{"id":76132,"date":"2023-11-30T15:32:55","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T20:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=76132"},"modified":"2023-12-04T09:02:19","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T14:02:19","slug":"how-remote-learning-during-covid-impacted-students-with-extensive-support-needs","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/news\/articles\/2023\/how-remote-learning-during-covid-impacted-students-with-extensive-support-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"How Remote Learning During COVID Impacted Students with Extensive Support Needs"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin news-block-editorial-leadin is-style-text-over-image has-media has-box has-media-focus-center-middle has-text-position-x-center has-text-position-y-bottom has-secondary-theme\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2560\" height=\"1706\" src=\"\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-scaled.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"A boy sits at a computer\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-1500x1000.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-992x661.jpg 992w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-1984x1323.jpg 1984w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2023\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-7-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner has-opacity-60\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Blog<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow Remote Learning During COVID Impacted Students with Extensive Support Needs\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">\u201cThe social isolation was one of the most heartbreaking findings,\u201d says study lead author Zachary Rossetti.<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar news-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">November 30, 2023<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-comments\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"#comments\" class=\"wp-prepress-component-comment-counter label has-no-comments\"><span class=\"wp-prepress-component-comment-counter-zero\"><span>0<\/span><\/span><\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/news\/authors\/cara-mattaliano\/\">Cara Mattaliano<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<p>How did remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic impact students with extensive support needs (ESN)? Students with ESN are those with the most significant support needs who often take the alternate assessment (in-state testing). They are often diagnosed with cognitive impairment, multiple disabilities, or other developmental disabilities, and have additional health, physical, communication, or mental health needs<em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-1500x1500.jpg\" alt=\"Zachary Rossetti\" class=\"wp-image-56232\" width=\"208\" height=\"208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-1500x1500.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-826x826.jpg 826w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-344x344.jpg 344w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-529x529.jpg 529w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-682x682.jpg 682w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-1032x1032.jpg 1032w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-1321x1321.jpg 1321w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-688x688.jpg 688w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-1058x1058.jpg 1058w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-1364x1364.jpg 1364w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-1652x1652.jpg 1652w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/files\/2016\/07\/Zach-Rossetti_04_-710x710.jpg 710w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 208px) 100vw, 208px\" \/><figcaption>Zach Rossetti<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Associate Professor <a href=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/profile\/zachary-rossetti\/\">Zachary Rossetti<\/a>, along with five other researchers (including BU Wheelock colleague <a href=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/profile\/donna-lehr\/\">Donna Lehr<\/a> and doctoral students <a href=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/profile\/tashnuva-shaheen\/\">Tashnuva Shaheen<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/profile\/katherine-baulier\/\">Katie Baulier<\/a>), interviewed eight mothers of students with ESN to learn how remote instruction during COVID-19 school closures impacted their children\u2019s educational experiences. We sat down with Rossetti to learn more about this study, which he and his coauthors wrote about in the recently published article, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/15407969231154166\">Parent Perceptions of Remote Instruction for Students with Extensive Support Needs<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a news-block-editorial-q-and-a\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-heading\">Q<span>&amp;<\/span>A<\/h2><h4 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-title-subheading\"><\/h4><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Question:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>What made you decide to explore the impact of COVID-19 on students with ESN?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">During COVID-19 school closures, everyone was worried about kids not being in school and wondering what remote instruction was going to look like. People were talking about students with disabilities, but we didn\u2019t think anyone was talking about students with extensive support needs, who are often marginalized in the school system in different ways.<br><br>We thought the impact of the school closures were potentially doubly bad for students with ESN, because many of these students rely on hands-on instruction with concrete objects, physical, speech and language, and occupational therapies, and in some cases, 1:1 paraprofessional support.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Question:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>One of the primary takeaways from the study was the social isolation felt by students with ESN. Can you tell us more about this?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">The social isolation was one of the most heartbreaking findings. For students with ESN, remote learning was highly unsuccessful. A lot of these students rely on classmates for peer models or love going to school for the social interactions with classmates. None of that was happening.<br><br>These students didn\u2019t have the support to interact on Zoom meetings or on synchronous activities with their classmates. They might have been there, but it Zoom instruction was too fast, and they weren\u2019t interacting. And then other students might have gotten together at the park after class, and largely, students with ESN were not doing any of that.<br><br>One parent, Rachel, is quoted in the research article describing communication challenges in the context of remote learning:<br><br><em>I know, in-person, he [Jean] has an easier time navigating that situation. It\u2019s just really hard for someone who has difficulty speaking. You can understand him a lot better when you\u2019re in-person than when you\u2019re split off and you\u2019re just boxes on a screen.&nbsp;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Question:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>You discuss the toll that remote learning took on the families of students with ESN. Can you say more about this?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">In terms of the paraprofessional support, kids who had 1:1 paras were trying to get on Zoom without their 1:1 paras, and that led to another finding, which was thatparents had to become the 1:1 paras, or teachers, if they could. They encountered difficulties because they had other kids, and they had their own jobs.<br><br>One example stands out where one parent named Ali, a baker who brought her daughter to get on the Zoom calls at the restaurant while she was trying to make cakes <em>and<\/em> keep track of her daughter. It was a mess in so many ways. Ali said:<br><br><em>While I was able to be a part of a lot of the virtual school, I was still working. So, I still had to do my job, which is working in a restaurant. So, you know, trying to coordinate baking a cake, while I\u2019m popping over here to make sure Marie was trying to do what she needed to do . . . you know, it was super fun [sarcastic tone].<\/em><br><em>&nbsp;<\/em><br>It really didn\u2019t work for the students at all, but it also took a toll on the families. Some families were brutally honest in the interviews, saying things like, \u201cI felt so guilty, like I was failing my daughter during this time.\u201d It was really tough, academically and socially.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Question:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>But there were also some unexpected benefits, right? Can you tell us more about them?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">I swear I will always remember this. When we were interviewing one of the participants, she said she had wanted to get on the same page with the school about what her son was learning so she could help out and be consistent at home, but prior to the pandemic, the school wouldn\u2019t give her access to Google Classroom. But then, during the pandemic when everything was remote, everyone had access to Google Classroom. A couple of parents talked about prompting their child to raise their hand on Zoom, or they raised their hand for them, and they reported that their children may have participated more. Those benefits were the silver lining.<br><br>The other benefit was the IEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings by Zoom. Moving these meetings by Zoom allowed people that work, commute, or have other kids, to attend. It also allowed parents to bring another friend, which is helpful because they\u2019re always outnumbered in IEP meetings. Hopefully, this is a change that also continues.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-question\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-name\">Question:<\/span> <span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\"><strong>What are a few key takeaways you\u2019d like us to learn from this research?<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-answer\"><span class=\"wp-block-editorial-q-and-a-content\">Going remote was an extreme situation, but it highlighted how students with these disabilities and support needs are \u201cbarely included.\u201d As soon as school closures happened, the experiences for students with ESN were just so much worse than other students. If schools are going to go remote for some reason again in the future, they need to allow for paraprofessional support, delivering concrete materials, and supporting parents.<br><br>One piece that comes out of this is the importance including students with ESN more in schools, especially social connections. If there ever were to be another pandemic, we\u2019d need to account for social connections. We can\u2019t allow for that level of social isolation.<br>&nbsp;<br>I hope the other piece that comes out of it is the ongoing use of these unexpected benefits. Parents said, \u201cI wish we could talk to these teachers more regularly; this has been great.\u201d Pieces around inclusion and parent-professional partnerships and collaboration really stood out and should continue.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How did remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic impact students with extensive support needs (ESN)? Students with ESN are those with the most significant support needs who often take the alternate assessment (in-state testing). They are often diagnosed with cognitive impairment, multiple disabilities, or other developmental disabilities, and have additional health, physical, communication, or mental [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8572,"featured_media":76191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"Blog","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[4019,7028,6867,4051],"bu-publication":[6614],"magazine-article-category":[],"magazine-topic":[],"news-article-category":[6739,6646,6772],"news-topic":[6725,6789],"bu_edition":[],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/76132"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8572"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76132"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/76132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76216,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/76132\/revisions\/76216"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76132"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=76132"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article-category?post=76132"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=76132"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=76132"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=76132"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=76132"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/wheelock\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=76132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}