Distance learning to support children with disabilities has been interrupted by coronavirus closures. It highlights a survey-based news report from Canada, especially as it needs collaborative approaches that families of children with disabilities cannot manage.
When schools are closed due to COVID-19, many parents are juggling work, finances, childcare, and distance learning. It’s a lot to manage. For parents of children with disabilities, some unique challenges have emerged.
Students receiving special education services may have a learning disability, autism spectrum disorder, or mental illness. Canadian schools offer different types of supports. Most children access differentiated teaching approaches in the regular class, and some have individual learning plans, while others participate in tailored programs offered in specialized classes.
Along with several researchers, I am engaging with families across the country who are sharing stories about how they are supporting their children with special education needs while schools are closed.
In Canada, it’s unclear exactly how many students between kindergarten and Grade 12 receive what schools call “special education services,” but according to provincial figures, percentages range from 10 percent to 20 percent of total student enrolment.
Figures from Ontario, Québec, British Columbia, Alberta, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick show more than 750,000 students are receiving special education services out of about 4.3 million students enrolled in those provinces alone.
Through the survey and in-depth interviews, the organizers hope to learn about ways that distance learning can work well for students with special education needs and also about families’ needs. The findings can then be used to inform planning better as schools begin to open.
