Autism Homeschool Success
Curriculum: Preschool/Pre-K
At this age, homeschooling will likely consist of play-based activities and following the child's interests and lead. You don't not a formal curriculum and (in most cases) I wouldn't recommend one. Below, you'll find a few programs, books, and activities that I like for this age group.
Tinkergarten
Tinkergarten offers free DIY at home activities to help children develop their motor skills, creativity, problem-solving skills, and more.
The Son-Rise Program
The approach used by the Son-Rise program (outlined in this book) was a game-changer for me in working with students. It's a beautiful teaching framework based on respect, connection, and affirmation of the wonderful and amazing things about each child.
I don't particuarly love the "dramatic" title of the book, or the fact that they state that their approach can lead to "recovery" from autism (which I don't believe should be a focus), their strategies are amazing and can be used with any age group.
Get the book from bookshop.org here and support local bookstores.
Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT)
PRT is an approach to developing communication, social, and other skills based on following a child's individual interests and activities. The approach is very child-centered and his or her favorite games/toys/activities are used to teach new skills in a fun and meaningful way.
Skills are also taught in the context of a family's typical routines, so the skills learned are practical and useful for the child to learn.
While the approach is grounded in the science behind Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the authors advocate a more child-lead approach, and their perspectives seem to speak out against the compliance- and masking-based ABA that many autistic advocates are rightfully concerned about. I would look at sample pages of the book to see if it's right for your family.
Get the book from bookshop.org here and support local bookstores.
Kumon Workbooks: One of My Favorite Resources for Numbers and Letters
I'm not a fan of workbooks for young children, but these are the exception. I've been using Kumon workbooks with my students for years, and I absolutely love them. They take each skill and break it down into easy steps for the child and they include lots of visual supports. I usually like to make my own teaching materials to use with my students, but these workbooks are so great that I don't need to make materials for the skills they cover.
Some sample pages from this one are below, but they have books for numbers, mazes, tracing, cutting/pasting, etc. Lots of fun ways to develop fine motor skills and number/letter recognition and formation.
Note: The books have recommended ages listed on them, but I usually ignore those and just choose the ones that are right for my students and what skills they're working on regardless of age.
Starfall Online Games/Activities
I love the Starfall website! It has simple, but very engaging and educational activities designed for special education. You can access a variety of activities including games, songs, books, and an interactive virtual calendar updated every day.
Many of the activities are free (including the calendar), but the annual fee to access all of them is very affordable.
