Schools and students with disabilities likely to struggle with special ed at a distance
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Caleb Cook already had three meltdowns by 11:30 in the morning Wednesday.
It was his third day home since Fort Bend ISD and virtually every other Houston school announced they would close their campuses until at least April 10. Unlike his first and sixth grade sisters, 14-year-old Caleb, who is autistic, has several intellectual disabilities and microcephaly, in which a child is born with a significantly smaller head, often caused by abnormal brain development.
“I think everybody, special needs and not, is nervous to see how this is going to go,” Cook said. “We’re waiting on direction from the district, but I have to trust they will do everything in their power to accommodate students.”
As schools pivot to online learning in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus and the illness it produces, COVID-19, education leaders are scrambling to figure out how to best serve their students with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, including English language learners.
So far, it is proving a challenge.
As long as general education students are receiving any type of instruction, the U.S. Department of Education and the Texas Education Agency require schools to provide services to students with disabilities, as spelled out in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Students with so-called 504 plans, which offer accommodations such as more time to take tests, must be given equitable access to school work. CONTINUE READING: Schools and students with disabilities likely to struggle with special ed at a distance - HoustonChronicle.com