Implication of Remote Learning: Effects on Teachers, Parents, and Children with Special Needs in NYC during the Covid-19 Pandemic

By Dr. Dilara Begum

According to a national survey (2020), 75 percent of parents of children with autism reported a severe interruption of related services, especially speech therapy. Due to the Covid-19 global pandemic issue, remote learning is being utilized by both general and special education programs to complete academic courses for this school year. General education teachers may be able to create an appropriate distance learning atmosphere with students in pre-k to secondary education level. In a remote learning setting, it is hard for special education teachers to provide effective teaching that addresses IEP goals, such as applied behavior analysis and discrete trial teaching methods. 

 Students with disabilities used to stay in day school for 3 to 5 hours and some students used to stay in an after-school program with extended hours. Presently, these children are spending 24 hours with their families. Some children with disabilities may not be able to express their frustrations and fear so they exhibit various kinds of distracting and devastating behaviors.  These behaviors can have a negative impact on the rest of the family.  For parents who are working from home, the behaviors can be especially difficult to manage and may impact the quality of their work. The coronavirus outbreak is a miserable moment for both parents and children with disabilities. They are facing an unexpected dangerous situation that they never faced before, in addition to feelings of isolation due to closures and social distancing.  

 The remote learning system may not be effective for some low-income and uneducated families. Some of the families do not have any computer or laptop at home.  The NYC DOE is providing iPads for students to use at home, but many parents have no idea how to use the platforms, apps, and websites that schools are recommending.  The lack of experience some parents have with technology is creating a huge obstacle for teachers who now cannot assess how their students are doing with remote learning.  One issue is parents do not respond to e-mails sent by the teacher, while others respond but do not provide any information on distance learning issues or students’ progress. Another issue is that many parents are not interested in using Facetime, Zoom, or similar platforms for live video sessions. Yet another issue is that some parents require an interpreter, which may not be provided immediately, leading to a lapse in communication between parents and teachers. 

 For preschool special education students, IEP meetings are still being scheduled and the Committee on Preschool Special Education, or CPSE, is conducting meetings over the phone. There is still no assurance that schools will be open this summer for the students with 12-month programs. Teachers will continue to send lesson plans with at least two IEP goals along with worksheets and suggested activities; additionally, therapists are working with their assigned students and they are dealing with the same problems as teachers as they try to implement teletherapy sessions. Although parents are indeed their child’s first teachers, most parents are not special education teachers. They are facing various kinds of difficulties with academic and behavioral issues that are beyond their capacity to handle. The following tips may be helpful for parents of children with disabilities:

Set a new schedule: Based on therapists and special education teacher sessions create a household routine, keeping it as simple as possible. No matter if your child is secondary or preschool level, talk to your child and create a schedule together. Keep an option for constructive play activities during the break between therapy and teacher’s sessions.

Motivation: Motivate your child by providing reinforcement paired with verbal and tangible items. 

Allow screen time: Use screen time as reinforcement.  Make an agreement with your child that he/she can be allowed screen time after finishing some activities. The activities can be academic, or any household work based on a child’s age, interest, and ability.  

IEP goals: Read the IEP goals and follow the techniques that the therapists and teachers are working on. For preschool children, you may find some goals on labeling/identifying objects. Show your child some writing/kitchen utensils and ask your child to say the name of the objects. For non-verbal children, ask them to show/point to any item. 

 Even though the NYC DOE has provided all types of supporting weblinks on remote learning, and the teachers and therapists are using various kinds of video technologies to meet the academic and behavioral goals of students with disabilities, some teachers/teacher aides and parents require training to effectively implement remote learning.

NY DOE link: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learn-at-home/information-on-remote-learning