Delaware · autism, ADHD and learning differences
Homeschooling a child with autism, ADHD or a learning difference in Delaware
Pick one of three homeschool types, then report two numbers a year: how many pupils in September, and attendance by July. Starting in Delaware means the notice step listed above. What changes for a neurodivergent child is how the lessons look and feel, and that is something a parent can set.
What Delaware asks of a homeschool family
These are the homeschool rules we have on file for Delaware, last verified 2026-08. Our Delaware page has the full list, with sources.
Getting started (notice)
no notice of intent as such. You register the homeschool with the Department of Education under one of three types: a single family homeschool, a multi family homeschool, or a single family homeschool coordinated with the local district, where the superintendent approves the curriculum and determines in writing that the child is receiving regular and thorough instruction.
Records you must keep
a statement of pupil enrolment as of the last school day in September, filed by September 30, and end of year attendance information filed by July 31.
Testing / evaluation
none. The state does not give its assessments to nonpublic school students, and private testing is optional.
Special education and your homeschooled child in Delaware
We researched this from Delaware's statutes and administrative code, the state education department and the US Department of Education, last checked October 2026. Where a source was missing, old or in conflict, the line says so instead of guessing. Federal law (IDEA) gives a child placed in private school by a parent no individual right to services, only a share of the district's equitable-services funds, and each state decides how a home school is counted.
How the state counts a home school
Treated like a private school
14 Del. C. 2703A says a homeschool is considered a nonpublic school, and students in homeschools are deemed parentally placed private school children for equitable services using IDEA proportionate share funds.
Asking for an evaluation
Delaware's special education policies (14 DE Admin. Code 923, sections 11 and 31) require districts to identify and evaluate children, and for parentally placed private school children the district where the school is located handles child find. The sources do not say which district applies to a homeschool, so a parent should ask their district of residence and confirm.
Services and IEPs
Because homeschool students are deemed parentally placed private school children, they fall under the equitable services rules (sections 32 to 39), which give no individual right to services and use a services plan for children the district designates. The sources do not say what happens to an existing IEP on withdrawal.
Part-time classes, therapies and activities at the public school
No Delaware statute or rule giving homeschool students part-time classes or therapies at a public school was found in primary sources. HB 350 (2026) only directs the Department of Education to study homeschool participation in public school extracurricular activities and report by December 31, 2027.
Scholarships and funding for a child with a disability
No Delaware scholarship, voucher or education savings account for children with disabilities that homeschoolers can use was found in primary sources.
Less certain: the sources on this were thin or in conflict. Confirm with the state office before relying on it.
Also worth knowing
Delaware policy 1.7 says that if a homeschooling parent does not consent to evaluation, the district may not override that refusal. 14 Del. C. 2705 lets a parent request exemption from compulsory attendance with physician or psychologist documentation, and for a child with a disability the request goes to the IEP team. The department's contact page could not be opened, so the link given is the policy document itself.
State office to ask: Delaware Department of Education, Exceptional Children and Early Childhood Education Group.
Sources we read
A plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice. Scholarship and school-choice programs change often, and we have left dollar amounts out on purpose. Confirm current rules with the state office before you act.
Pace, testing and the plan
Check the testing and evaluation line above for Delaware, since it can depend on how you homeschool. Where a test or an evaluation applies, remember that Learning Supports change how lessons look and feel while your child learns. They are not part of a test or an evaluation. Whether a child can be given accommodations on the test, or with the evaluator, is something to ask the test provider or evaluator before the day, and we cannot tell you what Delaware allows.
Records in Delaware
Check the records line above for Delaware. Letters & Devotion logs instructional hours automatically while your child works, tracks mastery per skill as a ready-made portfolio record, and prints a transcript in one click. Turning supports on or off does not change that record, and nothing in it names a condition, because Letters & Devotion never stores a diagnosis.
Six Learning Supports you can switch on
A parent ticks what helps, never a condition. Each support is a bundle of single switches, and any switch can be changed on its own. After about three weeks the parent side asks whether a support is helping.
Reading support
Often chosen for dyslexia
Read-aloud with each word highlighted, a clearer font, extra spacing and answer buttons.
Focus support
Often chosen for ADHD
Short pieces, one question on screen and movement breaks.
Predictable routine
Often chosen for autism
The same layout, a heads-up before changes, a calm look and plain wording.
Math support
Often chosen for dyscalculia
Pictures and a calculator, with nothing timed.
Writing support
Often chosen for dysgraphia
Answer out loud, with ideas counted over spelling.
Low-pressure mode
Often chosen for anxiety or perfectionism
No scores, calm feedback and a free second try.
What this is not
- It does not diagnose anything or store a diagnosis. Your child never sees a condition name.
- It is not special education, therapy or an evaluation, and it is not a substitute for an IEP.
- Read-aloud is a computer voice, not a person, and answering out loud needs the microphone switch.
- Some lesson rewrites, such as plainer literal wording, are pre-written, so not every lesson has one.
Try it with your child in Delaware
All 84 courses are readable in full with no account and no card, and the first 30 days are free.
$29 a month or $290 a year for every child. Cancel anytime, in one click.
Questions
Can I homeschool a child with autism or ADHD in Delaware?
Delaware's homeschool rules are summarized on this page. On special education: 14 Del. C. 2703A says a homeschool is considered a nonpublic school, and students in homeschools are deemed parentally placed private school children for equitable services using IDEA proportionate share funds. Delaware's special education policies (14 DE Admin. Code 923, sections 11 and 31) require districts to identify and evaluate children, and for parentally placed private school children the district where the school is located handles child find. The sources do not say which district applies to a homeschool, so a parent should ask their district of residence and confirm.
Does Letters & Devotion store my child’s diagnosis?
No. You pick supports, never a condition, nothing stores a diagnosis, and your child never sees a condition name. Support settings are never sent to analytics.
Does this replace an evaluation or an IEP?
No. The setup screen says it plainly: these change how lessons look and feel, and they are not a substitute for an evaluation or an IEP.
Do the supports work with Delaware's testing rules?
Check the testing and evaluation line above for Delaware, since it can depend on how you homeschool. Where a test or an evaluation applies, remember that Learning Supports change how lessons look and feel while your child learns. They are not part of a test or an evaluation. Whether a child can be given accommodations on the test, or with the evaluator, is something to ask the test provider or evaluator before the day, and we cannot tell you what Delaware allows.
What does it cost?
$29 a month or $290 a year for every child. The first 30 days are free with no card.
Keep reading
- Homeschooling in Delaware: the full requirements
- Homeschooling for autism and ADHD
- A homeschool curriculum for a neurodivergent child
- ADHD homeschool curriculum
- Dyslexia homeschool curriculum
- IEP accommodations a homeschool curriculum can carry
A plain-language summary, not legal advice, and laws change. Confirm current requirements with Delaware before relying on them. Sources are listed on the Delaware page.