School homework is completely unproductive for children with special needs!
If your child is in mainstream school, there’s a good chance they are being given homework each week, just like all the other kids in their class.
They may be getting exactly the same homework to do as everyone else. Or, if you’re lucky they might be getting a ‘slightly’ revised homework that is just a little bit more suitable to their abilities.
The problem is that, when a child has special needs or learning difficulties, there are far more important things they should be doing with their time rather than learning the order of the planets in our solar system.
When a child has special needs, what they should be doing instead of school homework, is things that address their actual needs.
I touch on this a bit in week 1 of the ‘9 week challenge to reduce negative symptoms of special needs’.
What would be even better, is if the education system actually catered for the unique needs of children with special needs so that teachers set school homework that was really beneficial for them.
But, as this doesn’t happen in most schools, states or countries, there is only one thing we can do:
Speak to their teacher and tell them you want them to stop giving them school homework.
Instead, you will devise things they can do in that time that will actually help your child progress, and hopefully benefit their specific needs.
There are many things you could do in this time, depending on what your child’s abilities and needs are.
I would mostly recommend doing the tasks laid out in week 1 of the ‘9 week challenge to reduce negative symptoms of special needs’.
But other than that you could also simply work on reading skills, writing skills. Or basic life skills such as finances or simple money calculations etc. Whatever will actually help your child in the future.
Yes, for many children learning about space or history etc may be both interesting and useful. But when your child struggles with far more basic everyday situations or tasks. There are much more important things they should be doing for or instead of school homework.
How do you get their teacher to stop giving them school homework?
If you are really lucky you’ll get a teacher who will prepare perfectly suitable work for them to do instead. And will have a good enough knowledge of your child’s special needs to be able to do that.
However, I’m not entirely sure if that teacher or school even exists. In fact if your child’s teacher is that good, please comment below and let us know because I’m sure many of my readers would like to send their child there.
Unfortunately for most of us that doesn’t happen so you will need to do it yourself.
But first you have to get your child’s teacher to agree.
The best way to do this is to think up a basic plan of what you’re going to do with your child, before you go and speak to their teacher. They are far more likely to agree to stop giving them school homework if you can show that they will be doing something else beneficial instead.
What if their teacher won’t agree?
Whether or not your child’s teacher agrees will depend on how supportive and understanding that teacher is.
Most teachers will agree when you can explain to them what they’re going to be doing instead of school homework and how it will benefit them.
But if your child’s teacher still doesn’t agree, then it’s time to go over their head.
At that point you need to go and speak to the principle or vice principle, to get it authorised.
If you still have no joy, then you are left with 4 choices:
1) You go higher still and speak to the necessary person at the education department to get it authorized.
2) You ignore them and do it anyway.
3) You give in and continue to do the school homework being given by the teacher.
4) You pull your child out of that school and send them somewhere else.
I’m well aware that the last point of pulling them out of that school may seem extreme. But, if I’m completely honest with you, I think it would be something I’d seriously consider.
Mostly because if the school they’re at can’t bend even a little bit to accommodate your child’s needs, then that’s probably not the best school for a child with special needs to be at.
Of course pulling them out of school isn’t always a possibility. If it’s not then you have to choose from the other 3 options.
I’ve been very lucky with my son’s school, his teacher has always agreed to not give my son school homework to do, as long as I’m doing alternative work with him that benefits him.
I’m really interested to hear how you get on. Please comment below and let me know.