By: Wendy Cross, Marketing Manager, FlexPoint 

Is your school or district equipped to meet the unique needs of special education students?

Students with disabilities make up approximately 15% of national public school enrollments, which is why it's critical that school and district leaders create procedures and execute best practices to ensure educators are meeting their individualized needs.

During a recent District Administration podcast, Nikki Callaghan, our director of exceptional student education, who has more than 25 years of experience developing online, blended, and hybrid programs for special education students, provided school and district leaders with four strategies to support students with special education needs in the digital learning environment.

1. Proactively Plan for Technology Challenges

Transitioning from a brick-and-mortar setting to a digital learning environment can be challenging for students, families, and instructors. Embrace that technology will inevitably have challenges, and proactively communicate a plan to staff and students for handling issues when they arise. 

2. Train and Support Teachers to Teach in the Digital Learning Environment 

Provide ongoing teacher training throughout the year to help educators support students with special education needs in the digital learning environment. 

For example, ensure teachers understand that they need to ask families what their preferred communication method is. They will most likely communicate with students and families more frequently than in a traditional brick-and-mortar school setting. Additionally, every student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) needs to be reviewed and revised when they begin online learning. Their IEP should also be adjusted annually, as the student becomes more comfortable in the digital learning environment.   

3. Discuss Workspace, Organizational Strategies, and Behavior Management

It’s often overlooked, but a student’s workspace at home is crucial to setting them up for success. Teachers should encourage families to provide students with a dedicated workspace, such as a centrally located desk or table at home.

Minimizing distractions and clutter from their workspace, such as other electronic devices, toys, and pets, can help students remain focused. Providing them with daily or weekly schedules and pacing charts, and encouraging them to print those out, can also help students stay on track with their digital coursework. Teachers must also ensure they set behavioral expectations at the start of every class, such as how to utilize tools in the virtual classroom.

4. Properly Structure Your Special Education Team for the Digital Environment

Building varying levels of support for special education teachers is essential when structuring your special education team. For example, special education coordinators support our instructors by planning, scheduling, and facilitating the IEP meeting as a neutral participant and drafting, finalizing, and maintaining the required paperwork and records. This allows our special education teachers to focus on supporting their students. 

For additional tips and strategies, check out the full District Administration podcast. 

About the Author: Wendy Cross is the Marketing Manager for FlexPoint, overseeing the brand strategy and marketing campaign execution for both FlexPoint and FlexPoint Virtual School. When she is not helping schools and districts tell their stories, you can find her reading a book with a cat curled up beside her.