Schools Find Proactive Ways to Remain IDEA Compliant During Pandemic
February 10, 2021
For many schools, ensuring that students who receive special education resources were able to continue receiving services during the pandemic proved to be one of the most difficult challenges resulting from school closures – one that has carried an uptick in “due process” litigation cases being brought by parents against their students’ schools for failing to meet services established in legally-backed Individual Education Plans, or IEPS. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, schools must provide a “free, appropriate public education” that meets the individualized needs of eligible students, something that has been difficult in the age of virtual learning and social distancing. However, reporter Kara Arundel describes some of the ways schools adapted to the challenges and found proactive approaches to meeting student needs, including by opening in-person only for students with the most intensive needs, launching teletherapy services, and purchasing and delivering new assistive technology to students’ homes.