At recent Zoom meeting,
educator Barbara Darrigo offered a suggested list of resources for parents with
children with special needs. Some of these resources also provide information
on remote learning, working with kids during Covid-19 and special computer apps
to challenge your kids.
- New Resources for Families Help
Multilingual Learners with Disabilities Thrive in Virtual Classrooms Help
parents and caregivers in 3 areas: social stories, augmentative and alternative communications, and what special
education services to expect from schools as mandated by students'
Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs, while students are at home.
- Family Guide to At-Home Learning
This 2-page interactive family guide from CEEDAR is aligned to the CEC
High Leverage Practices for special education. This guide has practical
strategies that work for helping children of all ages who may be struggling with an at-home learning task. Families may
find these strategies useful when helping their children complete various
reading, math, and/or behavioral tasks at home.
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- Common Sense Media - Resources for
Families During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Commonsense Media has been the
leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families and
schools since 2003 and has a great
link with resources for families during the pandemic.
- Child Mind Institute – Supporting Families During COVID-19: The Child Mind Institute reminds us
that they know parents are struggling to balance work, child care and self-care
while keeping worries — both your children’s and your own — under control. You don’t have to do it alone.
- Edutopia – Apps for Students with Special Needs: The
coronavirus creates a unique
challenge for students with special needs—educators share recommendations for
apps to support learning at home. Edutopia.org has created a list of apps that
may be helpful in helping families in the home.
- Affordable Health Insurance: A patient resource center that helps vulnerable youth suffering from mental health issues learn about the benefits and coverage readily available to them. Their guide offers valuable information on who qualifies, what coverage includes, and most importantly, low- to no-cost health coverage options. There are also many additional resources where individuals can get specialized support.
Information for this article was presented by Barbara Darrigo, M.S. to a group that participates in a Facebook online forum.
For four years Barbara Darrigo was a principal of an inner-city
public school, coupled with over 20 years as a special educator. In her role as
an educator, she has provided educational support for children, as well as
professional development for families, educators and school communities.
After retiring in 2015, Barbara was employed by the Roslyn
Public School District on Long Island where she lent her support to students
and staff members. In 2019, Barbara moved back to the Hudson Valley where she
once lived.
Barbara can be reached at eduhelp111@gmail.com