Abstract
Schools across the country closed their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures impacted all students, as schools, educators, and families grappled with the realities of transitioning to distance-learning platforms. The research on distance learning is still in its early phases. However, almost no research exists on educating students with severe disabilities and high behavioral needs using this technology. Study 1 collected survey data from students’ families and their educators on the feasibility and effectiveness of distance-learning programs when working with students with severe developmental disabilities and high behavioral needs. Results indicated that parents and educators had generally neutral attitudes toward distance learning, although educators agreed that their students were obtaining educational benefits during distance learning. Study 2 further examined the effects of a transition to distance learning on students’ Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goal progress. Analyses revealed that students maintained about half of the skills addressed in their IEPs and made progress on an additional quarter of their IEP goals. Findings contribute to a much-needed literature base on distance learning and provide additional information as to the feasibility and effectiveness of distance learning with students with severe developmental disabilities and high behavioral needs. Future work is needed to determine best practices for distance learning with this population.
Highlights
In the early spring of 2020, COVID-19 hit the United States
Parents reported that 25.0% (n = 10) of their children were in elementary classrooms, 35.0% (n = 14) of their children were in middle school classrooms, 25.0% (n = 10) of their children were in high school classrooms, and 15.0% (n = 6) of their children were in adult transition classrooms
Study 1 examined the social validity of distance-learning programs for students with severe developmental disabilities and high behavioral needs
Summary
In the early spring of 2020, COVID-19 hit the United States. COVID-19 is an illness caused by a virus that spreads from person to person and can live in the air for over 3 hr and on some surfaces for up to 3 days (van Doremalen et al, 2020). Previous numbers of students enrolled in distance learning were high, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the majority of schools across the nation transitioning from brick-and-mortar education to distance learning with almost no time to plan (MCH Strategic Data, 2020). Despite this widespread transition to distance learning, the research on distance learning is still in its early phases, and little research has assessed the effects of online lessons for elementary, middle, and high school students. These mixed results and limited research base make it difficult to truly understand the impact on students’ education of moving from traditional face-to-face instruction to distance-learning platforms
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