Homeschooling And Outside Therapies: Lesson Planning Tips

Balancing ongoing doctors appointments and therapies when homeschooling your child can be difficult. These lesson planning tips for homeschooling and outside therapies eliminate the guilt and help you prioritize what is most important for your child.

When my child’s doctor first recommended speech therapy and occupational therapy several times a week, I was relieved. Finally, we would have the support we needed.

It only took about two weeks for that to turn into what felt like total chaos.

Not only were the therapies taxing for my child and my family, they seemed to eat up most of our day. There was the 50 minutes with the therapist, of course. But there was also the time to took to convince my child to get into the car, out of the car, and into the office. There was drive time, both ways, combined with sensory issues and anxiety.

I was exhausted before we ever even looked at a book.

What If You Didn’t Homeschool Your Child?

What finally helped me might surprise you.

I decided that we might need to quit homeschooling.

This may sound crazy, but thinking about quitting is what helped me balance our time and feel better about the competing demands of learning and therapies.

Let me explain.

Homeschool Vs. Public School Education Plans

When faced with the reality of speech therapy, educational therapy and occupational therapy, all multiple times a week, I realized that if my son were in school, he would be missing class time in order meet the therapeutic objectives in his IEP.

Let me say that again. He would be missing typical class time in favor of therapeutic supports. Moreover, he would not be expected to stay late or work on the weekends in order to make-up that missed class time.

So why was I putting so much pressure on us to do all the homeschooling things while also doing all the therapies? Why was I expecting more of myself than any other educational option?

This perspective made all the difference. I began to see homeschooling as not only doable with the extra demands, but a wonderful solution to balancing it all.

We started listening to audiobooks in the car to and from therapies. I began to understand the academic brilliance of his physical therapist talking to him about human anatomy as far more valuable than sitting down at home with a textbook.

My son was able to relax into our schedule, seeing all of it as important to how he was learning and progressing.

Homeschooling And Outside Therapies: Lesson Planning Tips

Several years later, I don’t even think twice about it.

Therapies “count” as homeschool learning.

If we have a day that is heavy in doctor or therapist appointments, I no longer feel the pressure to do math. That’s it. That’s the secret.

I include the therapies as a kind of subject in our lesson plans.

If your child were in school, these therapies would be considered a valuable part of their school day. I want you to feel the freedom to do the same in your own homeschool lesson planning.

This means that occupational therapy, behavioral therapies and counseling, speech therapy, and even doctors appointments COUNT as part of your homeschool day.

Plan for them as if they are math or history.

The same would be true in any school setting, not just your homeschool.