There is a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety about the upcoming school year for children and their families. Parents are trying to rapidly process the new school formats proposed by their school districts and choose which one will work the best for their child and family. For parents of children with special needs, this process is even more challenging. Research has shown that that younger students (middle school and below) and those with disabilities have limited ability to learn from online classes. Further, while remote learning has been used in higher education formats and there is a growing body of literature on best practices, there are limited resources and established educational techniques to guide teacher instruction and methods, especially for curricula for younger students.
With the closing of in-person schooling due to COVID-19 and the need to rapidly adjust instructional methods to fit into online learning, it has been incredibly challenging for both educators and parents to support students’ learning and social-emotional well-being. This will likely continue to be the case as the COVID-19 significantly restricts our daily lives in an ongoing way. Parents of special needs children often have a unique set of concerns and intensified levels of worry. Because these children and adolescents have developmental challenges and learning disabilities that impact their ability to participate in learning activities and access instruction, remote learning is even more of a challenge for them. It is important to note that all students do not have equal ability to engage with academic tasks and curriculum in remote (online or virtual) formats. Further, they may struggle with the modified in-person learning in the current environment to a greater extent than their typically developing peers because of social distancing and health requirements such as masks. These students will require customized services to help them access instruction across their school day and in some cases, may require more direct, in-person classroom instruction and services to ensure their academic progress and social-emotional functioning.
As schools reopen, educating yourself regarding changes in special education procedures and policies, your parental rights, and services available to your child, is an important way to prepare to help your child navigate this coming school year. It is important to be armed with the information you need to get the most out of your child’s school and advocate for their needs.
I’d like to invite you to a free limited-attendance webinar I will be giving on how to navigate this new learning environment including:
- Understanding the new learning landscape
- Managing expectations
- Assessing your child’s abilities with respect to accessing remote learning
- Documenting and developing IEP services provided in remote formats
- Ensuring your child’s IEP reflects the reality of the Fall 2020 school plan
