__Due to ongoing health issues, the Special Needs Homeschool site has not been updated. The resources here are timeless and I hope you continue to visit and share! I am hoping to get back here as soon as the dust settles to update and revive SNH. In the meantime, the SNH Facebook page and group are hopping with resources and support.

To visit SNH's Facebook page for links, freebies, blog feeds, or to just share YOUR links, blogs, resources, and help related to special needs or homeschooling, click here: https://www.facebook.com/specialneedshomeschool

To visit the SNH Facebook GROUP and share support, ask questions, or to just visit others in the 'same boat', click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/specialneedshomeschool/

Thank you!!

Surf Safe

Children with special needs are sometimes more susceptible in wandering, especially on the world wide web. As modern day homeschoolers, the Internet is a tool used frequently for fun and for learning. The world is a whole lot bigger on the Internet and pedophiles are numerous. They know their way around laws and have many ways to let children (and us adults) not know who they are, safety first! Over time I’ve gathered some resources that parents and children can utilize to ensure safety while enjoying all the Internet has to offer.

For the parents:

Google Family Safety Center
http://www.google.com/familysafety/

The Cyberbullying Research Centre offers statistics, resources, and information to help parents help their children.
http://www.cyberbullying.us/

CSRIU: Center for Safety and Responsible Internet Use offers statistics, resources and information.
http://csriu.org/

Control Your Child’s Internet Use, this article explains how to use Microsoft safety tools to keep your kids safe.
http://www.komando.com/tips/index.aspx?id=4663

Google teamed up with iKeepSafe to put together this Internet Safety Workshop for educators.
http://www.google.com/educators/digitalliteracy.html

iKeepSafe has information for parents, educators, and a younger kids section with games, printables, and more.
http://ikeepsafe.org/

b4usurf offers educators, parents, and youth guidelines and safety tips for Internet use. It has lesson plans, activities, and lots of information.
http://www.b4usurf.org/

Get a free (option to donate) Kids Internet Safety Kit. Sign up and they will send you the kit; a PDF straight to your inbox. It is for parents to help teach kids and gives you facts about online predators.
https://secure.pollyklaasaction.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=168

For the kids:

Microsoft made this website which is in two parts, ages 5 to 7 and 8 to 10. The Bad Guy Patrol is a great interactive way to teach how to stay away from “bad guys on the Internet”. They also have a parents section through a link on the bottom of the home page.
http://www.badguypatrol.ca/

The Safe Side has some pretty neat free downloads available like mini-posters and a family study guide and more.
http://www.thesafeside.com/downloadcenter.html

Are you a good Cybercitizen? A cyberethics for kids website, IT approved for teachers. An online interactive curriculum for kids to learn Internet safety.
http://www.cybercrime.gov/rules/kidinternet.htm

Safekids.com offers a lot of information, including this contract for your kids to sign.
http://www.safekids.com/kids-rules-for-online-safety/

Ten Commandments for kids online, also a contract.
http://www.komando.com/kids/commandments.aspx

In a class of its own:
NetSmartz has it all, for parents, teachers, law and enforcement, kids, teens, preteens, and lots of information in an easy laid out website. If you scroll down a bit, you can look for information by topic, everything from cell phones to cyberbullying to gaming and everything in between.
http://www.netsmartz.org/

SURF SAFE!