Virtual Learning Is Putting a Serious Strain on Teachers and Parents of Children With Special Needs
Written by Murphy Moroney
For Jamie Croshaw, remote learning has been incredibly difficult. As a mom to a 6-year-old daughter, Emma, and a 3-and-a-half-year-old son, Jackson, who has cerebral palsy, autism, as well as other medical needs, Jamie initially thought she could handle stepping up as her children’s teacher. But now that she’s seven weeks into social distancing, Jamie is at her wit’s end.
“When we received notice that school was going to be doing remote learning, we thought how hard can it be?!” Jamie told POPSUGAR. “Boy, were we wrong. Suddenly overnight, I had to become a kindergarten teacher, a special needs preschool teacher, and a physical, occupational, and speech therapist. Plus, I had the regular duties of being a stay-at-home-mom and wife.”
For Jamie, the struggle of homeschooling two kids set in immediately. Although she was hoping to get the hang of distance learning as time went on, her frustration only grew. And she’s certainly not alone. In the US, 1 in 5 children have learning disabilities such as ADHD and dyslexia, and 7 million kids have individualized education programs (IEPs), a document that’s developed for each public school child who is eligible for special education.