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

Articles

COVID-19’s Impact on the Education of Students with Disabilities: Multiple Perspectives

Marcia L. Montague, Elizabeth Ducy, Sungyoon Lee, Kayla Sweet, Patricia S. Lynch, Isabella Miracle Smith, Arroya S. Beard, Laura M. Stough
  • Marcia L. Montague (Author) Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University image/svg+xml
  • Elizabeth Ducy (Author) Department of Special Education, Sonoma State University image/svg+xml
  • Sungyoon Lee (Author) Department of Elementary and Special Education, Middle Tennessee State University image/svg+xml
  • Kayla Sweet (Author) Chappa Middle School
  • Patricia S. Lynch (Author) Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University image/svg+xml
  • Isabella Miracle Smith (Author) Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University image/svg+xml
  • Arroya S. Beard (Author) Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University image/svg+xml
  • Laura M. Stough (Author) Department of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University image/svg+xml
Abstract
This paper explores the disproportionate impact of school closures and remote learning on students with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple narratives, including those of a student with a disability, a parent, a special education teacher, a student teacher, teacher educators, and disability researchers, illustrate how the pandemic disrupted the special education system. The paper delves into how the experiences of learners and teachers intersected, revealing how the pandemic complicated and interfered with the shared goal of educating students with disabilities. Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and critical disability theory, the authors synthesize these perspectives to demonstrate the ripple effect of the pandemic across various educational systems—from classrooms to higher education to educational research. These narratives reflect diverse experiences across different states, towns, school districts, and universities, collectively highlighting the significant and disproportionate challenges faced by students with disabilities during this period.
Keywords
Barriers, Disabilities, Disproportionality, Education, Pandemics, Special education

Additional Metadata

Funding
{"en":"This COVID-19 Working Group effort was supported by the National Science Foundation-funded Social Science Extreme Events Research (SSEER) Network and the CONVERGE facility at the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder (NSF Award #1841338)."}
Acknowledgements
{"en":"We acknowledge Tanya Baker at the Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University for her design of Figure 1 in this manuscript. We thank the following members of the COVID-19 and Disability Working Group for their input on the conceptualization of this manuscript: Tanya Baker, Texas A&M University; Lesley Gray, University of Otago; Donghyun Kang, Winona State University; Zachary Morris, Stony Brook University; Cynthia A. Rohrbeck, George Washington University; Amy Sharp, University of Texas at Austin; and Nick Winges-Yanez, University of Texas at Austin."}
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How to Cite
Montague, M. L., Ducy, E., Lee, S., Sweet, K., Lynch, P. S., Miracle Smith, I., Beard, A. S., & Stough, L. M. (n.d.). COVID-19’s Impact on the Education of Students with Disabilities: Multiple Perspectives. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 21(2), 47-62. Retrieved June 12, 2026, from https://www.aasep.org/article/view/642
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Vol. 21 No. 2 (2026): Spring/Summer 2026

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