You Can Homeschool Special Needs Kids Successfully! With Marianne Sunderland | Part One

Can I homeschool my special needs child successfully? But how? My friend, author, and expert in homeschooling special needs children — Marianne Sunderland — is joining me on the podcast. You wont want to miss this one! 

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Meet The Guest

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We began homeschooling our kids in 1996 out of a desire to give our kids the best education possible. By the time our oldest was in first grade, I was completely out of my depth and convinced that I was going to ruin my kids forever. My young son, who was clearly very bright, was struggling to learn to read and spell and my heavily language-based teaching was causing massive frustration for both of us!

A diagnosis of dyslexia at age 7 1/2 was also a diagnosis for my husband. Little did I know that dyslexia was genetic. Eight kids later, seven of our kids are dyslexic with a few of her cousins – dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and ADHD.

Thus began my quest for understanding my bright but struggling learners.

A learning difference, not a disability.

Dyslexia is almost always referred to as a disability. I get it. During the school years, dyslexia makes learning to read, write, and spell extremely difficult. However, since dyslexia is caused by a difference in brain wiring and is NOT a lack of intelligence, I choose to look at dyslexia as a learning difference that requires a different style of teaching.

My search for knowledge led me to become a certified Orton-Gillingham dyslexia tutor. The most important thing I have done to help my kids has been to get educated about what the underlying causes of their learning differences are.

Since those early days of tears and exasperation, we have gone on to successfully homeschool our kids using individualized, multi-sensory, and research-based methods. All people with dyslexia can learn to read, write and spell with the right methods!

You can learn more about our dyslexia journey, including what I wish I’d known when we were getting started, here. 

Links to resources mentioned in podcast and other important links

All Things Heidi

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Heidi St. John
c/o Firmly Planted Family
11100 NE 34th Cir, Vancouver, WA 98682

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About Heidi St. John

Heidi has been married to her husband Jay since 1989. Together they have seven children and three grandchildren! The St. Johns homeschooled their kids all the way through high school. Heidi is the the author of seven books, host of the popular podcast "Off the Bench," and the founder of MomStrong International, an online community of women learning God's Word and how to apply it to every day life. She and her husband Jay are also the founders of Firmly Planted Family and the Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource Center, located in Vancouver, Washington.