Homeschooling the Neurospicy Way
In an earlier post, I shared some background about our neurospicy journey. Now, I want to dive into what homeschooling looks like for us—how we support our children through their unique struggles while offering love, patience, and encouragement along the way.
Auditory Processing: Helping Words Make Sense
Auditory processing is tough to explain to people who haven’t experienced it. The simplest way to describe it is this: my child can hear what you’re saying, but his brain struggles to process and understand the information.
For example, you could give him a simple instruction like: “Go upstairs, grab my phone off the nightstand, and bring it back.” But if the instruction has too many parts, he might make it upstairs and forget what he was supposed to do. It’s not about memory alone—it’s about how his brain filters and understands information.
Another major hurdle is background noise. For him, every sound is at the same volume. This means conversations in busy environments like restaurants are extremely difficult. All voices blend together, making it hard for him to focus on one speaker.
How We Help
We bring therapy home. One technique we use is practicing one-on-one conversations with background noise playing from a TV or phone. We also do word games—like having him repeat a list of words backward, or identifying whether two words are the same or different.
An audiologist recommended audiobooks paired with the physical book. While he doesn’t enjoy listening to others read (he finds they read too fast), we compromise by taking turns reading aloud and pausing frequently to discuss what’s happening in the story. This gives him time to hear, process, and think about what he’s heard.
Comprehension struggles can lead to frustration and anger. He measures his intelligence by his memory, so when something doesn’t make sense right away, it often leads to self-criticism. To help with this, we use logic games like Telepathy, which challenges reasoning and encourages him to interpret clues. He also plays Pokémon TCG at a local card shop. It’s great for working on real-life conversation skills in noisy environments, and it requires him to understand and strategize with the cards, not just memorize them.
More recently, we’ve added Dungeons & Dragons to the mix. It’s a storytelling game that relies heavily on listening and interpreting spoken information—perfect for practicing auditory processing in a fun, low-stress way. If you’re curious but not sure where to start, D&D Adventure Club offers beginner-friendly adventures made just for kids.
Mental Health Support
He’s also seeing a counselor to help with anger and depression. When I brought up the possibility of an ASD evaluation, the counselor agreed it could be a contributing factor and that an evaluation would be helpful. That’s next on our list.
ADHD: Movement, Focus, and Flexibility
Having a child with ADHD who’s never been in public school might seem unusual, but that’s our reality with my middle son. He’s extremely hyperactive—walking isn’t really a concept to him. He runs everywhere, and his mind jumps just as quickly.
How We Adapt
To channel his energy while working, I’ve attached exercise bands to the legs of our table chairs so he can fidget with his feet. I let him stand, crawl under the table, or sit however he needs—as long as the work gets done. Movement doesn’t bother me.
His attention span is unpredictable. One math problem can take 15 minutes if his mind is wandering. Sometimes a timer helps—if he sets it himself. If I set the timer, it often leads to tears. So we let him lead when possible.
We’ve moved away from heavy workbook use and now incorporate more games to teach concepts. It keeps him engaged and makes learning feel less like a chore.
After Hurricane Helene disrupted our routines, I realized that flexibility actually works better for his learning style. So instead of a strict schedule, he follows a checklist each day. Once he completes everything, he can play video games during his set hour.
When it comes to behavioral issues, the only consequence that works consistently is adjusting video game time. For each issue, he loses 5–10 minutes of playtime—a simple system he understands and responds to.
Sensory Issues: Navigating the Day-to-Day
My youngest has sensory processing challenges, but they don’t typically interfere with schoolwork. He’s actually a math whiz! However, sensory issues affect our daily routines, especially when it comes to clothing and food.
Sometimes we can’t start school until he’s comfortable in his clothes. If something feels wrong—too tight, itchy, or just “off”—it throws off the whole morning.
Food Sensitivities
The biggest hurdle is food. Anything mushy or squishy is automatically a no-go. This has led to a very limited diet with very little fruit or vegetables.
Here’s our current strategy: once a week, I introduce a new fruit or vegetable. Each day, he must explore it—describe it, smell it, lick it, and then try a bite (if he feels ready). Sometimes we discover something he likes… but so far, not a single fruit has passed the test!
We’re still working on this and open to new ideas. Nutrition is a work in progress.
What’s Next?
Next up: evaluations. We’re looking into official assessments to better understand what supports our kids needs—and to advocate for them accordingly.
In the meantime, I’m reading as many parenting books as I can, testing new ideas, and continuing to share what’s working (and what’s not). Be sure to check back for Part Three of our adventure as we keep learning, growing, and embracing the neurospicy life—one day at a time.
Want Help Finding the Right Parenting Books?
I’m always on the hunt for books that actually help—not just overwhelm. If you’re looking for parenting books that support neurodivergent kids (and their awesome, tired parents),
👉 Click here for my parenting book recommendations
These are the ones that have helped me feel seen, supported, and a little more sane.
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