Special Education in a Remote Setting: Stakeholders’ Stories and More

Abstract

Remote special education is a relatively new phenomenon. Since the beginning of special education in schools, direct and explicit instruction has been used for learners with autism. Learners, parents, and teachers as stakeholders struggle with alternative instructional methods. Parents are critical players in remote learning. They facilitate home-based learning through modular instruction. Parents help students engage when teachers facilitate online learning. Stakeholders are also alternatively referred to as frontline or grassroots remote special education implementers. This study elicited special education stakeholders' constructs in three areas: views on remote special education, essential special education practices, and policy building blocks. Three teachers and three parents with children with autism respectively participated. Using a semi-structured interview guide, data were collected via online interviews. From an interpretivist's lens, constructs were gleaned from participant narratives. George Kelly's Personal Construct Theory aided the construction process. Stuart Hall's multiple readings informed textual analyses. Findings suggest that special education stakeholders viewed remote learning as a shared responsibility. Eight essential special education practices were determined: individualization, modification, accommodation, assessment, intervention, early detection, collaboration, and inclusion. Individualization and modification, accommodation, teachers' competency, home program, and collaboration emerged as policy building blocks. Researchers’ recommendations include (1) taking advantage of technology in individualization, (2) assessing the feasibility of online learning as an alternative learning modality, (3) providing teachers with comprehensive competency training, (4) supporting home programs as a supplementary educational intervention, and (5) considering telehealth and teletherapy as emerging collaboration strategies.