We use student-level data on elementary special education identification from Washington state to explore student identification rates in the months immediately after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and over 2 subsequent years. Special education identification rates dropped dramatically in March 2020 through the end of the 2019-20 school year…

We analyze student-level data on elementary special education identification in Washington state to explore how identification rates changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that special education identification rates dropped dramatically in March 2020 through the end of the 2019-20 school year and remained below historical norms throughout…

Transition planning is an essential component of special education for students transitioning from high school to the adult world. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the ways in which transition education is implemented and has been a catalyst for change and potential improvement in transition education practices. Research is just beginning to…

This study examined the impact of extended school closures and remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic on student achievement. It examined ex post facto data to analyze MAP reading scores for students with a speech-language impairment (only). Assessment data was used from the Fall 2019, Winter 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, and Spring 2021…

The purpose of the study was to explore characteristics of vaccine hesitancy and behaviors among college students with disabilities. Participants and Methods: Participants consisted of 105 college students with disabilities (M[subscript age]=26.82, SD = 8.42), and a majority of participants were female (69.5%) and Hispanic (85%). Results: No…

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the ways in which people are able to communicate effectively. The addition of the face mask as a distracting stimulus interrupts the holistic process that people use to interpret facial expressions. The present study seeks to investigate the impact of face masking and gaze direction on…

Schoolwide peer-mediated programs have long been advocated as an avenue for promoting inclusion, friendship, and learning for students with autism and other developmental disabilities. Such interactive programs faced complexities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed representatives of 91 elementary and secondary schools implementing a…

Positive home-school relationships are essential for students with SEN, and this was especially true during the initial months of the pandemic lockdown, when parents took on more responsibility for schooling. Qualitative analyses suggested that principals and parents struggled to make connections during the first months of emergency schooling but…

The numerous stressors and strains of the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to growing numbers of college students experiencing disabilities and needing support. This practice brief explores the challenges faced by disability resource professionals (DRPs) during the pandemic in reaching and supporting students potentially needing accommodations, but…

Before, during, and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic there is a need to understand parent work in online, distance, and digital education. Findings from previous research highlighted the challenges that parents of children identified with disabilities faced with little acknowledgment of the complexities and contextual nuances within and across…

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated an abrupt transition to online learning, impacting students with disabilities uniquely. This study examines the experiences of 62 such students in the new educational paradigm, employing a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected through surveys and questionnaires to assess privacy and security…

Early childhood special education (ECSE) professionals were forced to drastically change their methods of providing services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this qualitative study, we conducted interviews to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted ECSE professionals both personally and professionally. ECSE professionals…

Despite growing evidence for learning loss due to COVID-19, there is little research examining this phenomenon using norm-referenced tests (NRTs) or with special educations students. Using a repeated-measures design with 96 fourth- through 12th-grade students previously identified as eligible for special education services, the present study…

The problem addressed through this study is the low reading comprehension levels of fifth-grade students with exceptionalities (SwE) (e.g. dyslexia) in a local school district in Georgia. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore fifth-grade teachers' perceptions on their successes, challenges, and suggestions when teaching reading to…

In the Spring of 2020, COVID-19 forced school buildings to close across the United States. As a result, many early learning programs and elementary schools moved their services online. Families of young children with challenging behaviors receiving complex educational and behavioral services in traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms were suddenly…