Neurodivergent Kids in Your Homeschool: Finding Their Keys

[ on-hold music] Welcome, friends, to this episode of Everyday Educator.

My name is Amy Jones, and I will be hosting our conversation today with Margaret Walsh and Elena Gray.

I have, um, really anticipated this with a, a lot of, um, excitement because it's, uh, an area that's really near and dear to my heart, both personally and professionally.

Um, but, um, more than that, I would really love to hear what these two ladies have to share with us about, um, w- about helping, working, identifying, thinking through, um, our children's gifts and abilities and struggles, e- especially in the academic world.

So, um, I'd love for each of our guests to introduce themselves and give them, give us a bit of a background on, on how y- this touches your life, and then we'll get right into the conversation.

Um, Margaret, would you be willing to share, um, your introduction? And then Elena, would you follow up?

Absolutely.

Yes.

My name's Margaret Walsh, and I'm the founder and director at Secret Garden Educational Pathways, which is a special education company that provides services to families.

And I hold a bachelor's in liberal arts, so I have a more classical background, and then I hold a master's in special education.

And in a week, I'm about to start PhD studies at Baylor, uh, in educational psychology, so I'm super excited about that.

Um, and then I, I entered this field as, as a career, not because I chose it as a career.

Like, when I was going through undergraduate, I wasn't thinking, "I'm gonna be a teacher in special education." It was more chosen for me.

That's where God just kept directing me every single time I was making steps after college, uh, to enter the, the workforce.

And it's, it's d- near and dear to my heart because it, it touches on how each of u- us individuals thinks, and then ultimately how we can come to know and love God, which I- is so important.

So it's not just about the academics, it's also about the, the spiritual growth of individuals as well.

Um, so it's, it's pretty important to me.

And, uh, I don't have any family members who have a special education needs except for a cousin who has Down syndrome.

But, uh, we've worked with so many students.

It's been a blessing to be part of so many families' lives throughout their journeys.

That's wonderful.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Elena, how about you?

Yeah.

My name is Elena Gray, and I currently work as the academic advisor for Classical Conversations, supporting the Challenge A, B one families and tutors.

And I also have the honor and privilege to homeschool my own children, and I have four children.

Um, three have graduated from CC, um, and I have one, he's in Challenge Four, so he's a senior.

It's my last year to home educate my children.

And I have one biological daughter, she's the oldest, and then I have, um, three international adoptees.

So, um, just homeschooling them has required finding, um, the right supports and services, um, either within our home or outside of our home just to help them thrive and grow.

And so it's a very, um, personal, um-

Yes

... subject for me.

Mm-hmm.

That's wonderful.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We'll get both ends of the spectrum, so to speak, because, um, both that, um, personal experience is so rich and, um, the insights that you gather, you know, just from being a parent of, and then, um, pairing that with the professional aspect of this, because there are, there is information, good information, a good, um, uh, that parents can, uh, learn more about to, to help their children.

So that's what I'm eager to get into.