When Connecticut public schools returned to in-person learning last year, early childhood education commissioner Beth Bye said she was “blown away” by the gap in the first grade. were preschoolers and kindergarteners.
“But that was really the tip of the iceberg. Parents often don’t know what’s typical and what’s atypical.” [child] development. So in the two years that parents have kept their young children away, not only are they missing out on peer experiences and preschool experiences, they are missing out on early childhood professionals who are there to guide them. “So with fewer preschoolers, fewer kids with teachers trained to recognize problems, we knew we were going to have a big problem in Connecticut.”
The state of Nutmeg last year launched a statewide app-based screening tool to help parents identify potential red flags in their children’s development and behavior. and have difficulty distinguishing between students who are behind in learning due to pandemic-related stress, disruption, and social isolation. In addition, limited access to early special education services in recent years means that students with disabilities are often actually enrolled with higher needs.
The number of young children receiving special education services fell 40 percent nationwide during the pandemic, with 320,000 more children aged 3 to 5 receiving services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 2021 than in 2018. The number of children under the age of 12 years has decreased. , schools are catching up to identify and serve students with disabilities, while also addressing widespread school readiness delays that complicate identification.
There are no national data so far this year, but Gracie Branch, deputy executive director of the National Association of Elementary Principals, said an increase in students with language and fine motor skills delays entering preschool and kindergarten this fall. said that the principal had reported that
“Most of the schools I know employ additional intermediaries or social workers to work with families to accommodate the development of students who appear to have been affected by trauma,” Branch said. “They are pretty important. [numbers of] Students with special needs from early grades.
Technical assistance for special education screening
Connecticut’s Sparkler app connects parents to special education referrals and treatment activities they can start with their children at home.
Additionally, the program sends data to local school districts and special education providers to help educators prepare for the needs of new students. As of this spring, Connecticut schools have more than 1,200 students referred through the app, of whom nearly 700 are considered eligible for special education services. That’s a 130% increase from before the pandemic, Bye said. More than half of students referred to special education services this year were identified as having school readiness skills two standard deviations lower than her for her age, with communication and gross motor delays being the most common. It was a problem.
Cheshire, one of the first school districts in Connecticut to pilot a new screening tool, is seeing a “surge” in new special education referrals, said a special education teacher and Cheshire’s director of early interventions. Jennifer Buffington said. Across three towns, “we spend more time evaluating, but we also try to be very creative.”
Toddlers may not understand what a pandemic is but they are not allowed outside to play with people and there was a superbug so it is not safe to touch anyone I know. The message they’ve received is that the world isn’t a safe place and it’s not safe to be with other people.
Maggie Parker, Assistant Professor of Counseling and Human Development, George Washington University
“We’re in a constant stream of communication delays, but what we’re seeing change is in the social-emotional areas and behaviors that parents struggle with,” Buffington said. [students] You can’t communicate, you can get frustrated, and your frustration levels are definitely getting more intense.we have quite a few [students] Experience headbanging and other self-soothing behaviors. Self-regulation is therefore an important factor. ”
Experts believe there is a direct link to what children have experienced during the pandemic.
“Young children may not understand what a pandemic is, but they weren’t allowed outside to play with people and there was a super bug so it wasn’t safe to touch anyone. The message they’ve received is that the world is not a safe place and it’s not safe to be with other people,” said an expert who studies the impact of the pandemic on young people. said Maggie Parker, assistant professor of counseling and human development at George Washington University, who is working with children. “Then put them in a school environment where they sit at desks, interact with others, sit in circles, trust others, work with others. It goes against everything they’ve ever been taught or experienced in the world.”
Donna Volpe, director of special services for the Ramsey School District in New Jersey, said self-regulatory issues have led to more cases of kindergarten referrals to special education. “We see many students lacking academic behavior,” she said. [such as] Not to mention skills such as the ability to sit in the classroom, the ability to control impulses, the ability to socialize and follow directions, and reading,” she said.
However, because so many students may be falling behind not because of a specific learning disability such as autism, but because they were unable to go to school, he said, “We need to be more creative and not necessarily If your students are not benefiting from these supports, you should take a moment to determine if it is a hindrance. I have.
Ramsey District is training teachers to have more of a ‘soft start’ in kindergarten. Lie on a beanbag or play with a toy to calm him down,” says Volpe. He said. “We’ve found that it’s scheduled so that students can take just one minute of her time, and that it has an impact on students who are ready for an education.”
The NAESP chapter warned that educators and administrators should be careful not to overemphasize academic interventions for the youngest students with learning delays.
“The number of students affected by this traumatic situation with COVID has only increased the number of students requiring special interventions. , we’re looking deeply at interventions, whether it’s to help with emotional outbursts or academic achievement that may require additional support, Branch said.
“We don’t want to because students certainly have some deficits in their academic learning because of the high sense of urgency that principals have. [educators] We overreact and forget how younger kids learn best,” Branch said. “We want them to leave [students] We can play and focus on content, but we can do it by increasing playful learning opportunities for pre-kindergarten through third grade. “
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