Abstract
COVID-19 forced educational jurisdictions in the United States and abroad to implement stay-at-home policies that closed most in-school services. Beginning in March 2020, all children were thrust into virtual learning. This research describes US parents’ views of distance learning for a subset of those children: young children, aged two to eight years, with disabilities. Parents (N = 47) completed an online survey of multiple-choice and short-answer questions about distance learning for young children with disabilities. Data were collected from October to November 2020 when many schools were participating in distance learning in either a full or hybrid format. Parents in this study indicated that distance learning was often unsuccessful because their children needed too much adult support, required specialized instruction and therapies, and lacked opportunities for social interaction. These findings provide initial insight into the challenges of providing distance learning to young children with disabilities. While the COVID-19 crisis may be nearing an end, distance learning, at least in some format, is likely here to stay. This research highlights challenges that need to be addressed to make it successful.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abuhammad, S. (2020). Barriers to distance learning during the COVID-19 outbreak: A qualitative review from parents’ perspective. Heliyon, 6(11), e0582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05482
Acar, S., Chen, J.-I., & Hie, H. (2020). Parental involvement in developmental disabilities across three cultures: A systematic review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 110, 103861. https://doi.org/10.1016/jridd.2021.103861
Aishworiya, R., & Kang, Y. Q. (2021). Including children with developmental disabilities in the equation during this COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 51, 2155–2158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04670-6
Alhuzimi, T. (2020). Stress and emotional wellbeing of parents due to change in routine for children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at home during COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 108, 103822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103822
Asbury, K., Fox, L., Deniz, E., Code, A., & Toseeb, U. (2021). How is COVID-19 affecting the mental health of children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51, 1772–1780. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04577-2
Atiles, J. T., Almodóvar, M. C., Vargas, A., Dias, M. J. A., & Zúñiga León, I. M. (2021). International responses to COVID-19: Challenges faced by early childhood professionals. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 29(1), 66–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2021.1872674
Aytac, T. (2021). The problems faced by teachers in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic and their opinions. International Journal of Progressive Education, 17(1), 404–420. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2020.329.26
Barnett, W. S., & Jung, K. (2021). Seven impacts of the pandemic on young children and their parents: Initial findings from NIEER’s December 2020 preschool learning activities survey. National Institute for Early Education Research. https://nieer.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NIEER_Seven_Impacts_of_the_Pandemic_on_Young_Children_and_their_Parents.pdf
Benner, A. D., & Mistry, R. S. (2020). Child development during the COVID-19 pandemic through a life course theory lens. Child Development Perspectives, 14(4), 236–243. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12387
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Harvard University Press.
Chen, Y., & Thomson, D. (2021). Child poverty increased nationally during COVID, especially among Latino and Black children. Child Trends. https://www.childtrends.org/publications/child-poverty-increased-nationally-during-covid-especially-among-latino-and-black-children
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.).
Cohen, J., & Kupferschmidt, K. (2020). Countries test tactics in ‘war’ against COVID-19. Science, 367(6484), 1287–1288. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.367.6484.1287
Dearing, E., & Zachrisson, H. D. (2019). Taking selection seriously in correlational studies of child development: A call for sensitivity analyses. Child Development Perspectives, 13(4), 267–273. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12343
Dias, M. J. A., Almodóvar, M., Atiles, J. T., Chavarría Vargas, A., & Zúñiga León, I. M. (2020). Rising to the challenge: Innovative early childhood teachers adapt to the COVID-19 era. Childhood Education, 96(6), 38–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2020.1846385
Dong, C., Cao, S., & Li, H. (2020). Young children’s online learning during COVID-19 pandemic: Chinese parents’ beliefs and attitudes. Children and Youth Services Review, 118, 105440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105440
Dworkin, J., Hessel, H., Gilske, K., & Rudi, J. H. (2016). A comparison of three online recruitment strategies for engaging parents. Family Relations, 65(4), 550–561. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12206
Elder, G. H., Jr. (1998). The life course as developmental theory. Child Development, 69, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.1998.tb061128x
Epstein, J. L. (2001). School and family partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Westview.
Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11
Friedman-Krauss, A. H., Barnett, W. S., Garver, K. A., Hodges, K. S., Weisenfeld, G. G., & Gardiner, B. A. (2021). The state of preschool 2020: State of preschool yearbook. National Institute for Early Education Research. https://nieer.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/YB2020_Full_Report_080521.pdf
Gennetian, L. A., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2020). Where’s the rallying cry? America’s children are unequally prepared to absorb the impacts of COVID-19. The Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2020/05/13/wheres-the-rallying-cry-americas-children-are-unequally-prepared-to-absorb-the-impacts-of-covid-19/
Gowen, J. W., Christy, D. S., & Sparling, J. (1993). Informational needs of parents with young children with special needs. Journal of Early Intervention, 17(2), 194–210.
Hill, F. (2020, April 18). The pandemic is a crisis for students with special needs. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2020/04/special-education-goes-remote-covid-19-pandemic/610231/
Hill, C. E., Thompson, B. J., Hess, S. A., Knox, S., Williams, E. N., & Ladany, N. (2005). Consensual qualitative research: An update. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(2), 196–205. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.2.196
Hirsh-Pasek, K., Yogman, M., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2020, July 21). Should schools reopen? Balancing COVID-19 and learning loss for your children. The Brookings Institution. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2020/07/21/should-schools-reopen-balancing-covid-19-and-learning-loss-for-young-children/
Hoover-Dempsey, K. V., Walker, J. M. T., Sandler, H. M., Whetsel, D., Green, C. L., Wilkins, A. S., & Closson, K. (2005). Why do parents become involved? Research findings and implications. The Elementary School Journal, 106, 105–130. https://doi.org/10.1086/499194
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400. (2004).
Jager, J., Putnick, D. L., & Bornstein, M. H. (2017). More than just convenient: The scientific merits of homogenous samples. In N. Card (Ed.), Developmental methodology (SRCD Monographs, Serial No. 325, 82(2)) (pp. 13–30). https://doi.org/10.1111/mono.12296
Lai, B. S., & La Greca, A. (2020). Understanding the impacts of natural disasters on children. SRCD Child Evidence Brief, 8. https://www.srcd.org/research/journals/social-policy-report/social-policy-report-briefs
Latzer, I. T., Leitner, Y., & Karnieli-Miller, O. (2021). Core experiences of parents of children with Autism during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Autism, 25(4), 1047–1059. https://doi.org/10.1177//1362361132094317
Lau, E. Y. H., & Lee, K. (2021). Parents’ views on young children’s distance learning and screen time during COVID-19 class suspension in Hong Kong. Early Education and Development, 32(6), 863–880. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2020.1843925
Masonbrink, A. R., & Hurley, E. (2020). Advocating for children during the COVID-19 school closures. Pediatrics Perspectives, 146(3), e20201440. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-1440
Morrison, F. J., Kim, M. H., Connor, C. M., & Grammar, J. K. (2019). The causal impact of schooling on children’s development: Lessons for developmental science. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28(5), 441–449. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721419855661
Munn-Joseph, M. S., & Gavin-Evans, K. (2008). Urban parents of children with special needs: Advocating for their children through social networks. Urban Education, 43(3), 378–393. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085907311803
Murphy, A., Pinkerton, L. M., Bruckner, E., & Risser, H. J. (2021). The impact of the novel Coronavirus disease 2019 on therapy service deliver for children with disabilities. The Journal of Pediatrics, 231, 168–177.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.12.060
Neece, C., McIntrye, L. L., & Fenning, R. (2020). Examining the impact of COVID-19 in ethnically diverse families with young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 64(10), 739–749. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12769
Patel, K. (2020). Mental health implications of COVID-19 on children with disabilities. Letter to the editor. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 54, 102273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102273
Patrick, S. W., Henkhaus, L., Zickatoose, J. S., Lovell, K., Halvorson, A., Loch, S., Letterie, M., & Davis, M. M. (2020). Well-being of parents and children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national survey. Pediatrics, 146(4), e2020016824. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-016824
Prime, H., Wade, M., & Browne, D. T. (2020). Risk and resilience in family well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Psychologist, 75(5), 631–643. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000660
Puccioni, J. (2015). Parents’ conceptions of school readiness, transition practices, and children’s academic achievement trajectories. The Journal of Educational Research, 108(2), 130–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2013.850399
Russell, B. S., Hutchison, M., Tambling, R., Tomkunas, A. J., & Horton, A. L. (2020). Initial challenges of caregiving during COVID-19: Caregiver burden, mental health, and the parent-child relationship. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 51, 671–682. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-02001037-x
Schiariti, V., & McWilliam, R. A. (2021). Crisis brings innovative strategies: Collaborative empathic teleintervention for children with disabilities during the COVID-19 lockdown. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 1749–1759. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041749
Schmidt, K. R. T. (2013). Predictors of parent involvement in Part C early intervention services. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland.
Sedgwick, P. (2013). Convenience sampling. British Medical Journal, 347, 16304. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.16304
Serpell, R., Baker, L., & Sonnenschein, S. (2005). Becoming literate in the city: The Baltimore Early Childhood Project. Cambridge University Press.
Slavin, R. E. (1990). IBM’s writing to read: Is it right for reading? Phi Delta Kappa, 72, 214–216.
Song, S. Y., Wang, C., Espelage, D. L., Fenning, P., & Jimerson, S. R. (2020). COVID-19 and school psychology: Adaptations and new directions for the field. School Psychology Review, 49(4), 431–437. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1852852
Sonnenschein, S., & Grossman, E.R. (2020). Parents with children forced to school at home are drinking more. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/parents-with-children-forced-to-do-school-at-home-are-drinking-more-143164
Sonnenschein, S., Metzger, S. R., & Thompson, J. A. (2016). Low-income parents’ socialization of their preschoolers’ early reading and math skills. Research in Human Development, 13(3), 207–224. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427609.2016.1194707
Sonnenschein, S., Metzger, S., & Gay, B. (2018). Concerted cultivation among low-Income Black and Latino families. In S. Sonnenschein & B. E. Sawyer (Eds.), Academic socialization of young Black and Latino children: Building on family strengths (pp. 39–60). Springer.
Sonnenschein, S., Grossman, E. R., & Grossman, J. A. (2021a). U.S. parents’ reports of assisting their children with distance learning during COVID-19. Education Sciences, 11(9), 501. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11090501
Sonnenschein, S., Stites, M. L., & Galczyk, S. H. (2021b). Teaching preschool during COVID-19: Insights from the field. In O. N. Saracho (Ed.), Contemporary perspectives in early childhood education. Information Age. (in press).
Sonnenschein, S., Stites, M. L., & Ross, M. (2021c). Home learning environments for young children in the U.S. during COVID-19. Early and Education Development, 32(6), 794–811. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2021.1943282
Stites, M. L., Sonnenschein, S., & Galczyk, S. H. (2021). Preschool parents’ views of distance learning during COVID-19. Early Education and Development. (in press). https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2021.1943282
Toseeb, U., Asbury, K., Code, A., Fox, L., & Deniz, E. (2020). Supporting families with children with special educational needs and disabilities during COVID-19. PsyArXiv Preprints. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/tm69k
U.S. Census. (2020). Schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/08/schooling-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.html
Van Keer, I., Bodner, N., Ceulemans, E., Leeuwen, K. V., & Maes, B. (2020). Parental behavior and child interactive engagement: A longitudinal study on children with a significant cognitive and motor developmental delay. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 103, 103672. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103672
Warner-Richter, M., & Lloyd, C. M. (2020). Considerations for building post-covid early care and education systems that serve children with disabilities. Child Trends. https://www.childtrends.org/wpcontent/uploads/2020/08/ECEDisabilitiesCovid19_ChildTrends_August2020.pdf
Wendel, M., Ritchie, T., Rogers, M. A., Ogg, J. A., Santuzzi, A. M., Shelleb, E. C., & Menter, K. (2020). The association between child ADHD symptoms and changes in parental involvement in kindergarten children’s learning during COVID-19. School Psychology Review, 49(4), 466–479. https://doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1838233
Whitaker, C., Stavelink, S., & Fear, N. (2017). The use of Facebook in recruiting participants for health research purposes: A systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(8), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.7071
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sonnenschein, S., Stites, M.L., Grossman, J.A., Galczyk, S.H. (2022). “It Just Does Not Work”: Parents’ Views About Distance Learning for Young Children with Special Needs. In: Pattnaik, J., Renck Jalongo, M. (eds) The Impact of COVID-19 on Early Childhood Education and Care. Educating the Young Child, vol 18. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96977-6_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96977-6_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-96976-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-96977-6
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)