HUDSONVILLE, Michigan — School systems all over the state are ramping up online learning - if they haven't already - now that we know in-person classes are canceled for the rest of the year. That's hard enough. But, it's especially hard on special education students, their parents and their teachers.
"It's an imperfect system," says Hudsonville special education teacher, Anna Childress. "But, it's a pandemic."
Childress is one week into teaching her Hudsonville Public School education class over the internet. They've started off slowly.
"I just want them to learn - literally - how to log into their Gmail account to access the classroom," she said.
For Childress and her students, there are challenges that general education students simply don't face. They're just more physically hands-on.
"Whether it's using hand over hand for instruction or working in physical therapy, social appropriateness. A lot of it is sitting peer-to-peer," she said.
Mark Mulder, a parent of two sons with special needs, says that lost social interaction is one area they're struggling with.
"My youngest son talks consistently about his friends from school. He takes his middle school yearbook around and points at kids. My oldest loves videos from his teacher just saying 'Hi'."
Mulder's sons, Jared, 19, and Caleb, 14, have a rare degenerative disease called Sanfilippo Syndrome. Mulder said the easiest way to put it would be a childhood Alzheimer's. In addition to the lost social interaction, Mulder says loss of routine has been difficult.
"For my youngest, it's a bit hard to get him to sit down and learn in the places we used to make puzzles and do worksheets," Mulder said.
Mulder says Hudsonville Public and The Ottawa Area Center are doing all they can. But, some things like sensory rooms and swimming pools just cannot be replicated virtually.
A fact that Childress has trouble coming to terms with.
"As an educator, to know it's not going to be the best... that's a tough spot to sit in," she said.
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