Three Things Parent of Kids with Special Needs Need to Know about Distance Learning

This is a difficult time for all of us. Teachers and school administrators are making great efforts to meet the needs of all students, including students with special needs. Now, more than ever, parents and advocates should do their best to work collaboratively with school staff.

The following is guidance for parents, so that they can effectively advocate for their children who have special needs during distance learning.

Parents have the right to request an IEP Meeting during distance learning.
Schools are either sending parents a Distance Learning Plan (DLP) or contacting them to schedule a “quick call” regarding the DLP. For our students, these options may not be enough to inform parents/guardians about specifics regarding distance learning such as delivery of instruction, accommodations, and expectations.  Questions to pose to the IEP Team include:

• How will my child’s IEP goals being addressed?
• How and when will the services on my child’s IEP be implemented?

         - Whole class, small group, and/or 1:1 with teachers and related service providers?
         - How will the reading and math interventions continue during this time?

• Will my child still have access to the general curriculum?
• How will data be taken on my child’s current levels and progress?
• How are each of the supplementary aids and classroom accommodations being implemented and is there a need for anything different?
• Will you be sending home differentiated materials based on my child’s IEP?
• How will AT be provided and is there a need for different or additional AT?
• Is there a need for a behavioral plan or changes in a current plan?
• What regular school-home communication needs to be set up during this time?
  

A reminder that we will be looking at compensatory education when this crisis is over and that we will look at progress on IEP goals, progress in the general education curriculum, and the amount of services provided? We will need to have good data on my child’s levels now and data about progress as we move through distance learning.  Before closing the meeting, consider the following:

• Sharing your concerns and questions and documenting them in PWN
• Schedule a follow up meeting.

There may be the need for some new accommodations, supplementary aids and behavioral plans that go beyond what the student has needed during traditional education.

• For many students with special needs, learning at home presents obstacles that go beyond the typical obstacles that may exist in the classroom.
• Students may need additional assistive technology services and training, in order to access the on-line lessons.
• Students may need a new or different behavioral plan, in order to work effectively in the home environment.
• Students may require other supplementary aids such as previewing content vocabulary or even access to enrichment.

When we finally get back to traditional in-school learning, the student may be entitled to compensatory services.
In order to evaluate whether the student has made the type of progress we would expect, when all students return to the school building, it is important for parents to keep good data that includes the starting levels of their child, samples of the work that the child has created during the distance learning time, and the final levels the child has achieve at the end of distance learning.  Data can include:

• Work samples, done independently and with support (note the amount of support provided)
• Video clips of your child working on a given task.