Special needs children and remote warning

Special needs children and remote warning

VIRTUAL LEARNING IN THE FALL,SO ARE PARENTS.

AND ITHITTING HARD ESPECIALLY FORKIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.PARENTS STRUGGLING TO KEEPTHEM PLUGGED IN..

AND STUDENTSARE STRUGGLING TO STAYFOCUSED.

WMAR 2 NEWS ABBYISAACS SPOKE WITH A CARROLLCOUNTY FAMILY ABOUT THECHALLEGES THEIR SON FACES...AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TOHELP.LOOKLIVETHAT VIRTUAL LEARNING IS NOLONGER AN OPTION FOR THEIRMIDDLE SON, WHO HAS AUTISM.AND WITH ANNOUCNEMENTS COMINGFROM ACROSS THE STATE ABOUTREOPENING PLANS, THEY ARETRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BESTWAY FORWARD.

PETE Youcertainly want to be safe butthereground between being safe anddoing whats right fchildren.

ITVASCOFAMILIES FACE&.

HOW TO HELPTHEIR CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDSNAVIGATE VIRTUAL LEARNINGDURING THE PANDEMIC.

PETE ANDMEGAN LIVE IN CARROLL COUNTYWITH THEIR THREE KIDS, WHO areGOING INTO FOURTH, SECONDGRADE AND KINDERGARTEN.

SPRINVIRTUAL LEARNING WAS ACHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY FORMIDDLE CHILD RONNIE, WHO HASAUTISM.

PETE He would actuallytake his backpack out of thecloset and hang it on thechair where itbe because Iit took weeks for him to getaway from doing that IT WASOBVIOUS HE MISSED THATSTRUCTURE THAT SCHOOL PROVIDEDHIM.

MEGAN Itto even get him to come to thecomputer.

He would get veryupset.

Heof aggressive behavior and hewould pinch my arm and squeezemy arm and just get reallymad.

SINCE HE ONLY SPENT ABOUTA SIXTH OF THE TIME DOINGONLINE INSTRUCTION AS OPPOSEDTO IN SCHOOL, HE HAS STARTTO REGRESS PETE Watching himjust love school as much as heloves school and watching himtake these steps forward andstarting to say words and hecrushed his IEP last year andwe were so proud of him so tosee this regression and theominous future of if thiskeeps going hes going to keepregressing and regressing,thatnight.

MEGAN He is absolutelynot going to be able to addnew skills to his bag forhowever long his home.

I willconsider it a success if hedoesnthatTHEY ARENGOING THROUGH THIS.

ARIANN━An increase in challengingbehaviors, increase in anxietytherearound this time.

ARIANNAESPOSITO IS THE DIRECTOR OFLIFESPAN SERVICES AND SUPPORTSWITH AUSTIM SPEAKS.

SHE SAYSMOST FAMLIES HAVE FELT THEDISRUPTION&.SO THEY LAUNCHED ARESOURCE LIBRARY THAT INCLUDESTRAININGS FOR PARENTS ARIANN━What we have also heard isthat parents want during thistime if they are able to, tolearn more about how they canbest support their child, whatare additional tips atricks.

BUT ITTHE SOLUTION.

MEGAN I donfeel like Iknow how to handle hisbehaviors.

I know how to do itbut the problem is he doesnlook at me like a teacher.

THEVASCOLEANRING IS NOT AN OPTION FORHIM IN THE FALL.

IDEALY INSCHOOL IF ITREALLY JUST WANT SUPPORT.MEGAN He needs someone in thehouse thatthat he looks to as adifferent role to focus himand therefore give me theopportunity to have some timeto work with the other twokids as well.

PETE Wethem a major disservice if wedonbox and figure out a way togive these kids some form ofroutine and give the parentssome help too.

LOOKELIVECARROLL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLSIS WORKING ON ITS REOPENINGPLAN AND WILL PRESENT IT TOTHE BOARD OF EDUCATION FORAPPROVAL NEXT WEEK.

FOR WMAR 2