California MAP* to Inclusion and Belonging… *Making Access Possible November 2021, Part I Fall Newsletter
Transitioning Back to School and In-Person Activities During the Pandemic
The ongoing stress of the pandemic has left us all exhausted, but still the is excitement and joy in being with people again can fuel our resilience. The transition back to in-person school requires new awareness of the gifts and challenges of interacting with peers, students, and families. The California MAP to Inclusion and Belonging… Making Access Possible team, now supported by the California Department of Social Services, Child Care and Development Division, has gathered resources and tools to support teachers, early care and education providers and families in supporting children’s well-being in adjusting to new experiences and coping with the impact of trauma and grief that has come with the pandemic. The 2021 Fall Newsletter Part 1 includes the following six sets of articles and resources that are introduced below.
Thank you to the Castillon family for cheering up our newsletter with their family Halloween photo!
In this issue:
- Changes in Education During the Pandemic that Increased Access and Communication
- Advocating for Continued Access to Remote Learning
- Pandemic Parents Are More Engaged
- Updated Guidance for COVID-19 for K-12, Early Care and Education and Children with Disabilities for the 2021-2022 School Year
- Return to School Roadmap: A Guide for K-12 Schools and Communities
- IDEA Return to School Roadmap
- California Department of Public Health COVID-19 K-12 Guidance
- CDSS Clarification of Inclusion Services within Child Care Settings
- Considerations and Tools for Supporting Children and Families in Transitions During the Pandemic
- CDC COVID-19 Helping Transition Back to School
- Stress and Short Tempers: Schools Struggle with Behavior as Students Return
- CDC Recommended Tools for Supporting Emotional Wellbeing
- How to Make This Hard Transition Back to School
- COVID-19 Resources and Social Stories for Kids with Autism or Developmental Disabilities
- Sesame Street in Communities: Families of Children with Autism
- Pathfinders for Autism: Social Stories and Story Books
- CDC Materials for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Care Providers
- Research: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Mental Health and on Children with Special Health Care Needs and Their Families
- Overloaded: Families With Children Who Have Special Needs
- The Impact on Children’s Mental Health: What We Know So Far
- Stressors Placed on Families with Children with Special Health Care Needs
- Child and Family Well-Being During the Pandemic
- Resources to Help Address Trauma, Grief and Mental Health
- Guiding Child Care Providers in Supporting Social-Emotional Needs
- Supporting the Grieving Child and Family
- Brookes Coffee Chat: 5 Key Questions About Supporting Grieving Students
- California Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health Webinars and Consultation Services
- Additional CA MAP Resources
1. Changes in Education During the Pandemic that Increased Access and Communication
The pandemic required schools to offer the option of remote access to education. It also required more meaningful engagement with parents. A mother shares her experience and decisions regarding remote and in-person education during the pandemic for both of her children, one with disabilities, in a letter to her community. An Education Week article, “Pandemic Parents are More Engaged” discusses the improved communication between teachers and parents that happened during the pandemic. Will these changes in education endure after the pandemic? Read the letter and the article here.
Advocating For Continued Access to Education Through Remote Learning: One Family’s Experience
All families have had to make tough decisions about their children’s educational setting as they are returning to school this fall. Not only have they had to consider their academic needs, but also their social and emotional well-being and their health and safety. For families of children with disabilities these are ongoing concerns, but in the past there were very limited options. One mom shared her perspective on how the pandemic expanded access to educational opportunities through remote learning for both of her children. Lori Ann Dotson posted this letter on her local education Facebook community page with the intent of broadening the discussion to include children with disabilities:
“I am the parent of two beautiful kiddos, too young for vaccination. My youngest is immunocompromised (requires weekly IG infusions), has around the clock home nursing, and is trach/ventilator dependent. We pulled both our kids from school at the start of the COVID-19 reports - a couple of weeks before things went virtual in March 2020, not knowing the consequence to their placements. We made the decision because we recognized that given our involvement and commitment to their education, their eventual school success was assured (at a magnet or our local school) - but that they wouldn't be available for those opportunities if their health was compromised.
It was amazing to me to see the many things that were not available to kids prior to COVID-19 (namely virtual access to the classroom) spring into being as families of typically developing kids demanded them. While disappointed that the range of options during COVID-19 hadn't been available during other times we requested…”
Find the full article on the CA MAP Inclusive Practice page .
Pandemic Parents Are More Engaged. How Can Schools Keep It Going? Education Week
In many places, communication between schools and parents is turning out to be one of the bright spots in an otherwise chaotic and uncertain era of education. And, it is a golden opportunity for schools to push parent engagement to a higher level this year and beyond.
“Family engagement had to move to the top of the priority list now because no learning, no teaching, no education is happening without communication with families,” said Karen Mapp, a senior lecturer at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, who has studied the interactions between parents and schools for years. “So now you’ve gone from something that was low priority to something that is probably right at the top.”
During the pandemic, the content of the communication changed, Mapp said, with a greater focus on children’s individual learning needs, since parents were a huge part of supporting classroom instruction. “The conversations switched away from discipline and ‘this is what your child isn’t doing’ to ‘here’s what we can do together to make sure that your child continues to learn and grow,’” Mapp said. “Families have responded quite positively to that change.”
2. Updated Guidance for COVID-19 for K-12, Early Care and Education and Children with Disabilities for the 2021-2022 School Year
New guidance for managing COVID-19 as part of the return to school in the fall of 2021 was issued for K-12 schools and for early care and education. Specific guidance for children with disabilities and special health care needs has also been issued by both the federal and state government and emphasizes the right to FAPE in school settings and inclusion in child care programs. Special considerations with regard to social and emotional support and health and safety are discussed. Read about the updates in the full newsletter.
Return to School Roadmap: A Guide for K-12 Schools and Communities for the 2021-2022 School Year
Published byt the US Department of Education, The Roadmap recognizes the impact of pandemic on students and their families and promotes engagement with families to meet the needs of students and to build a better system. “We must welcome families back in authentically, listen and seek to understand to their concerns, and respond to their needs, so that all families feel comfortable sending their students to school this fall. As we start the 2021-2022 school year, schools and communities must address gaps that were exacerbated by the pandemic and build our education system back better than before.”
For additional COVID-19 guidance see the Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse
US Department of Education IDEA Return to School Roadmap: Development and Implementation of Individualized Education Programs
This Q&A document highlights certain Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements related to the development and implementation of individualized education programs (IEPs) and other information that state educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs), regular and special education teachers, related services providers, and parents should consider. The documents also serve to clarify that, regardless of the COVID 19 pandemic, or the mode of instruction, children with disabilities are entitled to FAPE, and infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families to appropriate IDEA Part C services.
In addition, it provides guidance on the potential need for additional services and changes in the IEP including considerations for special factors such as considering assistive technology needs, addressing social, emotional, behavioral and mental health needs and addressing physical health needs at school. Please take a look at these “considerations for special factors.” Even though they are articulated for children with IEP’s, the trauma and stress associated with the pandemic has made them worth considering for all children.
The California Department of Public Health COVID-19 K-12 Guidance for the 2021-2022 School Year
Updated as of October 14, 2021.
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) COVID-19 Guidance for Child Care Providers
Updated as of June 29, 2021.
The CDSS Clarification of Inclusion Services within Child Care Settings during COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, children with special needs and/or disabilities are especially at risk and should continue to receive specialized services. Children must have access to mainstream child care and development services while also having access to specialized services, including, but not limited to, occupational therapy services, speech and language services, other medical services, as applicable, behavioral services, and/or educational support services as part of a targeted intervention strategy. The guidance includes seven recommendations for child care providers on how to safely support children with special services.
3. Considerations and Tools for Supporting Children and Families in Transitions During the Pandemic
According to the CDC, “Transitioning back to early childhood programs or school— or starting them for the first time—can create extra challenges during a pandemic.” This set of articles explores considerations, concerns and challenges of the transition back to school or in-person services and resources to address them. It includes a CDC recommended interactive tools to support emotional well-being, an article by the Greater Good that highlights SEL resources collected as part of a collaboration with the California County Offices of Education and videos and activities from Sesame Street in Communities that help families talk to their children about changes that may be stressful as they participate in more in-person activities. Read the articles and find the tools in the full newsletter.
CDC COVID-19 Helping Young Children and Parents Transition Back to School
“Transitioning back to early childhood programs or school— or starting them for the first time—can create extra challenges during a pandemic. Learn what parents and teachers can do to help children make a successful transition to in-person learning and care.”
This post identifies the challenges and concerns that go along with the experience of being in a new environment after having been socially isolated and now trying to adjust to new people and new routines. It reminds us that we need to take care of ourselves (families, educators and care providers) so that we can take care of the children and provides links to mental health resources for children, families and staff.
Stress and Short Tempers: Schools Struggle with Behavior as Students Return
The behavior issues are a reflection of the stress the pandemic placed on children, experts say, upending their education, schedules, and social lives. For students dealing with grief, mental health issues, or the layered effects of poverty and racism, big transitions can be even more challenging.
Complicating how schools are responding to disruptive behavior is the fact that many educators are on edge, too. Staff shortages and quarantines have stretched teachers thin, leaving many with less of the patience needed to de-escalate student conflicts. Some say they’re already as tired as they’d typically be by Thanksgiving.
This article gives many examples of the types of behavior that educators are dealing with as well as the challenges faced by teachers who are dealing with their own issues around the pandemic. It also describes the solutions that both students and teachers are implementing to help address the mental health of students and teachers alike.
CDC Recommended Resource Tools for Supporting Emotional Wellbeing in Children and Youth
“While fewer children and youth have been sick with COVID-19 compared to adults, the COVID-19 pandemic has still had a major impact on their lives. Though typically resilient to everyday stressors, children and youth are dealing with new challenges due to COVID-19, like social distancing, changes to their routines, and a lost sense of security and safety, making them especially vulnerable to feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed.”
The tools on this webpage, also available in Spanish, were created to teach skills that can help children and youth cope with some of the challenges associated with the pandemic, like:
- Changes in their routines
- Breaks in continuity of learning
- Breaks in continuity of health care
- Missed significant life events
- Lost security and safety
How to Make This Hard Transition Back to School With Your Students
This year, Greater Good Science Center’s education team partnered with California County Offices of Education to support statewide SEL communities of practice through an emergency grant funded by FEMA. Throughout the pandemic, we have networked, shared online SEL resources , and spotlighted districts’ offerings around staff and student mental health. Here are some of the things we have learned from this work with our educator-colleagues—along with some easy-to-implement, research-based practices and activities you can use to foster a stronger sense of collective well-being in your classroom or school. The article provides links to resources for staff well-being, student mental health and SEL and fostering a sense of belonging.
Sesame Street in Communities-Health Emergencies – Caring for Each other
This set of workshops and activities can benefit families and child care providers as we are transitioning into new routines and more interaction with friends, neighbors and the general public. Changes can be awkward and scary if we don’t talk about what to expect and how we are feeling. These resources alert you to topics and situations that might be addressed to help you and your child adjust to changes. The workshops include instructions for interactive activities, a video to watch with children, articles and activities for kids. Here are some sample workshops that might be helpful:
- Feeling Afraid
- More People Around
- Managing Big Feelings
- New Friendships
- Flexible Thinking
Flexible thinking helps children adapt to changes and reframe challenges as opportunities.
See the Health Emergencies page for the menu of workshop options .
4. COVID-19 Resources and Social Stories for Kids with Autism or Developmental Disabilities
The return to in-person school and activities requires adjustments to safety measures that may be uncomfortable or confusing for children with disabilities. Sesame Street in communities has a set of tools created just for kids with autism. Pathfinders has gathered social stories to help kids adjust to changes including a social story on getting a COVID-19 vaccine! The CDC has developed easy to read and understand information about COVID-19 for people with developmental disabilities. Find all of these tools here.
Sesame Street in Communities-Especially for Families of Children with Autism
Wearing masks, interacting on video chats, and adjusting to frequent changes in routines—all can be especially tough for children with autism. Here are resources to help children and families cope with the challenges of living in the time of COVID-19.
Pathfinders for Autism: COVID-19 Resources-Social Stories and Story Books
A collection of social stories and story books for supporting kids with disabilities related to staying safe in the pandemic. With vaccines becoming available for children this social story will be helpful in preparing kids to get a vaccine, Getting a Vaccine to Prevent Me from Getting COVID-19
CDC COVID-19 Materials for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Care Providers
COVID-19 is challenging to explain, live through, and communicate about. The materials on this page were created to help make communicating about COVID-19 a little easier. Choose from videos, posters, social stories, and interactive activities to best meet your communication needs.”
“These materials (also available in Spanish ) will cover 5 basic topics: getting the COVID-19 shot, washing your hands, getting a COVID-19 test, as well as wearing a mask and keeping a safe distance until you have gotten your shot.”
5. Research: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Mental Health and on Children with Special Health Care Needs and Their Families
Access to findings from three research projects about the impact of the pandemic on children’s mental health and the families of children with special health care needs are presented in these articles.
Overloaded: Families With Children Who Have Special Needs Are Bearing an Especially Heavy Weight, And Support Is Needed
In one of our first postings last May, we noted that parents who have a child with special needs were experiencing more anxiety, depression, and loneliness during the pandemic than other parents, and that children with special needs were experiencing more emotional distress. Similar findings about the difficulties families with a child with special needs are experiencing have been reported elsewhere . Notably, these trends existed prior to the pandemic , when services were more available and accessible, but the stresses and strains of the pandemic have added to the challenges and burdens that these families are facing.
To evaluate how the pandemic is impacting families with children with special needs, we looked at data from our RAPID survey related to both caregivers’ and children’s mental health and levels of social support. We also analyzed data about child wellness visits (an especially important touch point for screening as well as evaluation of developmental progress for children with special needs) and vaccinations. We looked specifically at which visits children are missing and why. In all of these analyses, we compared responses from caregivers who have children with special needs to responses from other caregivers. Read about the results .
Visit the Rapid EC Project website (Rapid Assessment of Pandemic Impact on Development Early Childhood Household Survey Project) to learn more about the results of their weekly data collection during the pandemic.
2021 Children’s Mental Health Report, Child Mind Institute: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Mental Health: What We Know So Far
Even before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, mental health professionals were struggling to meet the needs of the 1 in 5 children and adolescents with a mental health or learning disorder. Then the pandemic hit, bringing an upsurge in youth reporting mental health challenges. Report demonstrates that the most negative impacts of the pandemic have been concentrated in uniquely vulnerable populations. Who are they? Poor kids. BIPOC kids. LGBTQ+ kids. Kids with unstable home lives. Kids with mental health disorders like anxiety, depression or ADHD — especially those who don’t get treatment. Kids with learning disabilities. Kids with autism.
In this report, we examine the growing body of research on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s mental health, including the results of a survey of thousands of parents conducted by the Child Mind Institute. While you are at the Child Mind Institute site, check out the new Family Resources area of the site . Find information to help you support children who are struggling with mental health, behavior or learning challenges.
Family Snapshot Survey During Pandemic Looks at Stressors Placed on Families with Children with Special Health Care Needs
Despite the stress of the pandemic, most parents in households with at least one child with special health care needs felt close to their children during this time and did a variety of activities with them, according to a family snapshot survey. But families in these households also experienced several challenges, including high rates of disruption in day care, health care, and employment, and a loss of technological and therapeutic supports.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA) , and Tufts Medical Center , is surveying a total of 9,000 parents over a period of seven months to measure the impact of the pandemic on family life, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and positive childhood experiences. The latest Family Snapshot report seeks to understand the significant impact on families raising children and youth with special health care needs.
6. Resources to Help Address Trauma, Grief and Mental Health
This set of resources includes a webinar from the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) that provides guidance on supporting social and emotional needs during the pandemic. The difference between trauma and grief is explained in a short video from the American Academy of Pediatrics. A Q & A from a Brook’s Coffee Chat on what to say when supporting grieving students. The California Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Network introduces webinars and consultation services supporting young children’s mental health.
Guiding Child Care Providers in Supporting the Social-Emotional Needs of Young Children during the Pandemic and Other Traumatic Events
Learn about how early childhood education and care programs are being guided to use Pyramid Model practices in addressing the needs of young children during the Pandemic and other Traumatic Events. Our panel will discuss the impact of trauma on young children’s social-emotional health and how Child Care Resource & Referral leaders are making a difference in the support of programs. Includes the Trauma Informed Care Guide (PDF) and Trauma Informed Checklist (PDF)
Supporting the Grieving Child and Family
The vast majority of children experience the death of a close family member or friend. Bereavement can have a profound and long-term impact on children’s psychological adjustment, academic achievement, and personal development. This session will discuss basic skills for pediatric healthcare providers in how to talk with and support grieving children and families and outline some of the unique challenges posed by grief during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
It also addresses the difference between trauma and grief and how we need to be trauma informed and grief sensitive. Additional resources are identified including resources from the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement
Brookes Coffee Chat AUTHOR Q&A: 5 Key Questions About Supporting Grieving Students
David Schonfeld and Marcia Quackenbush’s presented on Supporting the Grieving Student: Practical Guidance for All School Professionals . After the coffee chat, we asked David and Marcia to provide answers to some of the questions we received but weren’t able to address during the live session. Here are their answers to five timely questions, covering supports for preschool-aged children, transitioning to college while grieving, and more. In this Q&A, David and Marcia also recommend some key materials from the Coalition to Support Grieving Students , which offers a range of free resources for school teams and families.
California Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health Webinars and Consultation Services
The California Infant-Family and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Network, formerly the California and Behavior Consultation (CIBC) Network, invites you to join them for a series of infant-family and early childhood mental health webinars. These 1-hour virtual webinars are offered at no cost and are designed to highlight key aspects of infant-family and early childhood mental health and trauma informed care for early learning and care programs and staff working with young children and their families. View this IECMHC Network Webinar Flyer 2021-22 for additional details and registration information. Consultation services are also available at no cost to early learning and care programs statewide. Please see IECMHC Virtual Consultation Flyer for information about how to submit a request.
Additional Resources from CA MAP
For more resources to support children, families and staff during the pandemic see the MAP Newsletter, Supporting Well-Being and Belonging For All Children and Their Families and Staff During COVID-19 .
Direct questions or comments about this newsletter to map@wested.org