JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — As kids learn from home, Southern Indiana’s special education teachers are turning to new ways to meet the needs of their students.
Online learning is posing challenges to kids, teachers and parents across the country, and it can be particularly challenging for those with special needs. The students are facing a major disruption to their usual routine, so teachers are working to keep them connected, collaborate with parents and continue their education.
Brooke Lannan, director of special populations for Greater Clark County Schools, said the district’s special education teachers have had to be creative in serving their students.
Special education teachers are using online platforms to provide virtual classes and video lessons, and speech therapists are offering teletherapy. Staying in touch with the parents has been one of the main focuses, she said.
“Our Greater Clark special education members are frequently communicating with parents constantly checking in on their progress and seeing if they have access to the material,” she said. “If the family is having a hard time staying in touch virtually, we’re making sure we’re delivering materials to the home or mailing them.”
They are also using the remote lessons and communications to help maintain some structure for their students, according to Lannan. Remote learning is also a major adjustment for parents, who are often trying to juggle their own jobs while caring for their kids.
“As humans, we depend on structure and routine, and that is just as true for students with disabilities,” she said.
They are also trying to plan ahead and address issues that might occur from the disruptions to the students’ routines, she said.
“Once we do return to school with a more regular routine back in place, we might have different concerns,” she said. “We recognize that students will probably regress a bit during this time, and we’re looking ahead and laying out different plans to address needs once they return.”
Mary Fanning, a special education teacher at Borden High School, has worked to deliver her classes using online platforms. It has been difficult without the usual interactions with students, but she provides one-on-one tutoring sessions using Google Meets, and they are using a platform called Schoology to learn and connect with each other.
It means a lot for them to have that interaction, she said.
Fanning has also set up video conferences so the students can simply connect with one another, including a video meeting on a student’s birthday. She is working to also meet their social and emotional needs, since they have experienced such a big disruption.
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