As many kids will be taught remotely this fall, all children are bound to face barriers to learning and development. But kids with disabilities often require more support, some of which cannot be delivered remotely.
“The burden of stress on the families of children with disabilities is significant, and even more so during the pandemic when the supports typically available are not accessible, and interaction with extended family and friends is not possible,” said Dr. Olaf Kraus de Camargo, an associate professor of pediatrics at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
“We know the pandemic has taken a particular toll on these families, many of whom have found their situations daunting,”
As a developmental pediatrician, Kraus de Camargo treats children with a variety of disabilities that affect movement such as cerebral palsy; cognitive disabilities such as autism; learning disabilities, and speech disabilities.
“And often these conditions are also superimposed with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression,” Kraus de Camargo added.
Depending on their particular condition, children with special needs may need a team of doctors—potentially including psychologists, speech and language coaches, occupational therapists and social workers.
But since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, receiving the same amount of care may not be possible in person.
For some children who don’t suffer from severe medical conditions or disabilities, telemedicine may be sufficient.
Dr. Nerissa Bauer is a behavioral pediatrician at Axon Health Associates in Indianapolis. She mostly treats children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and some with autism.
In normal times, a child with autism, for example, may participate in peer-to-peer workshops to help them develop their social skills. But conducting this kind of workshop virtually may not be feasible or effective.
And without school, autistic children with social deficiencies are missing out on building essential social skills. “Some schools have social communication classrooms,” Kraus de Camargo said. “They have a social-skills training for these kids that have been very successful in making them more comfortable in social interactions.”
But other experts believe that this moment is opening up possibilities for children with special needs who weren’t receiving proper care before the pandemic.
“There are so many resources now that are web-based,” said Dr. Brad Berman, a developmental pediatrician at Benioff Children’s Hospitals at the University of California, San Francisco.
