Online Learning Presents Challenges For Students With Specific Needs

Fulton County School System has sites where families can pick up devices, like tablets, if they don’t have them at home. Internet providers like AT&T, Comcast and Charter are also offering free service temporarily so students can connect.

LA Johnson / NPR

Georgia’s public schools have switched to online learning at least through the end of the month to help slow the spread of COVID-19. But as everyone adjusts to “virtual school,” teachers of students in specialized populations, like English language learners or students with special needs, are worried about how much their students are learning remotely.

Getting Connected

Some teachers are still trying to make sure their students have access to the basics.

“The major challenge is making sure that these children have devices at home, and that they have [a] Wi-Fi connection,” says Laurie Carroll, who teaches math to seventh and eighth graders with special needs.