Special education and COVID-19

Remote learning through the pandemic has caused challenges for families of students with learning disabilities.

[Kat_Just_for_Today]

Can we please pay teachers more after all this is said and done. Especially Special education teachers

[hermione]

I have many comments I could make on this but I would like to focus on the teacher aspect of it. Special Education teachers are not BABYSITTERS. We work very hard to help support these children with whatever resources we have. I would also like to point out that teachers are essential workers always. Not just essential in a pandemic. ALWAYS.

[singinpoet]

As a disabled student, I struggle in online college NOW. It is the best situation for me given my disabilities and my local weather climate, however . I can’t imagine being a kid with COVID.

[abbyyyyroseeee]

As a former special Ed student this really breaks my heart. Accessibility has always been an issue in some schools but the pandemic has made it worse

[jamekagrant]

As a special education teacher, this is heartbreaking to hear. I feel helpless this year for my kiddos who are virtual... I’m so sorry.

[cindybuck]

Speech services can be done online. If services are not being delivered at least online, the school district is in violation of FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education).

[livelovelaugh]

People fail to realize it is extremely difficult for many special needs learners to socially distance. It's critical for these parents to be more involved.

[karijo]

I work in special education and just like pre-pandemic school, there is no one size fits all when it comes to education. A majority of my students are thriving being home with out all the public school disruptions, and coming from an urban school, disruptions are NON-STOP!! For those students that are not thriving and having a successful online experience, we have them come into school and we work with them where they get individualized attention. I will say, I NEED sit right next to some of my students that come into school to help them focus and understand. I wear all the protection available to me but still am very uncomfortable knowing how contagious this is and how kids can certainly be asymptotic while spreading COVID. There’s no good answer and that is the best answer I have.

[jenniferfields]

I feel for both sides. As a mom with special needs high school student we have fought for our son’s services. When the pandemic started we didn’t hear from anyone. March went completely silent until 3 days before they decided to started school. All his services disappeared and online had been a nightmare for him. It’s been a real struggle.

[LaciElements]

We are pre pandemic homeschoolers. We have 8 kids, 5 with specials needs. You can homeschool, you can do it well, the problem is not " homeschooling" it's trying to do public school at home.

[Patches]

“With the right safety protection” When’s the last time these “experts” have been in an average public school? These kids won’t be social distancing and you can forget about masks.

[johnchristiansen]

This is an issue i hadn't even thought about.

[lkjhb]

Alot of neurodivergent kids are actually much happier at home than at school. I'm autistic and if this happened while I was still in high school I would still request to be home than at school. I was mistreated by teachers and staff just for having autism sadly. And this was a special education program just for autistic people!

[whitneyplatt]

So said I have 2 kids with a disability and its hard, I feel like both of my kids are slipping and it makes me want to cry

[Ultrawicked]

Lol this is me Af rite now with my son with autism . I need a break 😒 . When he runs away I give him time and ask for him to come back nicely and he comes .I'm always doing my son's homework cause he has special needs . My son can't go to school he takes the mask off. Everytime I get on zoom he is the only kid in class 😅

[MrsMarleneBassaragh]

This breaks my heart. Individuals with special abilities already saw lots of obstacles to overcome in the classroom. Educators are doing all they can with this new normal also. It’s just disheartening to feel helpless. Praying for all those effected by this time we are in. Praying for ideas, creativity, patience, and understanding. And mostly praying for our kids, that they know this will not define who they are or what they will continue to overcome. ❤️🧡💛💚💙

[mumuzeze]

This is our special needs family reality. I’m a registered nurse working this entire pandemic and my sons therapies were canceled for 6 months. We all need choices. Teachers that are compromised need to have a choice to work remotely and teachers healthy and traveling the world and going to beaches and parties that can work should work in person. Same goes for kids they need a choice to go in person and go remote. It has been proven time and time again It IS SAFE with the correct protocols. Thankfully he has been in person school due to his needs fulltime now and there has been NO OUTBREAKS since sept. His speech therapist traveled in Xmas break and tested positive and he had to quarantine but that’s been it (and not school related but to people’s actions). Stop acting like everyone is actually quarantining the correct way esp a year in now. We need to adjust and give people options. If we are not grounding flights we cannot do only remote teaching across the board either.

[nerdypeachmango]

I feel for the boy named Makai. I have a 7 year old who is non-verbal with Autism who had to repeat Kindergarten--but has had to do it virtually. He doesn't understand that the Zoom/Teams meeting are of real people and we can't explain it to him. He won't keep a mask on and doesn't understand why he would need to because we can't explain it to him. My husband sits with him during the meetings and try to reiterate the things the teacher is saying or doing but there are days where he just won't participate. It's really heartbreaking to experience.

[laurenpetro]

I know I'm late, but thank you for touching on this. I'm also special needs and was in 11th when the pandemic hit and that whole spring was probably the worst period of my life. I CANNOT learn off of screens, and social, in-person interaction significantly helped. I learned NOTHING. Everything was off schedule, and I wasn't getting that positive stimulation from interaction and hands-on stuff I need to learn. I became very erratic, anxious, and explosive at home. I was left completely in the dark, suddenly being hounded that I hadn't done anything despite no one telling me anything, and I fell behind in ALL my classes.
I didn't fully recover until winter the following year. Thankfully, I graduated with a decent GPA, but I'll forever be pissed that it could've been so much better, and I never got to show my full potential as a student.

[papineaucharles]

I just cant beleive what we are doing to this generation. One day they will realize what we did to them and there will be a huge social movement. You really think they will pay for our pensions after what we did to them
.