Dr. Rochelle Matthews-Somerville
Workshop Speaker
Dr. Rochelle Matthews-Somerville
Prior to receiving her calling to homeschool, Dr. Rochelle Matthews-Somerville completed an MS in Special Education with a focus on Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome and Behavior Disorders and a doctorate in Psychological and Cultural Studies with a concentration in Learners with Severe and Communication Disorders.
Rochelle has over 20 years of clinical experience serving youth and their families in the field of Early Childhood and Special Education and has served as a university professor, county-wide autism specialist, and K–12 resource teacher and educational consultant in both the private and public education arenas. She has a passion for teaching and loves speaking at local conferences and across local school districts.
Over the past 10 years, Rochelle has also shared her gifts with the homeschool community as she has served as program director, community instructor, and assessment liaison. She genuinely enjoys providing encouragement and support to other homeschooling families in all ways possible, and she joined Home School Legal Defense Association as a special needs educational consultant in July 2019, presently serving as team leader.
Rochelle is the mother of six beautiful children (five boys and one girl) and has been homeschooling for 11 years. She lives with her husband and children in Charles County, Maryland.
Workshop Sessions
You Can Homeschool Your Struggling Learner—Hope and How-To’s for Homeschooling Students Who Learn Differently
Unpack the frequently asked questions of how to homeschool struggling learners and those who learn differently. Be encouraged and equipped as the HSLDA Special Needs Consultants share diagnostic checklists for struggling learners, discuss common roadblocks homeschooling parents face (and how to navigate around them), and receive strategies for achieving success with your children who learn differently.
Understanding the Twice Exceptional Learner: Boundless Gifts!
This session offers an overview of learners who are gifted, with some form of disability or learning challenge. You’ll be equipped with a broader understanding of how different exceptionalities can manifest themselves within learning styles and preview resources that match your child’s unique learning profile. Ultimately the goal of this workshop is to provide you with support so you can spend less time searching for information and resources and more quality family time with your child.
Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Individualized Approach to Instructional Basics
This session focuses on the use of evidence-based instruction methods that address the core issues of autism spectrum disorders: communication and social skills. Dr. Rochelle Matthews-Somerville integrates developmental perspectives and strategies to provide practical, functional intervention approaches that you can easily implement within your daily homeschool routine.
Motivating the Reluctant Learner
Could you use some encouragement and strategies to help re-ignite your student’s love of learning? If so, this session is for you! There are many factors that impact a child’s motivation level—stress, executive function, nutritional needs, media usage, and more. With a little bit of theory and a whole lot of practical application, Dr. Somerville equips parents with the tools they need to tap into their child’s God-given gift of curiosity.
High School Transcript Clinic: Practical Help and Tips
Creating a high school transcript is a vital part of your teen’s high school records. In this interactive, practical seminar, you’ll create a transcript that can be used as a pattern when designing your own. The session will guide you through the essentials of transcripts, how to evaluate credit, steps to simplify grading, and how to calculate grade point averages (GPAs).
Developing a Plan for High School: Sample Four-Year Plans
What plan would suit your high school student? What subjects do you teach and when? Do you follow a basic high school plan, a general college prep plan, or a rigorous college prep plan? This seminar will help organize your thoughts and lay the groundwork for a viable four-year plan. You’ll learn about high school credits, simplifying grading, and the fundamentals of recordkeeping – transcripts, extracurriculars, and diplomas.