Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

“Everything Now Falls on Me”: Parent Perspectives on Services Lost and Challenges During Virtual Learning for Youth with Disabilities

Elizabeth G. S. Munsell, MS, OTR/L, Ariel E. Schwartz, PhD, OTR/L, Elizabeth K. Schmidt, PhD, OTR/L, Jennifer Chen, PhD, OTR/L
  • Elizabeth G. S. Munsell, MS, OTR/L (Author) Boston University image/svg+xml
    Elizabeth G. S. Munsell, MS, OTR/L is a doctoral candidate in the Rehabilitation Sciences program at Boston University. She has experience working as an occupational therapist in public schools. Her research focuses on understanding the needs of youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities entering adulthood and how to assess meaningful transition outcomes to inform clinical intervention.
  • Ariel E. Schwartz, PhD, OTR/L (Author) Boston University
    Ariel E. Schwartz, PhD, OTR/L is a postdoctoral fellow at Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation. She conducts and studies the process of inclusive research with individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Additionally, she studies interventions and participation patterns of young adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental health conditions.
  • Elizabeth K. Schmidt, PhD, OTR/L (Author) Boston University
    Elizabeth K. Schmidt, PhD, OTR/L is a postdoctoral fellow in the Families and Autism Research Lab at Boston University. She received her PhD and Masters of Occupational Therapy from the Ohio State University. Her research interests are in promoting sexual and reproductive health of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through accessible sexual health education.
  • Jennifer Chen, PhD, OTR/L (Author) Boston University
    Jennifer Chen, PhD, OTR/L is an occupational therapist, working in an outpatient setting at a rehabilitation hospital. She completed her Ph.D. in rehabilitation sciences at Boston University, where she focused her dissertation research on parent and student involvement in developing special education plans (i.e., Individualized Education Programs) for transition-age youth on the autism spectrum.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.456
Abstract
The COVID-19 outbreak caused abrupt disruptions to many domains of everyday life, including education. Educational disruptions may be compounded for students who require supports and services to participate. We surveyed parents of students with disabilities and chronic health conditions to understand the extent of service delivery disruption, challenges experienced with virtual learning, and the impact of these changes on their and their students’ lives. Thirty-seven parents completed an online survey consisting of multiple-choice and open-ended questions from May-August 2020. Data were analyzed using a convergent mixed-methods approach using descriptive and content analyses of survey data. Parents reported their students’ educational needs are not met in the virtual environment and parents are taking on new roles to support their students’ learning. The need to provide intensive supports resulted in parental frustration and burnout. We offer potential approaches to improve educational service delivery for students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords
Barriers, Chronic Illness, COVID-19, Delivery Systems, Distance Education, Educational Legislation
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How to Cite
Munsell, E. G. S., Schwartz, A. E., Schmidt, E. K., & Chen, J. (2021). “Everything Now Falls on Me”: Parent Perspectives on Services Lost and Challenges During Virtual Learning for Youth with Disabilities. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 16(2), 51-67. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.456

Spring/Summer 2021

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  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted May 3, 2021
  • Published June 15, 2021
  • Issue Spring/Summer 2021
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