ABSTRACT In the spring of 2020, schools across the globe closed as a public health measure to address the growing COVID-19 pandemic. For children and youth with special educational needs (SEN) who rely on specific additional supports and services, and who were more likely than their peers to experience a lack of school success even before COVID-19, gaps in academic and social development are likely to be magnified. The current study explored the perspectives of 36 Canadian parents of children and youth with SEN regarding the impact of COVID-19 on social wellbeing during the first wave in the spring of 2020. Thematic analysis was conducted of the in-depth interviews, and two key narratives were created in order to tell the stories of families. These narratives provide evidence of the five major themes that were identified, namely: a) pathways to friends, b) isolated and disconnected, c) developmental concerns, d) siblings as peer proxies, and e) role of schools. We discuss these themes in relation to the growing body of research documenting the impacts of COVID-19 on the social lives of children and youth.