Are you thinking about starting to homeschool? Are you generally interested in learning more about homeschooling? Gina Schlicksup, founder of Parent Empowerment Groups, provides information on the topic.
As a wife and mom of four children, Gina shares her experiences homeschooling children with TS. She discusses why families choose to homeschool as well as the benefits of homeschooling from a parent’s perspective. She will also address myths about homeschooling.
Key Takeways:
Why do people choose to homeschool?
- School is not a good fit
- Bullying
- Child has unique needs that are unmet
- Misunderstood child
Benefits of homeschooling
- Flexibility
- Ability to pursue interests
- Less stress/anxiety
- Positive interactions
- Real-life experience
- Travel
- Ability to modify if a tough day (no sleep, tic explosion, med side effects)
Homeschooling Myth Busters
- Socialization
- Child will be behind or missing out
- Higher education is not possible
- Costly
- “I’m not a teacher!”
A Parent’s Perspective
- Trial and error to find what works
- Reframe what school looks like
- Familiarize yourself with disabilities and how to accommodate
- Offer yourself grace
I am Gina Schlicksup, founder of Parent Empowerment Groups, and a mother who shares this life with my husband of 15 years and 4 kiddos. My two sons have Tourette Syndrome
and the whole gamut of co-occurring conditions. Prior to becoming a mom, I was a special education teacher in Texas and Illinois public schools. Now a homeschooling mama, I spend my days creating educational opportunities that meet my kids’ unique needs while coaching others to be an empowered, strong, informed voice for their child.
Our family moved to Florida from Iowa in early 2020 to be closer to the medical care and
services available at the Tourette Center of Excellence in Gainesville. Our journey with Tourette has been very challenging, but we will stop at nothing to give our kids the support they need to live their best lives. I have chronicled this journey and will be releasing my first book, Exceptionally Unordinary, this summer or early fall. I hope it becomes a tool that sparks some much-needed tough conversations with those in the special needs parent community and our education system.
