Welcome to Such A Time As This! I’m glad you found this site. Our story started 10 years ago when our oldest child, we’ll call him A, was diagnosed with some special needs. As the story unfolds he would be later diagnosed with autism, sensory processing disorder, cerebral palsy, cognitive impairment and global delays. The path would lead us to consider the local school system which, while at times fine and even at times good, other times proved to be hard, difficult, and the wrong fit for A. So eventually we came to difficult decision but a decision that would change the course of our lives. This decision was to homeschool. It is a decision that I know is the right one for our family.
We later found out that our second child, B, was having trouble learning to read and write. After a few years of trying to sort this out we were told he was dealing with some learning disabilities: dyslexia and dysgraphia. The challenges that he deals with are completely different than what A’s are.
We went on to have more children: C, D and E. So far, no learning challenges have emerged with them. I suppose the other challenge that we face, at this time, is homeschooling with many little ones at home. This can be complex and at times chaotic but also it challenges me to re-create order in our home and to stay on top of everyone’s needs.
I hope that I can share my knowledge and some small bites of wisdom with you on homeschooling a large family … and children with special needs and learning disabilities. This journey never fails to amaze me in that I’m learning what a journey of faith looks like. We’ve learned to work through days full of chaos to days of (mostly) calm. This adventure is one that many may question. Let me reassure you: You don’t have to be supermom to homeschool your children. Allow me to encourage you: Supermom doesn’t exist. What do you need? The most basic need of any homeschooling parent is this: You do need to be committed. Don’t let your belief be swayed with any way the wind turns. If God has brought you to this path, he will give you the tools you need to keep going, one step at a time. When the waves come in and when the hardtimes come …just hold on. Persevere. Keep going. There will be people that say it can’t be done. I serve a God who says all things are possible. This journey of faith is something nobody needs to understand but you, your spouse and God. Homeschooling isn’t an easy choice, but for my home it is the right one. This is just an intro into my family’s story. I hope to share more about our struggles with autism, special needs and our experiences as we travel this journey. For now, I will leave you with two of my favorite verses:
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4