COVID-19 Special Education Resources

Special Education COVID-19 Information

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has been working closely with the Governor’s Office, the Virginia Department of Health, and other state agencies to ensure our public schools and communities have the most up-to-date information and resources. The health and safety of our children and staff are our top priorities. Visit COVID-19 & Virginia Public Schools for access to the latest updates. Information specific to Special Education is provided below.

Guidance from the U. S. Department of Education

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) continues to ensure additional guidance from the U. S. Department of Education (USED) is available directly to local school divisions. The USED's Office of Special Education Programs has also issued multiple Q & A documents related to COVID-19 and the implementation of IDEA under this pandemic. Additional U. S. Department of Education guidance specific to the COVID-19 pandemic may be found online at https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus. 

• Superintendent's Memo #076-20: Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities (March, 2020)-This is a Word document. (Word)
• Superintendent's Memo #112-20: Additional Guidance from the U.S. Department of Education Regarding Waivers for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (May, 2020)-This is a Word document. (Word)
• Superintendent's Memo #130-20: FERPA in Online and Remote Settings (May, 2020)-This is a Word document. (Word)
• Superintendent Memo #179-20: Additional Guidance from the U.S. Department of Education Regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (July, 2020)-This is a Word document. (Word)
• Superintendent's Memo #265-20: New COVID-19 Q&A Documents Released by the U. S. Department of Education (October, 2020)-This is a Word document. (Word)
• Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA: A Resource to Support Children, Students, Educators, Schools, Service Providers, and Families
• Return to School Roadmap: Development and Implementation of IEP in the LRE under IDEA -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.

COVID-19 Parent Guide

The VDOE has created this guide to serve as a resource for parents, families and caregivers on a variety of topics related to COVID-19 and their students.

• COVID-19: A Parent Guide for School-Age Children
• COVID-19: Una Guía para Padres de Niños en Edad Escolar

Social-Emotional Wellness Quick Guides

• Social-Emotional Wellness Quick Guides – These Quick Guides are designed to provide information and resources to educators and parents in a succinct and simple layout. The guides address specific vulnerable populations (eg., early learners, military students, etc) and include essential questions and considerations.

Reopening Guidance from the Office for Civil Rights 

• Questions and Answers on Civil Rights and School Reopening in the COVID-19 Environment

Guidance from the Department of Special Education & Student Services

• What Families of Students with Disabilities Need to Know During COVID-19 School Closure-This is a PDF document. (PDF) – Tips & Resources for Consideration
• VDOE Special Education and Student Services Frequently Asked Questions – The goal of this document is to provide school divisions and stakeholders with information and solutions around the provision of services for special education and student services.
• VDOE Considerations for COVID Recovery Services for Students with Disabilities-This is a Word document. (Word) – This document highlights information related to compliance, documentation and progress monitoring, and IEP Team considerations that are necessary in order to make decisions about and address requests for COVID recovery services for students with disabilities.
• Special Education Students After COVID-19 Key Considerations-This is a Word document. (Word) – A document to help support decision making surrounding potential issues regarding school reopening and supports for students, families and staff. 
• Sustaining Inclusive Practices for Virtual Learning for Students with Disabilities-This is a Word document. (Word) – This document offers guidance, suggestions, and resources for sustaining inclusionary practices for students with disabilities through continuous learning opportunities using a virtual platform.
• Supporting Students with Complex Learning Needs in Virtual and Remote Learning Environments-This is a PDF document. (PDF) - The purpose of this document is to help families identify ways they can work with educators to provide instruction and support to their children with complex learning needs.
• Family Engagement Lessons of COVID-19: Building on What We've Learned-This is a PDF document. (PDF) - The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic began for schools in early 2020. At times, this period has been frightening, sad, and anxiety-provoking. At the same time, however, we have learned quite a bit about how schools and families can work together in order to help children be more successful learners. In an effort to help carry these lessons with us as we move forward, the Virginia Department of Education's (VDOE's) Family Engagement Network (FEN) created this document to help catalog what we've learned throughout the past two years.

Virtual IEP Meeting Tip Sheets

• Virtual IEP Meeting Tip Sheets – Resource developed by U. S. Department of Education grant funded centers to support parents in how to hold and participate in virtual individualized education program (IEP) meetings.

Special Education Instructional Resources

• Instructional Resources Supporting Students with Disabilities-This is a Word document. (Word) – This repository of resources has been compiled to support Virginia school divisions as they endeavor to meet the continuing learning needs of their students with disabilities during the COVID-19 school closures.
• TTAC ONLINE
• Accessible Instructional Materials Virginia (AIM-VA)
• Autism Center for Excellence
• VDOE Virtual Teaching & Learning Hub - Discover best practices for supporting virtual learning for all students, find tips on lesson planning and assessment strategies, and access professional learning resources.