Special needs education concerns amid pandemic

Special needs education concerns amid pandemic

ANNOUNCEMENT THAT ANNE ARUNDELCOUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL USEVIRTUAL LEARNING FOR TENTIRE FIRST SEMESTER OFSCHOOL.

THE DECISION SPARKEDOUTRAGE AMONG PARENTS OFSTUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.WMAR 2NEWS ABBY ISAACS SPOKEWITH A FEW THAT ARE CALLINGFOR A HYBRID IN PERSON MODELSO THEIR CHILDREN DOCONTINUE REGRESSING.LOOKLIV━ THESE PARENTS AREWORRIED, KNOWING THEIRCHILDRENS NEEDS ARE NOT BEINGMET AND THEY HOPE TO GET THEMBACK INTO THE CLASSROOM& IN ASAFE WAY.

NAT Hi Emily EMILYAND LOGAN MET FOR THE FIRSTTIME TODAY NAT Can you blher a kiss?

Mwah BROUGHTTOGETHER BECAUSE THEIR PARENTSHAVE A COMMON GOAL, GET THEBACK IN SCHOOL.

ADAM You feeldefeated when all this isavailable we can do and wejust not doing it.

ADWYNDAMEMILY HAS RHETT SYNDROME,CAUSING A DISCONNECT FROM HERBRAIN TO THE REST OF HER BODY,MAKING IT SO SHE CANWALK.

SHE STARTS KINDERGARTENIN THE FALL WITH A PLAN BUILSPECIFICALLY FOR HER SUCCESS.ADAM her team evenacknowledged the greatprogress she was making anthen all of that came to ascreeching halt A PLAN THAT'SUSELESS UNDER ALL VIRTUALMODEL.

ADAM She has nopurposeful hand movements soshe cant even begin tonavigate any technologydevice.

ELIZABETH MEDLOCK HASSIMILAR CONCERNS FOR HER 8YEAR OLD DAUGHTER LOGAN, WHHAS CEREBRAL PALSY.

BOTH ANNEARUDNEL COUNTY PARENTS WEREHOPEFUL THAT COME THE FALL,THERE WOULD BE IN PERSON CLASSTIME.

ACCORDING TO THECOUNTYRESULTS, ONLY 21 PERCENTSUPPORTED A VIRTUAL ONLYOPTION.

SO THEY WERE SHOCKEDWHEN THE SUPERINTENDENTANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT GIVENTHE CURRENT STATE OF THEPANDEMIC AND REOPENING PLAN,SCHOOL WILL BE VIRTUAL FOR THEFIRST SEMESTER.

ELIZABET━ Whycant we find those solutionsto keep our kids safe at thesame time meeting our needsbecause my biggest conern isthis regression aht ishappening and how are theygoing to make that up.

IREGRESSION THEY HAVE BOTHALREADY SEEN WITH LOGAN ANDEMILY.

ADAM We canthem things later.

If sheloses the little bit ofwalking she can do, shenever get it back.

THEY SAYTHEIR KIDS NEED THEIR PEERS,THE SUPPORTS, THE TEAMS INPLACE TO HELP THEM GROW SOTHEYTO OFFER AN IN PERSON HYBROPTION.

THE SPOKESMAN FOR THECOUNTY SAYS THE VIRTUAL PLANIN STILL IN THE WORKS AND THEYARE WORKNG VERY HARD TOADDRESS ACCOMODATIONS FORSTUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS,INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OFLIMITED IN PERSON INSTRUCTION.17:4━18:02 ELIZABETH.

If wecan go to the mall and goshopping and if we can sit ata restaurant or go to a bar wecan safely serve our specialeducation students in an inperson setting.

Theresafety measures that can beput in place LOOKLIVE TA━ THEFIRST DRAFT OF THE VIRTUALPLAN WILL BE PRESENTED TO THEBOARD OF EDUCATION TOMORROWNIGHT..

AND THE COUNTY WANTSTO HEAR FEEDBACK FROM FAMILIESABOUT IT BEFORE FINALIZING APLAN FOR THE STATE BOARD.

THENTHEY WILL ACCEPT PUBLIC INPUTTHROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH.FOR WMAR 2 NEWS IISAACSIT IS ARGUABLY ONE OF THBIGGEST QUESTIONS ON THE