The 74 Million: 4 D.C. Families Faced Homelessness, Language Barriers & Limited Special Education Services During Spring’s Virtual Learning. They’re Waiting — and Hoping — for a Smoother Fall
Like many DC parents, our client Ms. Eury has mixed feelings about virtual learning this fall, especially as the mother of 10-year-old twins with autism and asthma. Taylor Swaak of The 74 Million reports that a lack of devices and unfulfilled IEPs for students with disabilities remain serious challenges—including for Ms. Eury’s family:
Since the first day of school in D.C., Charday Eury has been waiting on laptops for her 10-year-old twins with autism — and answers to why one hasn’t resumed his inclusion classes.
Eury has mixed feelings about a second stint of virtual learning, especially as the mother of children with asthma and 10-year-old twins with autism.
The two fifth-graders, who attend a Ward 4 charter school, have experienced different roadblocks — and occasional triumphs — with remote learning. (To protect their privacy, Eury asked that their names not be used in this article.)
One of the twins, who Eury says is “higher” functioning, has been stuck in special education classes during virtual learning, even though he used to join his general education peers for morning read-aloud and English language arts prior to the pandemic. So far this school year, “no one has mentioned” opportunities for him to rejoin, Eury said.
She added that he’s now “not ready” for general education math classes either — a transition the family was pushing for prior to COVID that would have required dedicated one-on-one supports.
Photo credit: Charday Eury