Virtual Education & Students With Disabilities: Respect Ability
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Virtual Education &
Students With Disabilities:
Supporting Student Success in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond
Curators: Nicole Homerin, M.Ed., Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Debbie Fink, M.A.,
Philip Kahn-Pauli, M.A., Heidi Wangelin, Baksha Ali and La’Rina Carolina
Editor: Lauren Appelbaum, M.S.Virtual Education & Students With
Disabilities:
Supporting Student Success in the Time of COVID-19 and
Beyond
Curators: Nicole Homerin, M.Ed., Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi,
Debbie Fink, M.A., Philip Kahn-Pauli, M.A.,
Heidi Wangelin
Accessibility Checks Conducted By:
Baksha Ali, Khadija Bari, Leo Cantos and La’Rina Carolina
Editor: Lauren Appelbaum, M.S.
Version 2: December 2020
Original Guide Released August 2020Virtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................................4
VIRTUAL RESOURCE GUIDES BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ...........................................................6
HOMESCHOOL PROGRAMS............................................................................................................13
ADDITIONAL VIRTUAL RESOURCES ..............................................................................................17
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL/MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES .................................................................26
LIVE SYNCHRONOUS LEARNING* OPPORTUNITIES .....................................................................30
STATE PARENT CENTERS’ COVID-19 RESOURCE WEBSITE LINKS ...........................................32
LEGAL RIGHTS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION RESOURCES ..............................................................39
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RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Introduction
Dear champion for a student with a disability:
Whether you are a student with a disability or an adult (parent, guardian, teacher or otherwise)
who is championing success for a student with a disability, this guide is for you. Our goal is to be
a timesaver for students with disabilities, as well as for the adults in their lives who care about
them. This guide includes resources that can help pave the best educational and social-emotional
path possible during this pandemic.
I myself am dyslexic and have ADHD. It was extremely hard for me to learn to read. Even today
I need someone to check my math. It took a lot for me to gain the skills I needed to succeed. I
owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother, who advocated for me. Could I have gained those
skills using only remote learning? Yes, but it would have been even harder. Today, as a proud
mother who knows what it means to parent a child with an IEP during this pandemic, our family
lived through the school disasters this spring. No family should have to go through this again.
Hence, we created this guide to hopefully ease this road for you.
To be clear, this guide is not original content. It is a compilation of the best resources we
could find. It still will take you a lot of time to go through the links in the guide to find the ones
that will work best for you. You also will need to keep up communication with your child’s
schools and IEP/504 team.
The COVID-19 crisis has been hard on almost everyone. There has been loss of life, jobs and
more. Tragically, it also has significantly harmed the 6.3 million students with disabilities who
largely got lost in the chaos as schools moved from in-person classrooms to online learning. This
is especially true for students who did not have good access to internet, computer devices or
adults who had the time and skills to help them through online learning. Challenges also were
compounded for the 740,000 students with disabilities who are English language learners, as
well as the millions of others impacted by lack of access to food.
Still, even in homes with ample food, computer and internet access, and parents who were able
to help daily, it was a mess for student with disabilities. Millions of students lost ground
academically and many had significant increases in mental health issues. This was true even in
some of the best funded and staffed school districts in America. Indeed, many teachers’ unions
tried to avoid meeting the obligations of IEPs and 504s. Thankfully, the unions were not legally
allowed to circumvent the law, and there is a lot of litigation pending. The fact is that no child
with a disability or family should wait on litigation to try to find the best possible solution for
education during this crisis.
That is why we created this guide. We know there are no simple or perfect answers. Our goal is
to help you find solutions to help support students with disabilities, such that they thrive to the
extent possible.
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This fall, millions of students will return, or go forward, to classrooms. With that being said, due
to the continuing pandemic, many schools will be a hybrid model of in-person and remote
education. Others will be fully remote. Regardless, due to underlying medical conditions, many
students will need to continue distanced learning, while other students with disabilities will be
returning to a “new normal” riddled with virus-related safety concerns in schools.
It can be very challenging to be a student with a disability even in the best of times. Even before
the COVID-19 pandemic, the gap in graduation and dropout rates between students with and
without disabilities continued to undermine their futures. For example, in the class of 2018, only
66 percent of Black students with disabilities, 71 percent of Hispanic students with disabilities,
77 percent of white students with disabilities, and 79 percent of Asian-American students with
disabilities completed high school. This compares to 87 percent students without disabilities
overall. Furthermore, just seven percent of students born with a disability graduated from college
pre-pandemic. As a nation we need to do better.
This guide is a stop-gap measure. School is about to start, and people need resources now, not
later. Thus, with far less time than we might have wanted, we got to work. As such, your
experience with each of the organizations listed in this guide may vary. If you have any feedback
or encounter any difficulties with any of the resources listed, please let us know.
I, like many parents and people with disabilities, have found that advocacy is very important and
can make a difference. We wrote to our child’s IEP team, principal, the school board, special
education team, county, state and federal officials. It was clear that there was no playbook of
proven solutions that everyone could follow. A lot of good people were trying to find solutions;
but in a crisis, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Thus, we who care about students with disabilities
need to be loud and proud in our advocacy.
Thankfully, through ongoing engagement we were able to see significant progress in the plans
for our local schools this fall. If you are a student with a disability or an adult who cares about a
student with a disability, you too will need to develop relationships with the public officials who
can impact the success of education, employment and other key issues for people with
disabilities. The law is behind us and you will find that most are quite delighted to hear from you
as they want to know what is really happening in communities and which solutions will work.
Want to share your thoughts and concerns with elected officials? We’ve made it easy!
RespectAbility has a free tool to help you connect with your elected officials. It is very simple to
use. All you need to do is put in your name and address and it will automatically send your
message to many relevant elected officials. Unfortunately, it does not have your school board or
special education department, so you will want to go online separately and find those emails. But
it will reach a large number of elected officials who need to hear from constituents who care.
To reach out to your elected officials via email, Twitter or phone, the easy-to-use form is
available on our website: https://therespectabilityreport.org/2020/07/26/ada-action-alert.
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Meanwhile, we hope this guide will be a big help to you in your journey to find educational
solutions during this crisis.
If you know of other nonprofit and/or governmental resources that should be added to this guide,
please send me an email at JenniferM@RespectAbility.org. We will continue to update this
guide to offer people the resources they need during this challenging time.
We at RespectAbility wish you every success in your journey to a safe and successful school
year ahead!
Respectfully,
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi
President, RespectAbility
www.RespectAbility.org
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Acknowledgements
In these challenging times, nonprofit organizations, RespectAbility included, find themselves
facing a tough fundraising environment due to the COVID-19 and economic crisis. At the same
time, due to the same factors, we find the needs for our services to have increased exponentially.
Thus, we are especially grateful to our funders, professional staff and volunteers.
We would like to thank the following for financial support of our work: Stanford
and Joan Alexander Family Fund; Bank of America Charitable Foundation;
Vivian and Raymond Bass; The David Berg Foundation; The Beverly
Foundation; the Stanley and Joyce Black Family Foundation; the California
Wellness Foundation; the California Workforce Development Board; Carnegie
Corporation; the Johnny Carson Foundation; The Coca-Cola Foundation; Shelley
and Ruvan Cohen; Comcast NBCUniversal; Cheri Fox; Diane & Guilford Glazer
Philanthropies; The Aline and Leo Jacobsohn Foundation; the Jewish Community
Foundation of Los Angeles; JP Morgan Chase; the Murray-Reese Foundation; the
Craig H. Neilsen Foundation; The New York Women’s Foundation; Richard
Phillips; The Roddenberry Foundation; Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family
Foundation; The Schwartz Creed Foundation; the Marilyn Einstein and Steven
Sim Charitable Fund; the May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust; Sony Pictures
Entertainment; Ann and Andrew Tisch Family Fund; ViacomCBS; the Walt
Disney Company; The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation; Weingart
Foundation; and others.
RespectAbility also wants to thank our terrific volunteer board members: Khadija Bari, Steve
Bartlett, Vivian Bass, Linda Burger, Christine Cadena, Ollie Cantos, Stephen Chbosky, Eleanor
Clift, Shelley Cohen, Judith Creed, Heidi Daroff, Sneha Dave, Randy Duchesneau, Ila Eckhoff,
Andrew Egan, Gabrielle Einstein-Sim, Rick Guidotti, Calvin Harris, Neil Jacobson, Janie Jeffers,
Evelyn Kelley, Janet LaBreck, Donna Meltzer, Grace Moss, Jonathan Murray, Jaime Pacheco-
Orozco, Richard Phillips, Dr. Victor Pineda, Vincenzo Piscopo, Gerard Robinson, Jim Sinocchi
and Delbert Whetter.
This document exists because RespectAbility’s team has laid a great foundation: Nasreen
Alkhateeb, Franklin Anderson, Lauren Appelbaum, Eric Ascher, Debbie Fink, Lauren Gilbert,
Philip Kahn-Pauli, Matan Koch, Tatiana Lee, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Leah Romond, Ben
Spangenberg and Joshua Steinberg. It is also a testament to our summer 2020 National
Leadership Fellows: Autumn Blalock, Lily Coltoff, KiAnna Dorsey, Lizzy Francis, Maria
Heredia, Nicole Homerin, Chiquita Jackson, Laka Negassa, Ben Rosloff, Stephanie Santo,
Angelique Uwabera and Blair Webb.
Special mention must be made of those who did the real work behind this guide.
RespectAbility’s professional team of Debbie Fink and Philip Kahn-Pauli were deployed to start
pulling together resources. Fink is a former educator, children’s book author and innovator who
was commissioned to design an interactive program for students with learning disabilities,
bringing it to 4,500 students, educators and parents over a few years’ time. She holds a master’s
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degree combining education, psychology and public administration from George Mason
University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from American University. Kahn-Pauli is an
expert in public policy who helps people with disabilities get the skills and jobs they need to
succeed. He has provided testimony on education and jobs for people with disabilities in every
state and holds a master’s degree in social policy and philosophy from the George Washington
University as well as a bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver. We also were helped by
Heidi Wangelin, one of our previous National Leadership Fellows. This guide was edited by
Lauren Appelbaum, who has a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse
University, undergraduate degrees from Columbia University and the Jewish Theological
Seminary, and a certificate in secondary school education from Gratz College. As an individual
with an acquired nonvisible disability – Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy – she often publishes
articles about the intersection of disability, employment, Hollywood and politics.
Special credit on reviewing the accessibility of various resources goes to Baksha Ali, Spring
2020 Community Outreach Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program; Khadija
Bari, RespectAbility board member; Leo Cantos, student at Southern Virginia University; and
La’Rina Carolina, 2019 alumna of RespectAbility’s Lab for Entertainment Professionals with
Disabilities, who also is a web show host and advocate for the Deaf community.
As we began this project, we were blessed when Nicole Homerin, M.Ed., applied for a
Community Outreach Fellowship with us. As an incoming doctoral student in special education
at California State University, Los Angeles, she has more than a decade of experience working
with individuals with disabilities. Homerin received her master’s degree in special education
from Boston College, where she was the recipient of the Bernard A. Stotsky/Thomas H. Browne
Prize for Excellence in Special Education. In addition, Homerin holds a bachelor’s degree in
early childhood education from Boston University.
Homerin served as Lead Special Education Teacher at a nonpublic school in Los Angeles for
children with multiple disabilities and children who were medically fragile. She spent several
years educating children with multiple disabilities at The Campus School at Boston College and
in the Deafblind Program at Perkins School for the Blind. She also served as the Assistant
Coordinator of Residential Living in the Outreach Program at Perkins School for the Blind. This
Outreach Program offers public school students who are blind or low vision with the opportunity
to focus on Expanded Core Curriculum areas that can be difficult to address within a school day,
such as personal care, health and wellness, independent living and social skills. Homerin did the
bulk of the work on this guide and we are deeply grateful for her commitment and thoroughness.
We also want to thank RespectAbility’s chair, Steve Bartlett, a co-author of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law 30 years ago. This law gave people with
disabilities civil rights and opened new pathways toward independence. This guide builds on that
success as well as on the understanding of others that people with disabilities have a right to an
education and work – and have talents to contribute – just like anyone else.
As such, our collective goal is to give parents, teachers, students with disabilities and others a
roadmap they can follow as they navigate solutions during these challenging times.
Thank you!
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Virtual Resource Guides by Other
Organizations
Web version of the table below can be found here: https://www.respectability.org/virtual-education/virtual-
resource-guides-by-other-organizations
*** The materials contained in these resources are the intellectual property of that organization. ***
Disclaimer: Inclusion in this resource guide does not indicate endorsement of its program or content.
RespectAbility has no financial stake in any of these resources.
Table 1. Virtual Resource Guides by Other Organizations
Organization Website Additional Information
150 Distance Learning
Resources for K-12 resources including disability-specific
A Day in Our Shoes
Parents/OT/PT/Special categories and content area links
Education/All Subjects
Search by grade and subject area,
Amazing Educational 1507 Amazing Educational
specifically by special education, dyslexia
Resources Resources
and intervention resources
Resources for students who are blind and
American Printing
At Home with APH Resources low vision in the expanded core curriculum;
House
links to accessible apps
Resources on assistive technology,
behavior, d/Deaf, hard of hearing, eating and
Arlington Public COVID-19 Closure Tools for feeding, establishing routines, literacy, math,
Schools (Virginia) Parents related services, sensory/self-regulation,
social/emotional, speech, fluency and
secondary learning
ASL lessons, literature and teaching
Bilingual ASL-English Deaf
Boston University materials for K-12; also includes links to live
Education Library
events, such as ASL storytime
Database of 3,000 apps for both iOS and
Android platforms that are appropriate for
Bridging Apps Accessible App Search
students with a variety of disabilities and age
groups
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Organization Website Additional Information
Coronavirus Landing Page
Supporting Your Child's
Learning at Home During Supported by the Office of Special Education
Center for Parent COVID Programs at the U.S. Department of
Information and Education, the Center shares resources
Resources (CPIR) Schooling at Home During developed by Parent Centers across the
Coronavirus country
COVID-19 Info in Other
Languages
Educational resources for students who
utilize ASL and/or Braille; Trainings and
Central Michigan
Stay at Home Resources webinars for families and professionals;
University
Links to activities appropriate for students
with CVI
Colorado
Planning for the 2020-2021 Guidance and resources regarding school
Department of
School Year reopening in Colorado
Education
Coronavirus: ELL and
Multilingual Resources for
Schools
Colorín Colorado is the premier national
Coronavirus: Recursos en website serving educators and families of
Colorín Colorado
español English language learners (ELLs) in Grades
PreK-12
School Responses to COVID-
19: ELL/Immigrant
Considerations
Resources and webinars for families and
Council for Resources for Teaching
teachers for teaching remotely, including
Exceptional Children Remotely
section on birth to three (years)
Students at the Harvard Medical School
have collaborated to develop critical
COVID-19 resources for students of all ages.
Classroom (Harvard COVID-19 Classroom Resources include: Caregiver/Teacher
Medical School) Guides, materials for elementary, middle and
high school resources, as well as materials
in French and Spanish
100 resources compiled by educators,
Dacia Sigler, Special Special Education and
therapists and parents, including short
Educator Distance Learning
descriptions
District Variety of resources for families, including
335 Free K-12 Resources
Administration curriculum, special education and
During Coronavirus Pandemic
(Steve Blackburn) COVID-19 support
Resources for K-12 sections include:
specialized instruction (self-contained,
District of Columbia
Distance Learning Resources inclusion, related services, sensory support,
Public Schools
special education process guidance, Section
504) and language acquisition
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Organization Website Additional Information
Resources for PreK-12 Categories include:
communication and assistive technology,
Easterseals Resources for Families & Staff behaviors support, speech and language
Southern California During COVID-19 Quarantine supports, occupational therapy supports,
arts, movement, socialization and coping
with COVID-19
Resources and research on a variety of
Educating All
Resources and Guidance topics related to special education for
Learners
caregivers, students and teachers
Family Voices is a national organization and
grassroots network of families and friends of
Coronavirus Information and
children and youth with special health care
Resources
needs and disabilities that promotes
Family Voices
partnership with families – including those of
Resource eBlast: COVID-19
cultural, linguistic and geographic diversity—
Series
in order to improve healthcare services and
policies for children
Special Education COVID-19 - Resources from California’s third largest
Fresno Unified
Fresno Unified School District public-school district
Health Advocacy Resources for keeping students safe in
Keeping Students Safe
Summit higher education
INCLUDEnyc is the leading provider of
Coronavirus Updates training and information for young people
INCLUDEnyc with any disability (age 0-26) in New York
Coronavirus Resources City, their families, and the professionals
who support them
Resources for PreK-Transition
Sections include: behavior supports,
Kansas Department Distance Learning for Special
communication supports, motor activities,
of Education Education
visual supports, social emotional, and
recreation and leisure
The Learning Policy Institute conducts and
communicates independent, high-quality
Resources and Examples: research to improve education policy and
Learning Policy
Learning in the Time of practice. This page is updated regularly and
Institute
COVID-19 curates some of these resources based on
the recommendations of LPI research teams
and LPI partners
COVID-19 Resources for
Parents of Students with
Disabilities / Recursos para
Padres de Alumnos con As the second largest school district in the
Los Angeles Unified Discapacidades U.S. and the second-largest employer in L.A.
School District County, LAUSD consistently has developed
(LAUSD) Virtual IEP Team Meeting new resources as the COVID-19 crisis has
Informational Video for Parents continued
/ Información Para Padres
Sobre la Reunión Virtual del
Equipo del IEP
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Organization Website Additional Information
Resources for PreK-12 Topics included:
Massachusetts general academics, anxiety, Autism
COVID-19 Information
Advocates for Spectrum Disorders, basic needs, behavior,
Clearinghouse
Children social-emotional, special education and
transition
Massachusetts
Council for Resource Folders Lesson Plans and activities for PK-12
Exceptional Children
Massachusetts
This page provides information for Special
Department of COVID-19 Information and
Education Directors about the Coronavirus
Elementary and Resources for Special
Disease (COVID-19) and will be updated as
Secondary Educators
additional guidance is available
Education
Mississippi
Hearing and Vision At-Home PK-12 resources for students who are
Department of
Resources d/Deaf, hard of hearing, blind and low vision
Education
An interdisciplinary lab drawing on expertise
from across the wider Gallaudet University
network, Motion Light Lab (ML2) explores
creativity, art, design, aesthetics, and our
Motion Light Lab
ASL Literacy Activities understanding of the world. The ASL
(ML2)
Literacy Activities page contains materials
ranging from daily activities to storybooks as
well as intersectional literature from BIPOC
leaders
Offers resources for parents, educators and
National Center for
young adults with disabilities, NCLD’s
Learning Disabilities Resources & Tools: COVID-19
website offers a wide network of connections
(NCLD)
and resources
National Center for Resources guide parents through the special
Special Education in Family Resources education process and laws in charter
Charter School schools
National Center for Resources can be searched by category,
Pyramid Model Resource Library resource type, audience and language
Innovations (Chinese, English, French, Spanish)
Resources for PK-12 for student learning,
National Center for COVID-19 Resources for
training for parents and educators
Systematic Supporting Students with
Filters by: media type, resource type, age
Improvement (NCSI) Disabilities
group, audience, cost and content area
Helpful Links for COVID-19
New York City Special education and COVID-19 related
Special Education Learn at
Department of resources for New York City area students
Home Resources
Education with disabilities and their families
Assistive Technology Supports
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Organization Website Additional Information
The New York State Education Department
(NYSED) provides guidance regarding
COVID-19 for schools across the state to
help us ensure the health and safety of
students. The guidance provides important
New York State COVID-19 Resources for
information about child care, child nutrition
Education Families and Communities
and meals, continuity of learning, special
Department
education, state assessments, school
(NYSED) Continuity of Learning
closures, and more. The website also
provides guidance for colleges and
universities, adult education programs, and
licensed professionals, in addition to other
important information.
North Reading Public
List of accessible apps and websites by
Schools NRPS Elementary Sites
grade levels, K-5
(Massachusetts)
PK-12 resources that can be narrowed by
Office of Special Continuity of Learning During disability category and grade level;
Education Programs COVID-19 resources for families, teachers and related
service providers
Open Community Literacy Resources for
Not specific to special education but does
Homeschooling Learning at Home (Google
include special education resources
Resource Document)
Parent to Parent USA (P2P USA) is a
Parent to Parent national nonprofit organization that promotes
COVID-19 Resources
USA (P2P USA) excellence in P2P programs across the
nation
Pathfinders for Autism works to support and
improve the lives of individuals affected by
Pathfinders for Coronavirus (COVID-19) autism through expansive, individualized
Autism Resources Page programming, and by providing resources,
training, information and activities free of
charge
Online Learning Opportunities
Resources for students who are blind and
Paths to Literacy from Schools for the Blind and
low vision, including TVI and O&M services
Related Organizations
Paths to Literacy is a joint project of Perkins
School for the Blind and Texas School for
Virtual Field Trips that are
Paths to Literacy the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI).
accessible to students with low
(Kevin Hollinger) Paths hosts a range of virtual field trips
vision
compliant with Section 508 accessibility
requirements.
Links to a variety of resources for students
Covid-19 Pandemic Support
PATTAN with complex learning needs; additional
for Education
resources for students in PA
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Organization Website Additional Information
At-Home Learning — Summer Edition — is
an early childhood education resource (for
ages 2-8) to help families, educators and
At-Home Learning
community partners curb the summer slump
PBS SoCal while supporting students as they gear up for
Digital Backpacks for Kids /
the next school year.
Mochilas Digitales Para Niños
Find at-home learning activities, guides, and
expert advice below, to expand learning and
family engagement.
Accommodation recommendation for virtual
learning including print disability, oral
Region One Virtual Accommodation presentation, visual supports, visual tracking,
Accommodations Recommendations magnification, clarifying directions,
manipulatives, calculator, dictionaries and
behavior supports
Resources for teachers, paraprofessionals,
Rhode Island
COVID-19 Special Education early childhood special education, related
Department of
Resources service providers, parents and special
Education
education procedures
Language Development Curated list of resources for teachers
San Diego County
Resources for EL Students by working in California’s second largest school
Office of Education
Language Strand and Content district
South Carolina Children’s Activity Book This children’s activity book, available in both
Department of English and Spanish, helps children better
Health and COVID-19 LIBRO DE understand the COVID-19 pandemic, life-
Environmental ACTIVIDADES PARA EL saving hygiene measures and personal
Control NIÑO safety
COVID-19 Resources in Plain
Language
COVID-19 and IDEA Part B The State Council on Developmental
Special Education / COVID-19 Disabilities (SCDD) is established by state
State Council on
y IDEA Parte B Educación and federal law as an independent state
Developmental
Especial agency to ensure that people with
Disabilities (SCDD)
developmental disabilities and their families
COVID-19 & IDEA PART C receive the services and supports they need
EARLY INTERVENTION /
COVID-19 Y IDEA PARTE C
INTERVENCIÓN TEMPRANA
Tourette Association Covid-19 Resources for Links to a variety of resources and supports
of America Tourette Syndrome for individuals with Tourette syndrome
UCLA Center for Educational resources for students with
Autism Research ASD, epilepsy, Angelman Syndrome; local
COVID-19 Resources
and Treatment resources, resources in Spanish, emergency
(CART) preparedness and mental health
Coronavirus: Latest Updates
Understood.org offers English and Spanish
and Tips
language resources related to learning
Understood.org
disabilities, parent advocacy and educator
Coronavirus: información
materials
reciente y recomendaciones
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Organization Website Additional Information
COVID-19 ("Coronavirus")
Information and Resources for
Schools and School Personnel
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the
Remote Learning: Resources U.S. Department of Education has posted a
for Educators, Administrators wide range of COVID-related resources for
U.S. Department of and Related Service Providers educators, administrators, parents and
Education students. Documents include guidance on
Resources for Learning at re-opening schools, remote learning
Home resources, as well as details on supporting
English Language Learners (ELL)
Factsheet: Providing Serivces
to English Learners During the
COVID-19 Outbreak
COVID-19 Resources for A nonpartisan, nonprofit research,
Educators development, and service agency working
with education and other communities
WestEd Resource Planning for throughout the United States and abroad,
Students with Disabilities WestEd aims to improve education and other
During the COVID-19 important outcomes for children, youth and
Pandemic adults
xMinds is dedicated to supporting the
xMinds Partnership
Updates & Communications educational experiences and outcomes of
for Extraordinary
Re: COVID-19 students on the autism spectrum in
Minds
Montgomery County, Maryland
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Homeschool Programs
Web version of the table below can be found here: https://www.respectability.org/virtual-
education/homeschool-programs
*** The materials contained in these resources are the intellectual property of that organization. ***
Disclaimer: Inclusion in this resource guide does not indicate endorsement of its program or content.
RespectAbility has no financial stake in any of these resources.
Table 2. Virtual Homeschooling Programs
Accessibility
1. Low Vision/Blind
Populations of
2. d/Deaf, Hearing
Organization Location Grade Students Served
Impaired
(If Applicable)
3. Related Services
Offered (If Applicable)
1. Navigation=accessible; no
Charter
alt-text used
Schools (165;
Academica K-12 2. Some videos have caption
133 in FL) and
and podcasts. Audio voice
8 other states
without video
Missouri-online 1. Navigation=accessible; no
accredited for alt-text used
Acellus K-12
students with 2. No captions on their
disabilities videos
1. Navigation=accessible; no
alt-text used; contains a
video-that does not have
audio descriptions
Nationwide
Aleks K-12 2. Instructor training center:
online
Tutorial video and tour video
have no captions; only two
videos have captions on
YouTube.
HOPE Project-
Nationwide 1. Navigation=Good
supports students
Accreditation- accessibility, but the
with learning
Bridgeway Synchronous graphics/pictures need Alt
PreK-12 disabilities (dyslexia,
Academy and text
processing disorders
Asynchronous 2. No caption on their videos
autism, ADD, ADHD
Options 3. Access to online class
etc.)
Christa
1. Navigation=accessible; no
McAuliffe Nationwide
alt-text used
Academy Online Private K-5
2. Some videos have
School of Arts School
captions while others do not
and Sciences
1. Navigation=accessible; no
Maryland
Connections alt-text used
Public Charter K-12
Academy 2. Video with captions for
School
lessons
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Accessibility
1. Low Vision/Blind
Populations of
2. d/Deaf, Hearing
Organization Location Grade Students Served
Impaired
(If Applicable)
3. Related Services
Offered (If Applicable)
Pennsylvania; 1. Navigation=accessible; no
Curriculum
online PreK-12 alt-text used
Express
resources 2. No captions with video
K-12
Wisconsin including 1. Navigation=accessible; no
eAchieve
Public Charter students alt-text used
Academy
School with 2. Captions on all videos
disabilities
1. Navigation = Accessible;
Specializes in
New York and No Alt Text used
EBL Coaching PreK-12 students with
New Jersey 2. Only one video has
learning disabilities
captions
1. Navigation=accessible; no
Virtual
alt-text used
Edgenuity Instruction 6-12
2. No caption on video on the
Program; FLA
homepage
1. Navigation=accessible; no
Virtual
alt-text used
Edmentum Instruction 6-12
2. Most videos have
Program; FLA
accessible caption
1. Navigation=accessible; no
NY-based;
Hidden Sparks K-12 alt-text used
National
2. Video has no caption
Illinois
supplemental Middle
1. Navigation=accessible; no
Illinois Virtual online school to
alt-text used
School program- high
2. No video
cannot earn school
diploma
Nationwide
tuition-free 1. Navigation=accessible; no
K12 Online
online school K-12 alt-text used
School
with 2. All videos have captions
accreditation
K-12, 1. Navigation=accessible; no
Keystone Public Charter Adults alt-text used
School Online School working 2. Video has captions and
on GEDs also activity resources
1. Navigation=accessible; alt-
Nationwide
text used
accredited
2. No videos but live chat
Laurel Springs online school- K-12
online
asynchronous
3. Access to online class and
learning
program for varies students
14
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Accessibility
1. Low Vision/Blind
Populations of
2. d/Deaf, Hearing
Organization Location Grade Students Served
Impaired
(If Applicable)
3. Related Services
Offered (If Applicable)
Homeschool
Program 1. Navigation=accessible; alt- Educational
providing 20 text used therapists provided
Learning
hours K-6 2. No videos to support students
Essentials
direct/indirect 3. Access online for tutoring with learning
instruction per and & IEP disabilities
week
1. Navigation is not
accessible; for single
pictures, alt-text is used; for
Virtual
Mater Virtual albums, no alt-text is used
Instruction 6-12
Academy 2. No captions on their
Program
videos, and in class, all on
the computer, with use of
headphones
1. Navigation=accessible; no
alt-text used
2. No video
North Carolina Nationwide
6-12 3. Access to peer tutoring
Virtual School Charter School
and one-on-one access to
teacher to meet IEP
requirements
North Dakota
North Dakota 1. Navigation=accessible; no
Distance
Accredited 6-12 alt-text used
Learning
Online School 2. Video has captions
Education
1. Navigation=accessible; no
Obridge Private School,
K-12 alt-text used
Academy NY
2. Video has captions
1. Navigation=accessible; no
Ohio Distance
alt-text used
Education and
Ohio K-12 2. There is only one video
Learning
with closed captions on the
Academy
homepage
Texas Online 1. Navigation=accessible; no
Orion High
Accredited K-12 alt-text used
School
Private School 2. No videos
K-12
1. Navigation=accessible; no
including
Pennsylvania Free Public alt-text used
students
Virtual School Charter School 2. There are two videos with
with
captions
disabilities
15
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Accessibility
1. Low Vision/Blind
Populations of
2. d/Deaf, Hearing
Organization Location Grade Students Served
Impaired
(If Applicable)
3. Related Services
Offered (If Applicable)
International
Jewish Online 1. Navigation=accessible; no
Shalom School- alt-text used
K-7
Learning Synchronous 2. Some videos have
Classes captions
Provided
Somerset Florida 1. Navigation=accessible; no
Virtual Accredited K-12 alt-text used
Academy Online School 2. No video
Provides
1.Navigation=accessible; no
Curriculum that
Summit alt-text used
is Standards- 4-12
Learning 2. Videos include closed
Based in 38
captions
states
Supports students
1. Navigation= very
with dyslexia,
accessible with attention to
Nationwide-not Autism Spectrum
alt-text
Time4Learning accredited; PreK-12 Disorders, Down
2. Videos include captions
asynchronous syndrome, ADHD,
3. No services for d/Deaf or
lessons Auditory Processing
hard of hearing students
Disorder
Tuition-free
Full-Time
Online Public
School; Kern,
1. Navigation=accessible; no
Los Angeles,
Virtual Prep alt-text used
San K-12
Academy
Bernardino,
2. No video
Orange,
Riverside and
Inyo Counties
in CA
6-12 Programs for
Nationwide 1. Navigation=accessible; no
including students with Autism
Accredited alt-text used
WiloStar 3D students Spectrum Disorders
Online 2. No videos to check for
with and students with
Program captioning
disabilities learning disabilities
PreK-12
Wisconsin
Wisconsin including 1. Navigation=accessible; no
Accredited
Virtual students alt-text used
Online
Academy with 2. Videos include captions
Program
disabilities
16
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Additional Virtual Resources
Web version of the table below can be found here: https://www.respectability.org/virtual-education/additional-virtual-resources
*** The materials contained in these resources are the intellectual property of that organization. ***
Disclaimer: Inclusion in this resource guide does not indicate endorsement of its program or content. RespectAbility has no financial stake in any
of these resources.
Table 3. Additional Virtual Resources
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
Lessons and activities in language and • Communication
vocabulary for AAC users and students who
• Expressive Language
benefit from visual support for
• Literacy
Ablenet communication PreK-12 Free
• Receptive Language
No videos; All online programs are virtual, • Sentence Building
including tools, game boards, and numbers • Vocabulary
• ABA
• Basic Skills
• Behavior
• Daily Living Skills
• Emotions
• Geography $12.95/
Premade adaptive worksheets and
Adaptive • Language Month or
generator to create your own adaptive PreK-12
Worksheets • Literacy $39.95/
worksheets
• Math Year
• Science
• Sequencing
• Social Studies
• Sorting
• Specials
17
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
• Classroom Setup
• Cleaning Equipment
• Distance Learning
Resources for supporting back to school • Masks and Face Coverings
American
safety; additional resource tips for teachers • Mental/Behavior Health
Occupational PreK-12 Free
Therapy Association
and educators to support students • Supporting Students with
transitioning back to school Autism
• Transition Back to School
Support
• Transportation Concerns
• ELA
• Formative Assessment
Lesson plans geared toward educators in • Instructional Strategies
Better Lesson PreK-12 Free
ELA, math and science • Math
• Routines and Procedures
• Science
• Assistive Technology
• Behavior Support
• Communication
• Core Curriculum
Online interactive activities and printable • Life Skills Free or $9.99/
templates in a variety of subject areas; • Literacy month and
Boardmaker Online PreK-12
Activities available in a variety of languages • Math $99/year for
and compatible with assistive technology • Recreation and Leisure personal account
• Science
• Social Skills
• Social-Emotional
• Social Studies
18
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
• Listening
• Phonemic Awareness
British Council • Phonological Awareness
Activities and games to support speech and
Learning English PreK-12 • Pronunciation Free
language acquisition
Kids • Sound Recognition
• Speaking
• Vocabulary
• ASL
• Assistive Technology
Story time readings with ASL, vocabulary
Central Michigan • Braille
videos, and slides highlighting core
University Literacy PreK-12 • Comprehension Free
vocabulary; additional links to accessible
Resources
literacy sites • Print Awareness
• Spelling
• Vocabulary
• Arts
• Blind Life
• Business
• Careers
• Counseling and Self-Help
• Deaf Life
• Deafblind Life
• Education
Accessible educational videos in a variety • Geography
Described and
of content areas; English and Spanish • Health and Safety
Captioned Media PreK-12 Free
Program
audio described and captioning as well as • History
videos with ASL • Home and Family
• Language Arts
• Literature
• Math
• Religion, Philosophy and
Spirituality
• Science
• Social Science
• Sports and Recreation
19
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
• Computer Skills
• Environmental Skills
• Health
Online interactive games and activities for
E-learning for Kids K-6 • Language Arts Free
grades K-6
• Life Skills
• Math
• Science
• STEAM-Aligned Literacy
Content
eBooks available including read alouds, • Decoding
30 Days Free
Epic Books read alongs, learning videos and quizzes; PreK-5 • Listening
Trial
Spanish also available • Reading Comprehension
• Vocabulary
• Word Tracking
• Art
• Geography
Live camera footage and connected lesson • Language Arts
Explore plans covering a variety of scientific content PreK-12 • Life Cycles Free
areas • Life Science
• Literacy
• Math
• Articulation
• Categorization
• Literacy
Online games and activities for speech and
Global Allied Health PreK-6 • Memory Free
language development
• Problem Solving
• Pronunciation
• Social Skills
• Literacy
• Math
Weekly lessons in six languages for Early
• Movement
Head Start Head Start and Head Start; additional Birth-K Free
• Sensory
resources to support caregivers
• Science
• Toilet Training
20
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
More than 100 accessible learning • Cause/Effect
activities, which cater to a wide range of • Choice Making
users with severe and complex needs, o Eye Gaze/CVI
learning disabilities and are accessible by
HelpKidzLearn PreK-12 • Literacy Free 14 Day Trial
mouse and keyboard, one or two switches,
• Math
touch and eye gaze; ChooseItMaker to
create your own activities; ReadyMade • Science
multi-choice curriculum activities • Vision Tracking
• Literacy
• Phonological awareness
Multi-Sensory Literacy Activities; geared
• Reading comprehension
toward struggling readers and students with
Lexplore K-5 • Decoding Free
literacy-based disabilities; live training
webinars for teachers and families • Fluency
• Home learning series
• Reading routines
• Articulation
• Blends and digraphs
Free downloadable activities and
• Consonant sounds
Mommy Speech worksheets focusing on speech and
PreK-2 • Phonology Free
Therapy language development; links to apps to
support student speech and language goals • Speech sound development
• Story Structure practice
• Vowel sounds
Free with up to 30
seconds of
recording;
$19/year with up
Google Chrome extension that enables • Accessibility to 90 seconds
Mote voice note feedback; available in a variety PreK-12 • Assistive Technology recording;
of languages • Language $49/year with up
to 90 seconds
recording and
voice to text and
translation
21
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
• Chemistry
• Energy and Conservation
• Geology
Mini-lessons and full-length lessons
• Geography
Mystery Science covering a variety of science content for K-5 Free
• Life Science
grades K-5
• Physics
• Technology
• Weather
National Center on Links to resources and webinars for • Accessibility
Accessible creating accessible materials and • Assistive Technology
PreK-12 Free
Educational increasing accessibility during distance • Literacy
Materials learning • Math
National Technical • Work-based pre-employment
Guidance on supporting transition age
Assistance Center virtual learning experiences
students with disabilities through virtual
on Transition/ Transition Age • Employer engagement during
learning; based on Webinar “Employment Free
Workforce Students virtual learning
Preparation and Work Based Learning
Innovation Technical • Remote job shadowing
Experiences in a Virtual World”
Assistance Center • Online career tours
• Communication
• Literacy
• Math Free trial; cost
Standards-based curriculum, weekly
New2You PreK-12 • Science varies based on
newspaper and communication tools
• Sensory package
• Social Skills
• Social Studies
22
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
• Arts
• Coding & Tech
• English Many free
courses,
• Health and Wellness
additional courses
Synchronous online classes in a variety of • Life Skills
Outschool PreK-12 starting at $10;
topics and academic subject areas • Math Free teacher
• Music training and
• Science & Nature webinars
• Social Studies
• World Languages
• Common Core
• Decoding
• Fluency
Digital library of leveled books for students
• Language Free 30-day trial;
ReadingIQ in PreK-6th grade; Read to Me books also PreK-6
• Literacy $7.99/ month
available; some books available in Spanish
• Listening
• Reading Comprehension
• Vocabulary
• Background Knowledge
Reading passages in a variety of content
• Decoding and encoding
areas that serve to develop reading
Readworks K-12 • Literacy Free
comprehension skills; a variety of leveled
texts available as well as audio versions • Reading comprehension
• Vocabulary
• Arts
San Diego County • Communication
Office of Education • Literacy
Thematic units organized by grade level for
(SDCOE) K-12 • Math Free
general education and special education
Distance Learning • Science
Units of Study • Social Studies
• Technology
• Accessibility
Resource to convert documents into a
Sensus Access PreK-12 • Assistive Technology Free
range of alternate media
• Literacy
23
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
• ASL instruction in a variety
of content areas including:
• Communication
• Life Skills
Videos, activities, learning guides and Free/ Additional
• Movement
Signing Time music teaching American Sign Language PreK-6 Materials for
• Music
(ASL) Purchase
• Science
• Sight Words
• Social-Emotional Skills
• Vocabulary
Adaptive sports and fitness activities • Adaptive Physical Education
presented in a set of cards and with • Fitness
Special Olympics.
demonstration videos; guide and cards PreK-12 • Health and Wellness Free
Fit 5
available in English, Spanish, French, • Movement
Chinese, Russian and Arabic • Nutrition
• Content-based Literacy
• Health and Wellness
Free eBooks in more than 15 languages; • Life Skills
can be speech-enabled for Deaf and hard
• Math
of hearing and background modified for low
Tarheel Reader PreK-12 • Music Free
vision and CVI; compatible with touch
screens, the IntelliKeys with custom • Reading Comprehension
overlays, and 1 to 3 switches • Science & Nature
• Social Studies
• Vocabulary
• Advocacy
Tourette Association
• Behavior Support
of America- Videos and written strategies to support
• Communication
Preparing for the individuals with Tourette syndrome PreK-12 Free
2020-2021 School transition into the 2020-2021 school year • Home-School Collaboration
Year • Mental Health
• Social-Emotional Support
• Technology
Typing Club Video modules covering basic typing skills 2-8 Free
• Typing
24
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
• Behavior Support
• Connected Text
• Decoding and encoding
Instructional activities and lessons to • High Frequency Words
University of Florida
support literacy development for students in K-5 • Phonemic Awareness Free
Literacy Institute
K-5th grade • Phoneme-Grapheme
Correspondence
• Vocabulary
• Writing
• Arts
• Back to School Guide
• Digital Citizenship
• Daily Schedule
• ELA
• Math
• Movement
Resources for families and educators in
Wide Open School
curriculum and at-home learning
PreK-12 • Science Free
• Social Studies
• Social-Emotional
• Supports for English Language
Learners
• Supports for Learning and
Thinking Differences
• Virtual Field Trips
25
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Social-Emotional/Mental Health Resources
Web version of the table below can be found here: https://www.respectability.org/virtual-education/social-emotional-and-mental-health-resources
*** The materials contained in these resources are the intellectual property of that organization. ***
Disclaimer: Inclusion in this resource guide does not indicate endorsement of its program or content.
RespectAbility has no financial stake in any of these resources.
Table 4. Social-Emotional/Mental Health Resources
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
• Communication
• Cooperation Free/additional
Games and activities available online and for
• Emotion Regulation - resources for
Centervention download addressing social skills and emotion K-6
Empathy purchase $10 per
regulation
• Impulse Control program for a year
• Social Initiation
• Support for students with
specific disorders
Resources for parents in supporting student
• Support for managing
Child Mind Institute mental health, behavior management, and social- PreK-12 Free
behaviors
emotional skills
• Support for responding to
trauma
• Anxiety
• Behavior Management
• Breathing Techniques
• Cognitive Behavioral
Resources include coping with stress and anxiety,
Therapy Tools
Cincinnati changing thought patterns, relaxation tools,
• Coping Skills
Children’s physical symptoms, behavior management, PreK-12 Free
• Grief
internet safety, grief tools and general mental
health; includes links to daily live virtual events • Internet Safety
• Pain Management
• Social-Emotional
Learning
• Relaxation
26
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
Resources in guiding students, families and • Bullying Prevention
CloseGap educators in emotion regulation with a daily PreK-12 • Emotion Regulation Free
emotion tracking tool • Self-Awareness
• Self-Awareness
Collaborative for • Self-Management
Academic, Social, Lessons, activities and tools for families, • Social Awareness
PreK-12 Free
and Emotional educators and students • Relationship Skills
Learning (CASEL) • Responsible Decision
Making
Contents include how to talk to children about • Anxiety
COVID-19, how to address parent/caregiver • Depression
Connecticut
needs, building resilience in children and • Resilience
Children’s PreK-12 Free
Appendix A for parent/caregivers of children with • Self-Care
special needs and Appendix B containing • Sleep
educational resources • Stress Management
• Anxiety
• Bullying
• Coronavirus Support
Support via text messaging for individuals in crisis • Crisis Support
Crisis Text Line All Ages • Depression Free
Text HOME to 741741 • Emotional Abuse
• Loneliness
• Self-Harm
• Suicidal Ideation
• Emotion Regulation
Virtual interactive tools for emotion regulation and
• Meditation
GritX self-care, recommended literature for further PreK-12 Free
• Self-Reflection
learning
• Self-Care
27
RespectAbility.orgVirtual Education & Students With Disabilities
Organization Description Grade Skills Addressed Cost
• Bedtime Routine
• Coping Skills
Minnesota Resources for supporting children’s mental health,
• Educational Tools
Department of caregiver mental health and tools and resources PreK-12 Free
• Mental Health Well-Being
Health for remote instruction
• Scheduling Routine
• Stress Management
• Anxiety
• Care for Caregivers
• Coping Skills
• Crisis
National Resources to support schools and educators,
• Depression
Association of families and caregivers and addressing social-
PreK-12 • Engagement Free
School emotional skills at home
Psychologists • Grief
• Motivation
• Sleep
• Stigma and Racism
• Suicidal thinking
The National Federation of Families for Children’s
Mental Health is a national family-run organization
National Federation • Self-Care and Coping
linking more than 120 chapters and state
of Families for with Stress/Anxiety
organizations. Resources include videos, toolkits, K-12 Free
Children's Mental • Communications
activities to use at home and more to support
Health (NFFCMH)
parents and caregivers and their children during • Coping
the COVID-19 pandemic.
24/7, free and confidential support for individuals
in distress
English:
(800) 273-8255 • Crisis Management
National Suicide
All Ages • Self-Care Free
Prevention Lifeline
Spanish: • Trauma Support
(888) 628-9454
TTY:
(800) 799-4889
28
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