“It Just Does Not Work”: Parents’ Views About Distance Learning for Young Children with Special Needs

Abstract

COVID-19 forced educational jurisdictions in the United States and abroad to implement stay-at-home policies that closed most in-school services. Beginning in March 2020, all children were thrust into virtual learning. This research describes US parents’ views of distance learning for a subset of those children: young children, aged two to eight years, with disabilities. Parents (N = 47) completed an online survey of multiple-choice and short-answer questions about distance learning for young children with disabilities. Data were collected from October to November 2020 when many schools were participating in distance learning in either a full or hybrid format. Parents in this study indicated that distance learning was often unsuccessful because their children needed too much adult support, required specialized instruction and therapies, and lacked opportunities for social interaction. These findings provide initial insight into the challenges of providing distance learning to young children with disabilities. While the COVID-19 crisis may be nearing an end, distance learning, at least in some format, is likely here to stay. This research highlights challenges that need to be addressed to make it successful.