Chapter 2: Roles of Regular classroom Teachers In meeting the Needs of “Special” Students During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented upheaval in the education of K–12 students around the globe. Within weeks, approximately 1.6 billion students, or 91% of learners around the world, were displaced from their school settings (UNESCO, 2020). In the United States, 48 states and 4 territories closed their doors from March of 2020 through the end of the 2019–2020 school year, which caused approximately 2.5 million students and their educators to shift to online learning. This is where many stayed throughout much of the 2020–2021 school year, as well (U.S. Department of Education, 2019).

For many classroom teachers and their students with disabilities, there was the initial uncertainty of when traditional instruction might return, and how education and related services could be provided during the interim. For most, initially, this involved the temporary closure of schools, then a shift to remote, online learning. Over time, as restrictions were lifted, educators and students transitioned back to the classroom setting but, due to health and safety concerns surrounding the ongoing pandemic, attendance for all was unpredictable, at best. This interruption of services caused significant problems with teachers’ methods and their delivery of instruction, as well as teachers’ ability to provide students with their much-needed related support services.