Guidance and Resources for Special Education During Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Adjusting to remote learning is filled with multiple challenges for our students, parents, teachers, and schools. Parents are faced with being their student’s educator and/or related service provider on top of their full or part-time jobs, parenting duties, and possibly caring for a sick family member. Our teachers and school administrators are working extremely hard to provide our children with an appropriate education while managing their home situations.
Rightfully so, many parents are concerned with how their children with disabilities will continue to receive their supports and services while schools are closed. Students will most likely not receive special education instruction and services the same way they did when school was in session. Keep in mind the student’s IEP needs have not changed, just the delivery and location of those services. When faced with a reduction of instruction and services and asynchronous delivery formats, ask yourself, “what will be most meaningful for my child right now?”.
Hopefully, your child’s school has supplied you with a Remote Learning Plan (RLP) that outlines how, when, and what specialized IEP services will be provided, is dated to reflect when the services began, and is resent when revised. Ideally, the RLP will also reference your child’s IEP goals. This document does not change your child’s IEP or Stay Put rights (the right to keep your child in his/her/their current special education placement and/or receive your child's current special education services, even if the school proposes to change the placement or remove the services) and you do not have to sign an amendment for these remote services to begin.
Parents are also concerned about their student’s progress or regression. They should seriously consider documenting their student’s progress during the school closure so the IEP team can better understand what is or isn’t working and when school resumes, have a conversation about the possible need for additional services. This documentation can be in the form of a Student Record Log as created by the Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) or something as simple as a notebook.
Perhaps the most important piece of guidance I can give right now, other than documenting progress, is to be communicative and collaborative with your school district. Ask for additional parent training under Consultation (Grid A of the Service Delivery Grid on the IEP) if you feel you need more support from school staff on how to support and deliver instruction at home. Contact the school if you’re having technical problems accessing the remote instruction. Consider trying all options that the school is offering if they are reasonable for your child and family. Your child may surprise you!
There is an overwhelming number of resources that can help support parents during the school closure. I hope you find those I’ve included helpful. If you haven’t found what you’re looking for, please feel free to reach out to me directly at jen@warrenadvocacy.com or 978-219-4463.
US Dept. of Education Supplemental Fact Sheet Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities
MA Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) COVID-19
Remote Learning Guidance, Addressing Social/Emotional Needs, Guidance to Schools
Office of Civil Rights Webinar
Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN)
Call Center remains open, FAQ
Mass Advocates for Children (MAC)
Helpline remains open, weekly chats, resource guides
Special Needs Advocacy Network (SPaN)
Webinars, letters to/from state officials, finding an advocate
From The Atlantic, “The Pandemic Is a Crisis for Students With Special Needs”