From the outside, it looks like there are only two schools of thought when it comes to education: those who choose conventional schooling and those who homeschool. ⁣
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If we lean in, we see that there are many subgroups within each category.

Conventional schooling

Choosing the conventional path means families can pick between a slew of academies:

• Public/state
• Private
• Alternative schools
• “Special education”
• Hybrid learning
• Blended schooling
• Etc. ⁣

Home educating

Home educating is an umbrella term for those who choose:

• School-at-home
• Unschooling
• Charter schools
• World schooling
• Other styles of alternative homeschooling
• Etc.

Within these classifications, there are additional subgroups. And, because of these divisions, even homeschoolers point fingers and isolate one another. Likewise, families raising children with the same diagnosis experience scrutiny.⁣

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As home educators of chronically ill/disabled or neurodivergent children, it’s difficult to fit into a homeschool community because of our distinct needs and circumstances.

• A homeschool coop may not be physically or financially accessible.
• The curriculum choice (or that a family uses a curriculum at all) may be criticized.
• The decision to treat a child’s condition with medication (or not) might also be judged.
• A child’s sensory needs may not be understood.

⁣One need only consider the organizations they belong to where, even within a common heading, there are variations. A Friday night sports team? Your book club? Your religious order? Your department at work? Your extended family?⁣

For as long as people are misunderstood, judgments and opinions will never be eradicated.
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Even though the world needs more compassion, love and acceptance need to start (and end) with ourselves. I cannot influence billions of people. But, I can be the change within my small groupings—starting with myself and with those who live and pass through my home.⁣

How are you fostering non-judgment and nourishing compassion within your home?

Related Articles:

• Teaching to Traits, Not a Diagnosis
• The Fine Line Between Remediation and Fostering a Child’s Differences
• Society’s View of the Parental Role in Education