Coronavirus Pandemic Creates Particular Challenges For Special Needs Students
BOSTON (CBS) -- The pandemic -- and the sudden switch to online learning -- has been hard for a lot of kids, but it has been particularly tough for children with special needs.
Arianna Leblanc lives with autism. Until the outbreak began, she was thriving in her school, the Center for Applied Behavioral Instruction in Worcester.
"The growth that she has, has been fantastic," said Josh Dufresne, the director of the school.
Arianna's mother Brandi agrees. "They are wonderful," she said. "They are very in tune with their students, they know what they're doing, they care for each of them."
For students like Arianna, the switch to remote learning has been difficult.
"She has been home since the beginning of March. It took her a month just to get used to the Zoom," Leblanc said.
Dufresne's school works mostly with children who have an autism diagnosis. He said remote learning poses some unique challenges for his students.
"I think it impacts this population more so than your typical - neurotypical students," Dufresne said.
Now Arianna is facing an even more momentous change: she turns 22 this week. By law, she will age out of her school.
Her family has found a new program for her but because of the pandemic, her school is limited in how much it can help her with the transition.
"Our hands are tied," Dufresne said. "We can do consultations and things like that which we are setting up now."
But it's not nearly the level of support she would get under typical circumstances and there is a cap on how long the school can help her.
"All I want is she would have that chance to have the proper transition so she would be successful," Leblanc said.
Arianna is likely not alone.
According to the Department of Education, as of April 14, there were 868 students with disabilities who were 21 years old and were enrolled in schools statewide. The department could not tell us how many are aging out during the pandemic.
"I've just worked so hard her whole life and the schools to get her where she is," Leblanc said. "I would just hate that this pandemic and the lack of resources for her would have her regress to a point that could be dramatic for her and the family."
Arianna's mother is hoping state lawmakers will realize this is an issue and step in.
She sent a letter to Governor Baker and started a GoFundMe page to try to help other families in a situation like this. The page raised more than $1,000 in a few days.
It appears under the governor's reopening plan that Arianna's new program would open in phase three, but her family is still trying to figure that out.
At this time, there is no firm start date for phase three.
