Home schooled children: a pediatric perspective

To explore the attitudes and self-assessed knowledge of pediatricians regarding home schooling and determine whether practices provide preventive services typically rendered by the school system, we surveyed pediatricians in Wisconsin and Maryland (high versus low rates of home schooling, respectively). Of the 598 (53%) responding, only 18% supported home schooling. They judged home-schooled children to perform at an average (58%) or below average (12%) level on standardized tests and regarded them to be less mature than their peers (51%). These opinions differ from studies published in the educational literature. Many practitioners do not perform routine vision (18%) or hearing (83%) screens or monitor for overdue immunizations (71%). As pediatricians and child advocates, we need to become more knowledgeable about home schooling and provide preventive services for these children.