During the coronavirus pandemic, the way education is delivered to students in the United States has drastically changed. Students with disabilities are more affected than most by this change.
Students with disabilities are caught in a situation they didn’t choose. How they get their education has been altered so drastically, portions of their daily routine have become nonexistent. Related services that were part of their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) have been slashed to a minimum or eliminated. Few services can be delivered effectively by virtual means or by the student’s parents. Parents are left at home attempting to deliver services they are not trained to provide, potentially causing their student unintentional harm. For example, if parents try to assist in physical  therapy sessions, they could hurt themselves or their children because they aren’t trained in the correct techniques. There have even been instances where it seemed to the parent that the student’s impairment was totally disregarded. This left the time used for the therapy session like some sort of preliminary fact-finding mission, instead of building on progress previously made during the last session.
School officials try their best to modify plans and deliver needed services. Because the pandemic happened so quickly, they are poorly prepared to do so. Even now, more than a year into this model of learning, educators are on a continual learning curve they just can’t get ahead of, while students are left behind. It makes you wonder how this set of students going to school during such an unusual time will compensate for the gaps being left in their education in years to come.
Although students are missing their friends and the socialization aspect traditional school offers, some parents of kids with disabilities find themselves in another dilemma. The student with a disability might be at a higher risk of contracting the virus. As a result, parents feel they have no other choice but to keep students in the virtual model of learning. Parents must take extra precautions not to come into contact with the virus. There might be other risks involved with exposure to the virus. If a student contracts the virus, they could have other health complications as well. The million-dollar question becomes how do we get all our students back to school so they can receive their education and services properly, while staying safe from the virus at the same time?
In implementing any reopening plan, many factors need to be considered. First, the health of the students and how to catch them up on the material that is being missed. Students need instruction and guidance about things like social distancing, proper handwashing and most difficult of all, consistently wearing a face mask. Some individuals with a disability can’t wear a face mask for medical reasons. If that is the case for a student, an alternative plan needs to be implemented. Lastly, the health and well-being of the educators must be considered as well.
Currently educators are at the front of the line when it comes to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, other workers such as speech, physical and occupational therapists need to be added to that list. These workers need to be considered essential and should be prioritized. One of the goals in returning us to pre-pandemic education is to fully open schools. That can’t be done unless these support personnel whose aim is to provide related services to students with disabilities get vaccinated too. They ensure students stay focused on their education while making sure their therapeutic needs are met regularly.
These are merely a starting point of suggested guidelines to help students with disabilities get safely back to learning in the classroom. The positive steps we take to rid ourselves of the virus will give kids the opportunity to move forward and make the progress they need to confidently succeed as young adults, well-prepared for different kinds of adversity.