Teaching special education during the COVID-19 pandemic

With more than 700,000 special education students in the state of California, the Delano Union School District is ensuring their special needs students don't fall behind even online.

CHANGED HOWWE EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN.TEACHERS ARE HELPING PARENTS ANDSTUDENTS AS THEY ADJUST.TONIGHT 23ABC'S IMANI STEPHENSSHOWS US HOW THE DELANOUNION SCHOOL DISTRICT'S SPECIALEDUCATIONDEPARTMENT IS MAKING SURE THEIRSTUDENTS WITH LEARNINGDISABILITIES DON'T FALL BEHINDWHILE THEY LEARNONLINE...THERE ARE MORE THAN 700-THOUSAND SPECIALEDUCATION STUDENTS IN THESTATE...AND WITH SCHOOLS NOWGEARED TOWARDS ONLINE LEARNING,THE DELANO UNIONSCHOOL DISTRICT IS ENSURINGTHEIR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTSDON'T FALL BEHIND EVENONLINE...."IT'S DEFINITELY BEENCHALLENGING FOROUR STUDENTS AND OUR PARENTS.IT'S REALLY FORCED, ALL OF US TOREALLYTHINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND REALLYTRY TO REACH STUDENTS IN A WAYTHAT WEDIDN'T, I THINK WE WOULD EVERHAVE TO"BECAUSE OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAKSTUDENTS IN THEDELANO UNION SCHOOL DISTRICTWERE GIVEN EITHER AN IPAD ORA CHROME BOOK TO CONTINUE THEIREDUCATION...ATHOME.ONLINE PROGRAM TALKING"THE LESSON PLAN INCLUDES THECURRICULUM THAT THEY'RE ABLE TOACCESS TO THE IPAD AT HOME.

ANDTHECURRICULUM COVERS EVERYTHINGFROM MATHEMATICS TO ENGLISHLANGUAGEARTS, WRITING, READING, SCIENCE"WENDY TERRAZAS, THE DIRECTOR OFSPECIALEDUCATION FOR THE SCHOOLDISTRICT SAYS IT WAS IMPORTANTFOR ALL STUDENTS TO HAVE EQUALACCESS TOTECHNOLOGY."SPECIAL ED KIDS NEED TO BEEDUCATED JUST LIKE EVERY OTHERSTUDENT IN THE, IN THE WORLD.AND THEY HAVE THE SAME RIGHTSAND RESPONSIBILITIES AS ADISTRICT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURETHAT THESE KIDS RECEIVE THEADEQUATE EDUCATION THAT THEYNEED.

AND I THINK IT'S REALLYIMPORTANT THAT THEY BE GIVENTHIS OPPORTUNITYAND THAT THEY HAVE THE SAMETECHNOLOGY, THE SAMEINSTRUCTION"AND IT'S TEACHERS LIKEJESSICA VILLALOBOS, A MODERATETO SEVERE SPECIAL EDUCATIONTEACHER AT PIONEER SCHOOL INDELANO CHECKS-IN WITH HERSTUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTSWEEKLYTO HELP WITH THE CHANGES.STUDENT TALKING ON THE IPADBUT SOME OF HER PAST LESSONS --NECESSARY LIFE SKILLS LEARNEDAT THE UNIQUE BLEND, THE STUDENTRUN SCHOOL CAF,ARE NOW MAKING A DIFFERENCEHELPING OUT MOM AND DAD AT HOME."WE'VE BEEN REALLY FORTUNATETHATTHOSE THINGS THAT WE WORKED ONIN THE CLASSROOM, THEY'RE ABLETO DOAT HOME.

SO EVEN WASHING DISHES,SORTING CLOTHES, HELPING THEIRPARENTS HELP MAKE SMALL SNACKSAT THE HOUSE"I'M IMANI STEPHENS, FOR 23ABCNEWS, CONNECTINGYOU...A SENIOR COMMUNITY IN NORTHWESTBAKERSFIELD HAS