Transitioning to teaching your kids at home during coronavirus school closures can be hard for many families, but parents of kids with special needs face unique challenges. Listen as we speak with Robin Lemonis, Director of Special Education and Dr. Nathan Oakley, Chief Academic Officer with the MS Department of Education about how to help your special needs child get the most out of distance learning.

Tips of the Week:

*Keep consistent check-in with your child’s school, teachers and therapists about:

• How educational and therapeutic service delivery may change in the coming weeks
• If schools offer distance-learning opportunities to students without disabilities, the same support should be offered to students with disabilities.
• Don’t feel pressured to exactly replicate school and therapy at home. With flexibility, you may identify new ways to learn and grow together that would be more difficult in a typical time.

*Seek help

• Whether your child has a disability or they're feeling extremely stressed, there are disability or condition-specific organizations and support groups that can provide helpful information and social support. 
• Reach out to local organizations to see if they offer virtual support groups or have active email listeners that send out information and resources.

*Encourage children to talk about their feelings .

• Children with disabilities often experience feelings of social isolation from their peers, and social distancing policies related to COVID- 19 may amplify these feelings.
• Give your child opportunities to discuss these feelings and brainstorm ways for your child to interact with others through texting, phone calls, video chatting and other virtual platforms.

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