South Dakota · autism, ADHD and learning differences

Homeschooling a child with autism, ADHD or a learning difference in South Dakota

Since 2021 you file once, not every year, and the state may not ask you for anything the law does not name. Starting in South Dakota 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 South Dakota asks of a homeschool family

These are the homeschool rules we have on file for South Dakota, last verified 2026-08. Our South Dakota page has the full list, with sources.

Getting started (notice)

one alternative instruction notification on the Department of Education's form, filed up to 30 days after you begin. Since SB 177 took effect in July 2021 you file again only if the child enrols in a school or you move to a different district.

Records you must keep

none required.

Testing / evaluation

none. State law no longer mandates testing, and results need not be submitted.

Special education and your homeschooled child in South Dakota

We researched this from South Dakota'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

Its own category, not a private school

South Dakota treats home education as "alternative instruction" under SDCL 13-27-3, a category listed separately from private schools in the special education rules (ARSD 24:05:32:01.01 names "private school children with disabilities" and "children receiving alternative instruction" side by side). The state's own alternative instruction FAQ (revised 2026) handles special education for these children under their own questions rather than as private school students.

Asking for an evaluation

ARSD 24:05:32:01.01 requires each school district to run child find for children receiving alternative instruction in schools located in that district, and the state FAQ says a parent can refer a child for evaluation, which the district should conduct in most cases or document why it did not. The Department of Education's Q&A on private-school children generally places child find for home-schooled children with the district where the child lives, so ask the district of residence.

Services and IEPs

A child in alternative instruction has no individual right to special education services (ARSD 24:05:32:01.04), and the state parental rights notice says the district is not required to consider the child eligible for equitable services. Per the state FAQ, an IEP and FAPE are offered once a child is found eligible and enrolled in the district at least part time; if parents decline enrollment the district has no further duty, and if the child enrolls later, eligibility is re-reviewed and an IEP developed. Whether an existing IEP continues after withdrawal is not stated directly in primary sources.

Part-time classes, therapies and activities at the public school

The state FAQ says part-time enrollment in one or more public school classes is allowed, and SDCL 13-36-7 requires districts to let alternative instruction students take part in athletics, fine arts and activities in the district where they live. The FAQ describes high school dual credit options for grades 11 and 12.

Scholarships and funding for a child with a disability

No state ESA, voucher or disability scholarship program was found in South Dakota primary sources. Whether South Dakota takes part in the federal tax-credit scholarship program, and whether homeschoolers could use it, was not confirmed 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

Parents of alternative instruction students must file the annual notification required under SDCL 13-27-3 with the Department of Education (Accreditation Office, 605-773-3134). The state FAQ says standardized testing is no longer required for these students under a 2021 law.

State office to ask: South Dakota Department of Education, Special Education Programs.

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 South Dakota, 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 South Dakota allows.

Records in South Dakota

Check the records line above for South Dakota. 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 South Dakota

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$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 South Dakota?

South Dakota's homeschool rules are summarized on this page. On special education: South Dakota treats home education as "alternative instruction" under SDCL 13-27-3, a category listed separately from private schools in the special education rules (ARSD 24:05:32:01.01 names "private school children with disabilities" and "children receiving alternative instruction" side by side). The state's own alternative instruction FAQ (revised 2026) handles special education for these children under their own questions rather than as private school students. ARSD 24:05:32:01.01 requires each school district to run child find for children receiving alternative instruction in schools located in that district, and the state FAQ says a parent can refer a child for evaluation, which the district should conduct in most cases or document why it did not. The Department of Education's Q&A on private-school children generally places child find for home-schooled children with the district where the child lives, so ask the district of residence.

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 South Dakota's testing rules?

Check the testing and evaluation line above for South Dakota, 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 South Dakota 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

A plain-language summary, not legal advice, and laws change. Confirm current requirements with South Dakota before relying on them. Sources are listed on the South Dakota page.

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