workplace harmony, and fitness and the lead author of the book Mama Manual (a book for mothers about family and personal protection). Steve shared on "Growing Confidence Amid Life's Setbacks" Some of the things covered in this hour are how to get beyond other people's judgmental comments about your parenting and towards our child, how to deal with constantly changing schedules, and what to do when you lack the motivation to keep going. It is an inspiring hour, filled with real "how-to" practical advice hitting on some of the toughest places in a special needs parent's journey.

Our special guest this week on SPED Homeschool Coversations was Steven Craig Policastro, the Founder/COO/Executive Vice President of The International Association for Creation. Steven shared on "Using Museums as Resources for Hands-On Learning" plus we debuted in this broadcast a free downloadable checklist and guide that were collaboratively designed by our organizations to help families who have children with accessibility issues to better access museums. You can find links on both of our websites for these downloads.

Our special guest this week on SPED Homeschool Conversations was Nikody Keating, Founder and CEO of mytaptrack and autism dad. Nikody shared on "How to Track Homeschool Data for IEP Goals"

Our special guest this week on SPED Homeschool Conversations was Dr. Jan Bedell, president of Little Giant Steps and SPED Homeschool board chair. Jan shared about "How Neurodevelopmental Evaluations Help with Homeschool Instruction" including what a neurodevelopmental test is like for both parent and child, what information parents will receive about their child from the evaluation, and how that information is useful in customizing individualized homeschool instruction.

Our special guest this week on SPED Homeschool Conversations was Ellen Crain, homeschool mom, and founder of Affordable Homeschool Testing Services LLC. Ellen shared on "Using MAP Testing Results to Individualize Instruction" which included an overview of the MAP norm-referenced test, accommodations allowed on the test, useful data the test produces that parents can use immediately in developing individualized instruction, and other testing data that can be used in conjunction with some free websites for homeschool curriculum help.

Our special guest this week on SPED Homeschool Conversations was Julene Walker, Licensed Teacher, Private Tutor, Special Education Consultant, and owner of Fingerprint Tutoring and Services. Julene shared on "How and Why to Document Homeschool High School Progress"