Kathy gives homeschool consultations: your first is free

By Kathy Kuhl     Want to talk? Wondering what’s involved in my private homeschool consultations? While I’ve been providing them for years, it’s time to let more of you know.

I give free 15-minute initial consultations by phone, Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp, and other platforms. I help parents around the world. 

The goal of an initial consultation is either:

• for me to answer a simple question or two, or
• for us to get acquainted, so I can determine whether I think I can help you, and for you to decide whether I’m someone you want to hire for more detailed or on-going support as you homeschool.

What I do in longer or ongoing consultations

First, I learn more about your child or teen to make specific suggestions about planning, scheduling, and curriculum. I help you set goals and find tools, curriculum and methods that may help you, based on what I’ve learned personally, by study, or by other parents’ recommendations. Whether you need to relax, push on, or change direction, I’ll give you my best suggestions.

Some parents want to arrange to talk with me at regular intervals, perhaps quarterly. Others want to establish the relationship, get some advice on starting out, and then have me on call. Sometimes parents check back with me after a year or two, or whenever they are facing a new challenge, such as adapting to a new circumstance or diagnosis, or starting middle school or high school.

Why talk to me?

• Before writing my first book, I interviewed 64 families homeschooling students with diagnosed learning disabilities, AD/HD, autism, and other invisible disabilities.
• I’ve talked with hundreds of parents homeschooling kids who learn differently.
• I’m not just a writer, teacher, and speaker; I have walked this path. For grades 4-12, I homeschooled my creative, distractible, dyslexic son.
• For years I have been learning about different learning challenges. I know how precious your reading time is and can help you find resources to help you teach better.
• If I can’t help, often I can refer you to another expert who can.
• I’ve taught all ages, two through adult. At the national conferences of many organizations (e.g., Children and Adults with AD/HD (CHADD), Learning Disabilities Association (LDA), the Autism Society of America (ASA)), other parent groups and conferences, here and abroad, I’ve presented workshops.
• I’ve trained in teaching math to students with language-based learning disabilities at the Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center.

Why not me?

• I have no degrees in special education and no advanced degrees. With only my degree in English from William and Mary, I cannot diagnose any learning disabilities or medical conditions. See disclaimer below. 
• I have no professional licenses. My teaching certificate in secondary math and English has lapsed. (When my son started kindergarten, I thought my teaching days were over. After he finished third grade, we started to homeschool. In 2007, after he had graduated, I began this work.)
• If you need an end-of-year evaluation to show as evidence of progress, I cannot give one.
• I don’t sell any coaching materials, therapies, supplements, or brain-training programs. (But I give away a goal-setting guide if you sign up for my newsletter.)
• I don’t sell curriculum. Since individuals are different, I don’t think that one plan, schedule, or curriculum works best for every student. (Learn more about choosing curriculum with the link below.)

What will it cost?

My normal rate for homeschool consultations $120 an hour. I charge by the quarter hour. You can pay by PayPal, Venmo, or credit card. Special needs are expensive, so I offer a sliding scale for families with financial need.

How do we start?

To schedule an initial homeschool consultation, click on the blue bubble labelled “Got questions?” in the lower right-hand corner of my web pages. There you can suggest several dates and times. Please let me know your time zone, so we show up at the same time!

If you think you might want a longer, paid session, we can use the initial consultation to get acquainted. Please briefly answer this questionnaire, if you have time. If you mail it to me at least one business day before your appointment, I will read it over. That way, you’ll get more out of the free initial consultation.

If you’re too busy to answer the questionnaire, you can answer orally during our first longer session.

Please comment below for general questions about consultations. Use the comment page or the chat button to ask a private question.

Resources & Disclaimer

If you need someone to evaluate or tutor your child, I don’t do that, just consulting, speaking, and writing.

If you’re wondering which curriculum to use, I do advise on that. But first read my post on choosing curriculum for your child or teen. My favorite way to learn about curriculum is through Cathy Duffy’s reviews, book, and website. I explain why here.