Her therapists check in via video chat. In
between, she works through daily assignments.
Her parents say it’s the best they can expect, but
they still struggle. Rose has difficulty working
on her own, so they need to stay nearby. And
without the therapy equipment Rose uses at
school, they have to improvise.
“We’re trying to be teachers. We’re trying to be
therapists. We’re a little bit of everything right
now, and it’s very stressful,” said Rob Hayes, of
Woonsocket, Rhode Island. He and his wife
work for pharmaceutical companies and have
continued working during the pandemic,
trading turns staying home with Rose and their
2-year-old daughter.
Across the U.S., schools and families face new
challenges in maintaining instruction for
students with disabilities. Teachers are exploring
new ways to deliver customized lessons from
afar. And while parents of all children have taken
on schooling duties, those whose children have
disabilities are adding therapy, hands-on lessons
and behavioral management to the list.
Last year, nearly 7 million U.S. students ages
3 to 18 received special education services,
according to federal data. Schools are required
to craft individual education plans for each one:
For some, it’s mostly a matter of providing extra
time on assignments; others need an array of
complex services, and some have lost access to
expensive technology they use at school to help
them communicate.
As they adapt to shutdowns, some schools are
turning to video conferencing to provide lessons
and therapy sessions, while others are bringing
small groups of students back for services or
training parents to help.