amid social distancing mandates, for example,
has already proved challenging.
Rose Hayes’ teacher tried to gather the class for
a video conference, but some families didn’t
have the required technology, her father said.
Elsewhere, teachers are using interactive video
games to keep students connected, said Kelly
Grillo, a special education coordinator for
Cooperative School Services, an organization
that works with nine school districts in Indiana.
But Grillo said some problems remain unsolved.
She’s currently grappling with how to help
students who use costly Braille machines at
school but don’t have access to them at home.
“There are lots of barriers, but we can find lots
of ways to work around them,” said Grillo, of
Lafayette, Indiana. “Our field has never felt the
urgency that it feels right now.”
Roslyn Holcomb, a social worker in Dunwoody,
Georgia, worries that her son Kell, 8, isn’t
learning at the same pace he was in the
classroom. His school posts daily video
lessons, and his teacher calls every day to
go over assignments he found difficult. But
Kell, who has autism, ADHD and a language
processing disorder, needs his mother’s help to
stay focused.
Holcomb shifted her schedule to work nights
so she can spend her days helping him. She
appreciates what the school has done, but
wonders how much longer the arrangement
can last.
“It’s labor intensive. It really is,” she said. “This
is not something that we’ll be able to do
for months.”