PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT SCHOOL THIS FALL

Parents of children with special needs tell WAAY 31 one of their main questions is whether or not kids will continue to get speech and occupational therapy if they choose to do virtual school, and how that would look.

Across the entire shoals region.

Parents of special needs children in madison county and huntsville city schools say they have a lot of questions for school leaders.

And with very little time to make a decision whether or not to do virtual or traditional school, they want answers sooner than later.

Waay 31's casey albritton with what these parents need to know before making a decision.

Parents of children with special needs tell me one of their main questions is whether or not kids will continue to get speech and occupational therapy if they choose to do virtual school and how that would look.

Anita leroy/ mother "we don't want to infect our community but we also don't want him getting further behind."

For anita leroy's five year old boy... in person school is crucial.

He has autism.

Anita leroy/ mother "i think he definitely needs more one-on-one, in person time."

She says her son receives speech and occupational therapy at school.

Anita leroy/ mother "how do we integrate his services with remote learning or if we go that route, is it off the table completely?"

Krista butler has an autistic four year old daughter--and has similar concerns.

Krista butler/ mother "what are parents going to do that don't have these therapies at their school anymore.

Are we going to go back to paying for private therapy?"

Butler says she is leaning towards putting her daughter in virtual school--but says she isn't equipped to take on the therapy sessions herself.

Krista butler/ mother "if your kids have food aversions they will work with that with them.

There's so much and it's so big, it's not something you can virtually do."

Anita leroy/ mother "in march, every parent in the country said 'okay, now i'm a teacher,' and i was going "now i'm a speech therapist and a physical therapist and an occupational therapist."

Leroy wants to know how madison county schools plans to keep children with special needs safe.

Anita leroy/ mother "they don't know how to keep distance.

They don't know those social norms, so all of that is out the window."

Both women say they need more details about the plan for this fall.

Krista butler/ mother "i want the district to understand that this is not a situation that is setting our special needs children up for success."

Madison county schools will be releasing a more detailed plan for students on monday... reporting in huntsville, casey albritton waay 31