Our friend, Peggy Ployhar, from SPED joins us for tips on homeschooling high school with special needs teens.
HSHSP Ep 172: Help for Special Needs in Homeschool High School, Interview with Peggy Ployhar
HSHSP Ep 172: Help for Special Needs in Homeschool High School, Interview with Peggy Ployhar
This week on HSHSP Ep 172: Help for Special Needs in Homeschool High School, Interview with Peggy Ployhar.
HSHSP Ep 172: Help for Special Needs in Homeschool High School, Interview with Peggy Ployhar
Every teen has a place in God’s kingdom, but not every teen’s journey looks alike. Some homeschool high schoolers have different learning styles, learning differences or learning disabilities. These special needs don’t mean you can’t homeschool your teen for high school. In fact, homeschooling high school might be the VERY best choice for them. You can individualize their education to:
- Develop their strengths
- Compensate for their weaknesses
- Give them skills for life
- Help them believe in God’s plans for them
Vicki is joined today by Peggy Ployhar from SPED Homeschool to discuss help for special needs in homeschool high school.

Photo used by permission.
Peggy is a long-time homeschool mom and community leader. Her 2 sons both have special needs so based on her experience with her sons, she jumped into the role of community advisor for families with special needs. That service grew until the need was clear for an organization dedicated to helping special needs families. That’s how SPED Homeschool got started, a dedicated team of homeschooling parents who are:
- Vetting homeschool curriculum for use with special needs homeschoolers
- Training other homeschool parents in skills for helping their special needs homeschoolers
- Reminding parents that there’s not ONE approach that will work for all special needs homeschool high schoolers. Of course, we 7Sisters are excited about that since we’re always saying there’s not ONE right way to homeschool high school.
- Making available advice from experts
Check out SPED Homeschool’s website, and facebook pages.
One of the most important things that Peggy learned about homeschooling high school with her special needs teens was RELATIONSHIP is more important than education. As she kept the relationship with her sons as number one priority, she was able to:
- Stay flexible, very flexible!
- Make wise choices for and with her teens
- curriculum
- goals
- resources
- Create an educational program that adapts as her teens grew and changed
- Push teens graciously in their giftedness areas
Peggy tells the story of her son telling her at age 16 that he *was done* with high school. She calmed herself and worked with him to quickly set goals for meeting graduation requirements at a minimal (not college-prep) level. He blasted through his courses, took a gap year to explore and became the tech genius behind all SPED’s technology. He eventually went to college, because he felt the calling at that time and did college in his way.
Want more resources? 7Sisters has an Authoritative Guide to Out of the Box Credits for Homeschooling High School with Special Needs Teens
You’ll be SO encouraged by this episode of Homeschool CPA with our friend, Carol Topp, as she shares resources for special needs homeschoolers in co-ops.
Join Vicki and Peggy for this encouraging interview on homeschooling teens with special needs.
Want more ideas on homeschooling high school with special needs teens? Check out this video with Vicki and Peggy.
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HSHSP Ep 172: Help for Special Needs in Homeschool High School, Interview with Peggy Ployhar
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Smart Kids Who Struggle – MBFLP 184
Sometimes you have a student who struggles – but just in one area! How do you understand and help a student who’s “twice exceptional” – who’s both gifted and special needs at the same time?
Resources We Recommend
We have several resources on our website – CLICK HERE to check them out!
Homeschooling When Learning Isn’t Easy by Heather Laurie
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Making Learning Fun with Review Games
Are your kids complaining that their school work isn’t fun? Do you see gaps in their learning? Review games are a fantastic way to stimulate the brain and the body simultaneously. Listen in as Lindsey and Richele talk about their favorite review games to play in their homeschool rooms.
Review games we love:
Speed: Learn Multiplication the Fun Way! http://amzn.to/2x4HoXB
Sushi Go: http://amzn.to/2x4wxg6
A list of simple review games to make learning fun: https://www.talkingmom2mom.com/2017/09/review-games-that-make-learning-fun.html
Talking Mom2Mom Links:
Special Thanks to our Network Sponsor!
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Siblings Of Special Needs Kids
Special needs require special focus. Many parents must focus a great deal on their child with special needs, and rightfully so. Yet, how does the situation of having a special needs sibling affect the other children in the house? All family members of children with ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, developmental delays, CAPD, Autism, syndromes, and genetic disorders of all types are affected by these complicated issues. Are there particular ways that parents can help their other children through the ups and downs of daily life with a special needs family member?
In this episode, Dr. Jan brings in a special guest, an adult sibling of an individual with special needs. You will enjoy this candid discussion of what went right and what could have been better for these siblings, one with moderate/severe special needs and one gifted/typically developing.
Your awareness will be heightened as to what the siblings are going through in such cases and how to open the lines of communication to improve life for all involved. Be informed of the need for long range planning and options that might be available. Above all, be encouraged by the character development that God produces in the midst of hard things. Dr. Jan says, “As a parent of an individual with special needs, I wish someone would have had this discussion with me when my children were growing up.”
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Special Needs? Keep Your Head Above Water! with Heather Laurie
Keeping your head above the water when YOU are the one with special needs!
5 Aspects of Life to balance
Years ago I was supermom. Okay so maybe just marginally awesome mom. I was the head of my growing church’s nursery. Went to co-op with my 5 kids who were all dealing with special needs. We were in the van most days of the week zipping here and there doing all sorts of thing… busy things… things that I filled my time with.
We lived an intense life but I never really considered what if… what if I became the one with special needs? I had medical issues but they were stable at the time and part of me just thought I’ll be like this, sick but able bodied.
That is not what happened.
-
Create a Plan and set of Goals to reach for-
- How often do you hear oh we homeschool so you can just take a day off…
- 1 day, 2, a week when does it become too much?
- Goals help you establish a baseline
- Am I pushing too hard?
- Are we on track? Even if it doesn’t feel like we are
- How often do you hear oh we homeschool so you can just take a day off…
-
Structure and Routine
- My natural inclination is relaxed homeschooling but my situation requires
- We developed a routine for the family because we are a truly a special needs family
- If the kids are upset and out of sorts my efforts will be 10x just to get a calm less intense result
-
Year round Homeschooling
- This is not the only way to do it just how we do.
- Flexible time
- Consistent learning that doesn’t require review in the fall
- Anxiety that a normal child can have with mom or dad in and out of the hospital is eased by a constant
- This is not the only way to do it just how we do.
-
Homemaking takes time and spoons!
- Menu planning saves $, time, and energy
- Brain fog at the end of the day
- I need a rest.
- Menu planning saves $, time, and energy
-
Healthy Living
- Go to the dr, dentist, therapist, chiropractor
- Shows your children to care for and tend to their own bodies
- Sleep!
- Take your medications if necessary
- Rest is good.. I know opposite of how we started but being able to acknowledge that we all need a rest is good. Take an In-service day.
- Go to the dr, dentist, therapist, chiropractor
It’s not always easy to get from struggling or just plain not making our goals and feeling depressed about our own performance as mom, wife, and homeschooler to functioning, progressing, calmer person. Like in a real pond there are those stones on the edge that are slime covered and you may fall. Get back up and keep trying.
I wake up each and every day because the Lord has blessed me with the strength to carry on. I acknowledge and welcome that comforting fact.
Visit Heather:
Social Media Links:
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Special Needs Homeschooling – YES You Can!
Special Needs Homeschooling – Yes You Can!
Podcast #13
In this episode, Florida Parent Educators Association (FPEA) Chairwoman, Suzanne Nunn talks about homeschooling your special needs child.
Please join us as we travel along this journey on our podcast adventure. Let’s get connected! Learn more about the Florida Parent Educator’s Association and homeschooling in the beautiful state of Florida. If you are interested in homeschooling our convention is every year in May during Memorial Day weekend.
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Join us this November for 2 Great Events – Special Needs for Struggling and Gifted Learners + College & Career Fair!
Special Needs Homeschooling – Yes, You Can!
FPEA Chairman Suzanne Nunn talks about homeschooling your special needs child.
Working with Professionals as Homeschoolers
Homeschoolers frequently ask me for advice about seek professional help with testing, mental health, or medical services. In this episode, I share six of my top tips for working with professionals as a homeschooler.
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Show Notes
Read this podcast as a blog post
Melanie Wilson’s Amazon Author Page
Election Unit Study by Techie Homeschool Mom
Nehemiah 1:11
2 Timothy 2:24
Have a happy homeschool week!
HSHSP Ep 24: Homeschooling Teens with Special Needs
HSHSP Ep 24: Homeschooling Teens with Special Needs
All homeschool highschoolers are different. Some of them are different with the label “special needs”.
Can you homeschool highschool with a teen who has special needs? OF COURSE, you can!
Join Vicki for an interview with Patty Tillman about her son’s special highschool program.
Patty homeschooled her son from the time he was adopted at age 8 to his graduation. He is now a hardworking, responsible, God-loving, good man.
His life preparation and practical academics through highschool helped assured his success today!
She shares tips on how to understand your teen, set goals, develop resources and rejoice in the fact that God has plans for every teen!
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