Parenting Concerns Over a Summer At Home

Summer Camps for Children with Disabilities Remain Closed
Photo credit: Associated Press

In mid-March COVID-19 took the United States by storm - with schools, after school programs, therapy centers and more switched to virtual offerings and at-home learning.

Students of all ages adapted in different ways. Some were able to transition into the routine of virtual learning without a problem. For children on the autism spectrum, however, many are used to a variety of in-person services and support and the shift to virtual interactions has been an obstacle.

Many parents have expressed their concerns, including Tiffany Lisboa, a mother of twins that are on the autism spectrum. Lisboa shares to News10 that this is a very stressful situation for parents that have children with disabilities because there is a lot of concern about regression. “I have to follow my kids around the house so they can focus on the camera. It’s just not the same, and it’s very impersonal,” said Lisboa to News10.

Day camps and school programs are not expected to open for the summer season. A number of organizations have developed virtual day camps to start later this month. An example of this is ‘Camp BuddEConnect’, which is a virtual day camp for children with special needs from preschool age and up. This virtual day camp will offer campers the opportunity for social interaction, physical activity, personal connection and fun directly from their homes.

Parents and caretakers across the country are watching patiently to see progress, especially those in New York City. In early June, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order allowing only special education classes to resume in-person during the summer. All schools must follow the COVID-19 guidelines. General education programs are not expected to open until they meet the criteria for Phase 4 of the reopening plan. Nevertheless, parents are very happy in New York City to see that their kids are going to finally start having their in-person special education classes.