When I was presented with the opportunity to write for El Tecolote, my goal was and still is to raise awareness and provide the community with information on education, children with dis/abilities and different ways that a child could be affected by neurological or physical differences, all in hopes to better serve the children in our midst. As a full-time student, part-time nanny and part-time educator, I’ve learned one thing across all three spheres: it takes a village to raise a child.
It has been difficult for families to deal with the stress of distance learning and working during the pandemic. For parents of children with special needs, this comes with a loss of critical support. From occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, paraprofessionals to teacher aides, children with special needs have been left with little to no resources in the last year due to COVID-19.
Community members who are caregivers and parents of children with special needs have been particularly impacted by the loss of support. I witnessed it firsthand last year when I was working for a school in the Tenderloin. As the pandemic sent everyone home and to fulfill their roles virtually, kids too were forced along with their parents to figure out how to “go to school” every day. I remember one of my students, a first second grader, was having trouble hearing me through her mother’s phone, which was propped up against another object so that it wouldn’t fall. Her face kept freezing and the signal was going in and out. I wanted to reach through her screen to help her and I couldn’t do anything. At the time, my role was to support kids who were struggling academically. It was hard to be there and truly not be there for them. Another student of mine who has dyslexia needed support with breaking down the words on a page into parts, sounding out letters and piecing it all back together. For someone who is dyslexic, sometimes the letters in a word appear to be reversed, but it is not a vision problem, rather a language issue. Can you imagine having poor internet connection, trying to read a word, and not having someone in the same room as you, know exactly how to help you? That has been the case for many children. It is not the fault of parents when they have not been able to help their child with an assignment, complete a project, or even be able to get their child on the screen for class or therapy.
The distance that the pandemic created between families and their friends or support, has deeply affected children, and will have a future impact on their next school year.
I’m not a mother, but I have friends who are parents that have shared with me how hard it has been to feel like they had nobody to rely on for help with their kids in school. This shows the importance of community and the combination of willingness to help and courage to ask for help. Many parents in the community had to keep working to make ends meet and trusted that their children would get through their school day online under their grandparents’ supervision. Others who have older kids had no choice but to leave them to care for their younger siblings alongside another adult while trying to attend class.
The distance that the pandemic created between families and their friends or support, has deeply affected children, and will have a future impact on their next school year. To those parents who read that sentence and held their breath or felt the heart sink, don’t be discouraged. I would suggest reaching out to older family members who are in high school or college and can support younger children in school, or ask around through friends for someone with expertise to support you. There will always be someone that is willing to help and available, even if it takes some digging.
For those who are witnessing parents struggling to find support, asking how you can help or letting them know they are not alone can go a long way. It has been daunting for many families who have seen how their child has been impacted by distance learning in the last year.
Everyone is trying as best as they possibly can, and the kids count on all of us to propel them forward and champion their dreams. When they find themselves upset or angry because they can’t do a homework assignment or understand directions, they don’t need someone to tell them to focus or to pay more attention-they just need someone to say that it will be okay, affirming that they are smart, they are capable and they will get there.
If you are finding yourself stuck with what questions to ask your school about getting more support for your child, you may contact me at deleon.corina@gmail.com